Wallowa County Chieftain
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THREE
minutes with ...
Marks
BONNIE MARKS
RETIRED IMNAHA POSTMASTER
AND VOLUNTEER
September 20, 2017
Bonnie Marks of Imnaha was raised in the Herm-
iston area and became a permanent Imnaha resident
when she married Don Marks, a native Imnaha man,
43 years ago. The couple had one daughter, Darla
Marks, who is now a 4-H Extension Agent in Char-
lotte County, Virginia.
Don ranched 2,000 acres in Imnaha with his father
on Marks and Marks Ranch. He is now retired.
Bonnie went to school in Hermiston and college
in Pendleton where she took accounting courses ––
always a good choice for a ranchers wife.
She also worked as librarian at the branch library
and was the relief postmaster and then the postmaster
for 24 years. She retired as postmaster in April.
She’s been active as a 4-H leader for 35 years
and is still a resource leader; along with her husband
was a charter member of the Joseph FFA Alumni
and was treasurer for that organization; is currently
on the Wallowa Valley Library Foundation Board as
the Imnaha representative working to get the service
district on the ballot; and is active in her church, the
Imnaha Christian Fellowship, where she is secretary
and treasurer.
Q. What is it you most enjoy about living in
Imnaha?
A. The community. The fact that people care about
each other and what happens. When you have trouble
people will step up and help out. A small community
is different than other places.
For instance, when Don had a stroke last fall and
we needed a ramp, a couple of fellows pitched in and
A7
helped my brother, Richard Bondurant of Hermiston,
put it together. Also, Don goes down to the store in
Imnaha fi ve days a week to meet with some other,
mostly retired fellows. They meet in the morning to
have coffee and visit and solve the world’s problems.
Q. What did you like best about your many
years serving the community?
A. In 4-H, I would say seeing the kids grow and
develop and learn life skills they would use all
through life. It was rewarding to see how they grew
and learned.
As a postmaster I saw a lot of changes over the
years. When I went to work there was no phone. Port-
land couldn’t call me.
They called the store and they hollered at me to
come over and answer it. Now it’s all computer. I
enjoyed seeing the people who came in and giving
them good service.
Q. What do you look forward to in the future?
A. I think we’ll see mostly more of the same in
Imnaha. The people change but the community stays
quite a bit the same. It’s a slower way of life.
People come in and when they fi rst come they’re
kind of stand-offi sh and sort of “nobody needs to
know my business,” but as they are here awhile they
realize it’s just that people care.
We’re more willing to go visit one another in our
community. I also look forward to doing what I want
to do. I’m a quilter and quilting is my pastime. We’d
like to travel, too. I’d like to go visit my daughter.
Hayes honored in Maxville showing
Six drawings and two
maps, done by 95-year-old art-
ist Gene Hayes of Wallowa, are
displayed at Maxville Heritage
Interpretive Center in Joseph
in a special presentation of the
Hayes historical work.
Hayes is a painter, with an
art gallery in Wallowa, and
has been integral in support-
ing Maxville. He has con-
tributed artwork of Maxville
scenes that are printed on note
cards for sale at the Interpre-
tive center.
Hayes knew many of the
individuals he portrays in his
artwork of Maxville.
Hayes lost his right hand in
a feed mill accident in 1947,
and learned to paint with his
left the following year.
The display is already up,
and will be added to over the
next few months with a larger
show opening by the fi rst of
the year. One of the maps on
display is an expansion on an
original map created by Wal-
lowa County Historian Irene
Barklow of Lostine.
Barklow’s early map was
not to scale but showed where
many of the historical homes
were and the names of the peo-
ple who lived there.
This week’s Athlete of the
Week is Enterprise Middle
School student Alex Rowley.
The sixth grader competes in
cross-country for the school.
During last week’s 41st
annual Catherine Creek
Scamper held in Union
County, Rowley turned in
a sixth-place performance
despite losing both shoes in
a mudhole on the course.
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Gene Hayes notecard available at Maxville Gift Shop.
Hayes embellished the map
and more historical names and
places were added. The maps
are now sold in miniature at
the museum.
In addition to the artwork,
an interview of Hayes at the
original Maxville Heritage
Interpretive Center in Wallowa
will be presented.
“When we were in that
space (the old city hall) Gene
had created a large fl oor mural
of a cross section of a log, 6
foot in circumference,” Max-
ville Director Gwen Trice
said. “Just imagine Gene lying
on the fl oor, using the stump
of one arm as a brace as he’s
painting on the fl oor and tell-
ing stories and explaining
things as he painted.”
That artwork was covered
over after Maxville moved to
Joseph, but before that hap-
pened, Trice interviewed Gene
as he and his wife sat in chairs
on that fl oor. That video will
be part of the historical display
when it is completed.
Maxville Heritage Interpre-
tive Center is at 103 E Main in
Joseph.
IN BRIEF
Finalists were required to
submit an application detailing
their academic record, partici-
pation in school and commu-
nity activities, demonstrated
leadership abilities, employ-
ment and honors and awards.
eral recommended Access and
Habitat projects to improve
wildlife habitat on private land
in Oregon.
IDA offered to
area students
More than 125 people in
Wallowa, Baker and Union
counties have helped fi nance
their higher education or small
business using the Individual
Development Account pro-
gram, offered by Northeast
Oregon Economic Develop-
ment District. The program
provide a 3-to-1 savings match
–– an individual who saves
$1,000 and completes the pro-
gram will receive $3,000.
A student who saves money
for three years and graduates
high school can have funds
for tuition and fees at any
accredited education program.
Youth can also save to start or
improve a business.
The district’s executive
director, Lisa Dawson, said
it is essentially a fi nancial-re-
sponsibility program. The
matched funds can go toward
Alex
Rowley
Rowley still managed to
turn in a season record
performance as she ran the
entire race in her socks!
education or pay for the equip-
ment, signage, computers or
other investments needed to
launch or improve a business.
There are income and net
worth limitations.
Info: 541-426-3598.
Hobbs named
scholar finalist
Sebastian G. Hobbs, a
student at Enterprise High
School, has been named one
of 16,000 semifi nalists in the
63rd annual National Merit
Scholarship Program.
He will have an opportunity
to continue in the competition
for some 7,500 National Merit
Scholarships worth more than
$32 million that will be offered
next spring.
Wallowa County
Changes coming
in game regs
The Fish and Wildlife
Commission has adopted Big
Game Regulations for 2018.
There are a few changes
including shifts in sea-
son dates. The commission
updated language to make it
clearer that mechanical and
moveable blades are not law-
ful to use for archery hunting.
The commission declined
to expand the prohibition on
night vision optics until they
further explore the issue.
The commission also
approved funding for sev-
HEALTH LINE
Births
A daughter,
Caroline Borgerding,
was born September 6, 2017
in Enterprise to
William and Marquise
Borgerding of Enterprise.
Grandparents are Wren
Brown, Linda Madigan, and
Christopher Borgerding.
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