The Chronicle : Creswell & Cottage Grove., January 30, 2020, Page 24, Image 24

24 —
— THE
THE CHRONICLE
CHRONICLE
24
community
COMMUNITY
THURSDAY, JANUARY
JANUARY 30,
30, 2020
2020
THURSDAY,
Oh, what a beautiful morning
“At sunrise, everything is luminous but not clear” –Norman Maclean, “A River Runs Through It”
CRESWELL — This brilliant sunrise was captured by Creswell resident Sara Nguyen on Jan. 15, looking toward Cloverdale Road grass seed fi elds.
“I just enjoy when people see the beauty I do,” Nguyen said. COMMUNITY SUBMISSION/SARA NGUYEN
Celebrating a century of local knowledge
OTTAGE GROVE
played fi ddle, guitar and
— On Saturday, local
mandolin for the band Asleep
man Charles “Chuck”
at the Wheel, George Strait and
Booher, now of Yoncalla,
Johnny Gimble, among others.
celebrated his 100th birthday
The family also opened
with a party at the Cottage
a dinner club – the
Grove Community Center.
Diamond B Chuckwagon
I had the pleasure of meet-
– in Tumalo, near Bend,
ing him while researching
Ore., where they provided
books on the history of U.S.
the entertainment.
PAT EDWARDS
Highway 99. My interview with
For several years, Chuck
Chuck was rich in stories of the early days and his wife Dorothy ran the Curtin
of U.S. Highway 99 before the I-5 freeway Store, which they leased from her
was built.
parents, Albert L. and Flora Holt, in
His maternal grandparents, Charley and the 1940s. Dorothy’s brother, Harry,
Alice Turpin, had settled in the area in
and his wife, Bertha, of Creswell, made
1915. Chuck provided me with wonderful
history themselves by forming the Holt
historical information on not only Curtin,
International Adoption Agency that
but Anlauf and Comstock.
originally specialized in adoptions from
He also had strong connections to his
Korea.
paternal Booher family, who were early
One of the interesting stories Chuck
settlers in the Yoncalla area.
told me was of a day in the 1940s when
Chuck raised his family in the neigh-
he and Dorothy lived on Curtin Road. A
boring town of Curtin. Chuck’s daughter,
circus caravan was passing in front of his
Debbie Booher Davis, and her husband,
family’s home when suddenly the load
Stan Davis, raised their family in Lorane
shifted on the trailer of one of the trucks
and are much-loved by many.
and it rolled onto its top. Until they could
Many people will recognize the
get it righted, they had an assortment
Boohers as a well-known musical family
of horses, llamas, a couple of camels,
from the Yoncalla area. The family of
and two or three zebras lounging in the
Chuck’s son, Mike, and his wife, Delores,
pasture next to their house.
formed their own group called “The
I’m not surprised that Chuck has made
Booher Family.” They sang and played
it to the “100” mark. When I interviewed
old-time fi ddle, gospel and country west-
him that day in 2014, he was a vibrant,
ern music. Their lively, foot-stomping
articulate man in his mid-90s.
music became very popular and they were
He’s seen many advancements and
asked to appear in shows all over Oregon,
changes take place over those 100 years
including Lorane’s Centennial in 1987.
and he’s lived an interesting and success-
From 1993-98, they toured with their only ful life. His love for family is evident, as is
daughter, Meriwyn, and their three young-
his respect for this area’s history.
est boys, Ben, Brendan and Gabe, perform-
Happy birthday, Chuck!
ing in Canada and spending fi ve seasons at
Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo.
Be sure to check out my personal
Brendan toured internationally and
website at allthingslorane.com.
C
H
G
O
H
D
N
U
R
G
Y
A
S
✏ E
✕ S
O
D
A
H
S
R
O
N
, T O
✑ W
E
R
A
U
O
Y
D
E
R
A
P
E
R
O
T
R
E
H
T
A
E
W
IT ?
T
U
O ”
✒
✓ ✓ ✔ ✘ ✖ ✗ ✙ ✚ ✛ ✣
H
ISW
IN
E
T
RW
E
H
T
A
E
RPR
E
R
A
P E
D
E
N
S M
E
SA
G
EB
R
O
U
H
G
T O
T Y
O
UB
Y
H
T
E IT
YO
F R
E
W
S E
L W
ISH
IN
G O
U
Y A A
FE
A
P Y R
O
U
N
H
D
O
G S Y
A
T
O
U
H
I A
W
D
U
O
, T B
Charles “Chuck”
Booher recently turned
100 years old. He and
his wife, Dorothy, ran
the Curtin Store for
decades. Dorothy’s
brother was Harry
Holt, who along
with Bertha, created
Holt International
in Creswell. Charles
recalled seeing a circus
wagon overturn in
the 1940s (above). At
right, Charles in front
of his store.