5*1 ************ECRLOT 0074A**C007
BAKER COUNTY LIBRARY
2400 RESORT ST
BAKER CITY OR 97814-2721
Exp 05/07/2Q16
115 years in Baker Country
Positively Baker County
MM
www.therconline.com
Est. Haines 1901 ~ Haines, Baker County, Oregon
Thursday, March 10,2016
Volume 115, Number 10 • 10 Pages • $1
By Gina Diers Perkins
ennie Bennett, age 24, answered an ad in a newspaper for a wife
Fred was buried on
written by a Rye Valley, Oregon rancher and mail contractor. She the hill above Rye
arrived by train to Weiser, Idaho from back East in 1884 to meet her Valley and in 2010,
soon-to-be husband, George Rollins. The couple wed on June 8,1884 family
in
members
Weiser before traveling through Huntington to her new home, and new hiked to the grave
life, in Rye Valley.
site and dug up two
Jennie's father, Joseph P. Bennett, had beeA killed in the Civil War in iris bulbs beneath
1862 when she was only 2 and her mother died in 1872, leaving her an the beautiful white
orphan when she was ,12. Her only brother was severely mentally blossoms in front of
disabled and was institutionalized. When she became of age she worked the child's grave.
at the orphanage at which she had been raised. Her options were likely The family planted
Transplanted iris from Fred Rollins
-limited and the ad she saw in the newspaper for a mail order bride must them in
their
gravesite
have captured her sense of adventure.
flower garden and
It would have taken great courage to board the train, not having any in the spring of
idea about the man with whom she would spend her life other than what 2015, the bulbs
photographing Fred Holman
was penned in the newspaper ad. Good fortune or God's blessing found exploded
with
them both to be people of high character and they shared a good life, vibrant white flow
which included having four children bom in the remote comer of Baker ers celebrating the memory of this sweet boy's life, lost 119 years prior.
County.
One can only imagine the heart wrenching grief felt by Jennie and the
tender care given as she, and perhaps Nenq, planted the bulbs
following the boy's death. The tombstone is white and. originally had a
lamb on top which at some point, sadly, was vandalized.
Spring Bazaar Planned
Nena Cafolyn Rollins grew up to be a lovely young woman on the
for April
remote Rye Valley ranch. She rode horses, was a beautiful seamstress,
The seniors at
adored her parents and was the apple of her father's eye. She learned the
Community
art of photography from a friend, Fred Holman of Holman studios in
Baker City, and captured the details of her life in Rye Valley'She
Connection will have
developed her own photographs in a pantry and the images show life
their 21 st Annual Spring
through her young eyes. The subjects of her photos are not staunch and
Bazaar on Saturday,
straight-faced. Rather, the images reflect humor, beauty, and uniquely
April 2, 9-2 p.m. at
frame the lives of the people' captured by her lens.
Community Connection,
In 19Ô7, Nena met a young man, a son of a pioneer family who settled
2810 Cedar Street, Baker
in Pocahontas in 1862, at a dance in Baker City. The couple courted for
a yèaraftd^ætnraiiydwoteÎenéftDeKv^brÎHainëï'ànakyê'VST^^eS’èii'’ City. Vendor tables are
carefully preserved by the other and saved. The letters shared dgy to day
now available to rent, for
life experienced by the young fanner and the young lady in Rye Valley.
displaying their
As their relationship grew more serious, the young woman's photographs
handcraft, gift, food, and
captured visits by her suitor who was often accompanied by his sister
collectible items.
because it was not proper for a young man and woman who werè not
married, to be alone. The letters still exist as a complete set, each with
North Powder Author
stamps, wax seals and cancellations from the Haines and Rye Valley post
■, i
Photo by Gina Perkins offices.
to Hold Signing
Jennie Bennett's Bible, Nena’s snapshot album, postcards
As the crow flies, it is about 50 miles to Rye Valley from Muddy Creek.
A North Powder
Today in a car, the trip takes well over an hour. The choices of transporta
author and outdoorsman,
Their first child, Fred Russell Rollins, was bom on Aug. 15, 1885. A tion in 1908 were limited and duration of the trip considerably longer.
