8
community
december27
2011
Senior Stars: Shirlee Daughtry
By Karen Miller
Having moved myself fifteen
times since I was born, all around the
country and abroad, it seems rare to me
to find someone who has never moved
far from home. Or even wanted to. So
I found it rather interesting when I sat
down to talk with long time Verno-
nia resident Shirlee Daughtry, who did
both—never moved far or had any inter-
est in doing so. Shirlee loves Vernonia...
read on and see why!
Shirlee Daughtry was born just
a few blocks away from where she lives
now and has the distinction of having
been home delivered by Dr. Ebey, back
when doctors still did this sort of thing.
That house where Shirlee was born is
still being lived in. She was raised by
her grandparents. Any Norwegians
reading this will be interested to know
that Shirlee’s grandfather’s father came
from Norway to Minnesota, married and
homesteaded in Mt. Vernon, WA., north
of Seattle.
In 1934 Shirlee’s mom’s par-
ents, Oscar and Regina Vike came to
Vernonia where Oscar found work with
Clark and Wilson Logging as a skidder
leverman. Shirlee recalls that the #102
engine, on display in Vernonia at Shay
Park, was used at logging sites and did
the switching and moved the cars for
loading—where Oscar did his job. The
#105 is on display on the billboard com-
ing into town from the south end. Up-
grading this billboard with new artwork
this past year was a project of Sally Har-
rison’s, another Vernonia go-getter. Sal-
ly obtained the photo of the #105 from
Shirlee Daughtry.
Shirlee has three half-brothers
and two half-sisters. She has been wid-
owed for twenty years. Shirlee met her
husband DL while she was working at
the Pal (ice cream) Shop when she was
twenty years old. DL Daughtry came to
Vernonia from Summerall, Mississippi,
where another long time Vernonia resi-
dent , Tessie Aldrich, is also transplanted
from. DL, (that was his full name—the
initials didn’t stand for anything and ap-
parently this was common in that part
of the south then) joined the Army back
in Mississippi when he was just sixteen.
DL then followed his mother’s brother,
his uncle Ernest, who was foreman of
the planer mill, here to Vernonia.
Shirlee and DL were married
in 1956. They had a son, Lane, born
in 1957 and a daughter, Venetia, born
VERNONIA
E
C
I
V
SER PAIR
& RE
Warranty on all parts and labor
• Brakes • Oil Changes
• Clutches • Tune Ups
• Maintenance
58605 NEHALEM HWY. S.
Next to Storage, Too
503/706/9409
in 1960. Lane is now a long hauler
for Curl’s. Venitia, named after movie
starlet Venitia Stevenson whom Shirlee
had read about in a movie magazine and
liked the name, operates a MAX train in
Portland.
Some of Shirlee’s memories
about growing up in Vernonia:
Shirlee recalls the “wooden
blocks she played with at Lincoln Grade
School during recess time. Does anyone
else remember those blocks?
Her grandma had a restaurant,
Ma Vike’s Café which originally was
located where the John L. Scott Real
Estate office is now, then moved to the
building where Grey Dawn Gallery is
located, and then to where Muffy’s shoe
shop is now. That building, she recalls,
housed Hawkins Motors where they
worked on and sold cars and where her
Shirlee near her home on Cory Hill.
Shown in the background is the Cory
family home; Shirlee believes this to be the
only known photo of the Cory House.
uncle Harvey Redmond, a Pearl Harbor
survivor, was a mechanic. The Sentry
Market building was a car dealership
and the Meyer’s Auto Body building
was a Chevrolet dealership where she
and DL purchased a ‘67 SS Chevelle,
dark maroon, and a black 454 Chevy
Caprice with wide white wall tires.
She also remembers Miller’s
Department Store, which sold shoes in
the JCPenney’s building.
Shirlee loved growing up in
Vernonia, “...everyone knew every-
one!” “Back then, you had everything
you needed.” According to Shirlee, back
then it was a big deal even to go to For-
est Grove!
Shirlee has
fond memo-
ries of Mrs.
T h o m a s ’ s
variety store,
where she
spent lots of
time brows-
ing and to-
day she still
has several
items from
that era from
Mr. Nichols
Shirlee with her Aunt Nora.
Variety Store
husband in 1992 . She was one of the
including several candy dishes in her founding members of Vernonia Pride,
china cabinet.
although she gives the credit for the idea
Vernonia, Shirlee says, was big of starting it in the early 90’s to Genny
on Saturday night dances back in the Fisher. It was Shirlee who made and
40’s, which were held at the old Le- cared for the first hanging baskets and
gion Hall where Vernonia Cares is now. later added whiskey barrels with holi-
Shirlee asks—does anyone else remem- day decorations. Shirlee says she never
ber when they cordoned off Madison and once fell off the ladders while climbing
Bridge Street with log trucks and had a up to water the flower baskets on Bridge
big dance celebration at the end of World Street!
War II?
Working in the garden section at
Shirlee also remembers watch- Hank’s in the 90’s paid off for Vernonia,
ing Roy Rodgers and Dale Evens back as Shirlee has put her knowledge and
on the silver screen at the Joy Theater, talents to good use. She learned a lot
along with Gabby Hayes and the 40’s about plants and flowers, she says, from
newsreels showing WWII footage and all the customers who liked to share their
news and the day Pearl Harbor was knowledge—especially how to get rid of
bombed.
Shirlee says she was raised in a
very patriotic environment and still car-
ries that mindset today.
In 1956 Shirlee joined the High-
way 47 speedway workforce from Ver-
nonia when she began working at Tek-
tronix, where she spent a total of thirty
years, retiring in 1992. Shirlee takes
great pride in sharing that while work-
ing there she received excellent perfor-
mance reviews and very high ratings for
her work. She took classes to better her-
self and was treated very well by her em-
ployers. She contributes her exemplary
work ethic to her grandmother, Ma Vike,
whose motto was passed on to Shirlee,
“Do it right the first time so you don’t
have to do it again!”
Shirlee is very proud of the fact
that she has lived her whole life on Cory
A portrait of young Shirlee taken at
Hill in Vernonia. She is very interested
Scott’s Photography Studio which was
in finding out the history of how that
located across the street from what is
now Mariolino’s.
area of town became named Cory Hill.
If anyone out there has any historical in- the moles with a certain trap. Shirlee
formation, she would love to hear from continues to help care for the landscap-
you.
ing around City Hall.
Shirlee became an important
Shirlee served on the Vernonia
part of Vernonia and became involved Planning Commission for two years in
in civic affairs after the death of her the 90’s, and then as a City Councilor for
ten years, which she recalls as a tremen-
dous learning experience through which
she gained much knowledge about city
business. Shirlee says she took her role
as a city leader very seriously and appre-
ciated the opportunity to give back to the
community which she truly loves and
cares about. Shirlee also served on the
Cemetary Committee for several years
and continues to help rake leaves and
help the caretaker with the property.
Sometime go take a look at all
the old time photos neatly displayed at
City Hall. This is also a passion and the
work of Shirlee and she says she appre-
ciates the donations of photos from peo-
ple for the display.
For all of you who have enjoyed
the benefit of having the beautiful Scout
Cabin building at Hawkins Park, you
continued on page 15