Kirby Recordswill read
daughter, Nena Carolyn was bom the next year on Dec. 30,1886. It would The young man would either ride his horse cross country, or sometimes
be 12 years later until another son, Charles Percy was bom in 1898, would walk from his farm west of Haines and ride the train to Durkee
passages from and auto
followed by another girl, Leora Ruth in 1899, when Jennie was 39 years where he would be met by horse and buggy by his girl and her father. At
graph copies of his four
old. This is significant since at the time Jennie was bom in 1860, the av times, they would meet in Baker for a dance or another special event. In
books for children and \
erage life expectancy for a white woman was about 5Ó.
one of the letters, the young man expresses excitement about the purchase
young adults from 4:30 to
Not a stranger to the death of loved ones, Jennie and her husband faced of an automobile by his older brother. Nena sharply replies about the
6:30 p.m. Sunday, March
this agony again when their first bom son was diagnosed with a brain danger of automobiles and firmly asserts she would never ride in one.
13 at the Wolf Creek
tumor. He died at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 23,1896 when he was 10 Living Until 1975, Nena's stance on riding in vehicles likely waned. Tn
Grange, 215 E Street,
years, 11 months, and 8 days old. Jennie's father-in-law was a physician, fact, her grandson remembers riding with her and his grandfather in the
Dr. Charles R. Rollins, who settled and platted the town of Grass Valley, back seat of a Ford Edsel. The couple pulled over going up Ladd Canyon
North Powder.
and treated the boy in The Dalles. Fred wrote letters home to his sister, and he was asked to get out and adjust the two rear view mirrors, one to
Nena, in beautiful penmanship, some on leather postcards, which are still the proper height fpr his grandfather and the other to the liking of his ,
Baker City Golf Board
treasured keepsakes of Jennie's great grandson, now age 67, who resides Grandma Nena.
to Meet
in Baker County.
J
See BRIDE on page 2
Minding the County's Business Are You a
Story/photo by Gina Perkins
Bruce Nichols, CPA and
Republican candidate for
County
Commissioner
Position #1, held a Meet
and Greet at the Golf
Course bn Tuesday night
attracting a diverse group
of
business
owners,
ranchers, and engaged
community members num
bering about 40.
"Minding the County's
Business" with an empha
sis on budget and fiscal re
sponsibility and efficiency
is a main focus for Nichols.
Those
interested
in’
learning more about his
positions and experience
may visit
www.elect-
brucenichols.com. Nichols
may be reached by email
ing
bruceforbaker@
gmail.com or by calling
541-523-6471.
At left, Kent Nelson visits
with Bruce Nichols, CPA.
Oregon Hunters
Association
Fundraising
Banquet
Baker City's
Young Life
Dessert & Auction
Friday, March 11
Saturday, April 2
0
94922 23720 n0
Event Center
541-523-6626
6 p,m. Silent Auction
7 p.m. Program
BHS Commons
Woman
Minding
Your Own
Business?
You are invited to «join the
AAUW for the 2016 Women’s
Celebration honoring those in
trepid women who own and op
erate their own businesses.
The event will be held on
Thursday, April 7 from 6:30-
8:30 p.m. at Community Con
nection.
Women-owned businesses
will have the opportunity to set
up either a promotional table dr
create an information card at
the event. If interested in partic
ipating or for more information,
contact Dixie Driggers at
gge@eoni.com or call 541-519-
.8427.
The regular meeting of
the Baker City Golf
Board will be Friday,
March 11 at 9 a.m. at
Quail Ridge Golf Course.
Daylight Savings Time
Around the Corner
Spring is coming...
Daylight Savings Time
begins March 13!
Maundy Thursday
Communion and
Prayer from the First
Presbyterian Church
in Baker City
March 24,12-1 p.m.
All are welcome to come
together as a community
for the celebration of
communion. Pastors and
congregants will be
serving communion as
well as offering prayer to
those passing by. This
will take place downtown
on the sidewalk area on
Court Street between
Main and Resort Streets
next to the Comer Brick
over the lunch hour.
Blood
Draw
March
17,18,19
Saint Alphonsus
7 a.m.-l?30a.m.
541-523-8102
4005 23rd Street • PO Box 226
Baker City, OR 97814
(541)523-3616