A2
RECORDS
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Early morning barn fi re gives Enterprise a scare
OUT OF THE PAST
Compiled by Cheryl Jenkins
100 YEARS AGO
Aug. 17, 1922
An old barn, burning with
a brilliant glare, gave Enter-
prise a bad scare early Tues-
day morning. The town was
sound asleep when the fi re
started and the structure was
wrapped in fl ames before
it was seen by night watch-
men at the East Oregon mill
a short distance away.
After inspecting the new
hatchery ponds, offi cials of
the state fi sh department said
that conditions for propa-
gation of salmon are more
near natural at the Enterprise
ponds than at any other plant
in the state.
Mrs. Sarah Jane Find-
ley, the fi rst white woman to
make her home in Wallowa
county, and an Oregon pio-
neer, died Aug. 10. She was
79 years old. She crossed the
plains in 1852 in a wagon
drawn by ox teams, in the
fi rst rush to Oregon.
75 YEARS AGO
Aug. 21, 1947
Ernest Sasser, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Chet Sasser, had a
narrow brush with the Grim
Reaper when he was har-
vesting at the Jay Bowerman
ranch. He started to climb
on a tractor to ride in on the
gas tank. The leg of his Levis
caught in the revolving power
takeoff , quickly twisting his
clothes up until it got to his
belt which was pulled until
Ernest was only about fi ve
inches in diameter around the
waist. His father cut his belt
loose and there were no seri-
ous injuries resulting from the
experience.
Wallowa county is to have
two air marking signs which
will be painted to aid air nav-
igation in the area. The signs,
consisting of a circle 15 feet
in diameter with an arrow
about twice that length, will
be painted on the roofs of
the Joseph Lumber com-
pany and the Wallowa school
gymnasium.
Safecrackers, operating
Daniel Aschenbrenner
September 19, 1948 - August 7, 2022
Daniel William Aschenbrenner died
while enjoying a beautiful day outdoors
on Aug. 7, 2022 on Cold Springs Ridge,
Oregon. He was 73 years old.
He
was
born
to
William (Bill) and Rita
Aschenbrenner on Sept.
19, 1948, in Enterprise,
Oregon. He attended school
in Enterprise and graduated
from
Enterprise
High
School in 1967.
He then attended Blue
Mountain
Community
College until he was drafted
by the Army in April of
1968. He attended Infantry
Noncommissioned Officer
School and graduated in
December 1968. He married his high
school sweetheart Donna Varney in
March of 1969 before being deployed to
Vietnam.
Sgt. Aschenbrenner served active duty
with the Bravo Company of the First
Calvary Division (Airmobile) until he was
wounded in battle on Nov. 17, 1969. He
received multiple awards including two
Purple Hearts, the Air Medal, a Bronze
Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Gallantry
Cross with Silver Star, and the Vietnam
Cross of Gallantry with Palm.
He was discharged from active duty
in April 1970, but remained in the Army
Reserve until 1974.
He and Donna lived in Spokane upon
his return to the states until the fall of 1970
when they moved back to Enterprise. He
ran Dan’s Phillip’s 66 Station for a short
time upon his return until he started at
Boise Cascade in December 1971. He
worked at Boise Cascade as a machinist/
millwright until his retirement in 2004.
Dan’s favorite place was the woods.
He loved hunting, fishing
and camping. After his
retirement he would spend
weeks at a time camping,
only coming to town to drop
firewood and get supplies.
His next favorite thing
was supporting his kids
and grandkids. He spent
countless hours on bleachers
and sidelines watching
track, football, baseball,
softball, lacrosse, volleyball,
basketball, tennis, horse
shows and any other activity
the kids were involved in. He was a talented
woodworker and Grampa Dan’s wooden
toys will be cherished by everyone lucky
enough to have one.
He is survived by his mother, Rita;
wife, Donna; his children, Julie and
Brent Hereford and Chad and Cindi
Aschenbrenner; his granddaughters,
Jessica Kooch, Sarah McLaughlin
and Regan Hereford; grandsons, Coy
Aschenbrenner and Peyton Hereford;
great-grandson Macrae McLaughlin;
brothers Larry (Judy) and Steve, as well as
multiple nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father
Bill and brother Stan.
There will be no services. In lieu of
flowers or food, please make a donation
to the Enterprise Education Foundation,
4-H, or the youth organization of your
choice.
with the skill of profession-
als, made their second raid
in the county, breaking into
Tippett’s Tavern at Wallowa
where they smashed open the
safe and escaped with about
$1000.
50 YEARS AGO
Aug. 17, 1972
The Wallowa County
All-Girl rodeo was held
last Sunday at the Harley
Tucker Memorial Arena.
An estimated crowd of 2500
attended the rodeo. The Wal-
lowa County trophy went to
Jane Anderson of Joseph.
The stockgrowers “Cattle-
man of the Year” award was
presented to Mr. and Mrs. Bill
Cool of Joseph. Mr. and Mrs.
Jim Stubblefi eld of Imnaha
were selected “Grassman of
the Year.”
Reports have been coming
in from all over the county
and have been quite consis-
tent of a fi ery ball or a silver
or chrome ball with smoke
trailing out behind, mov-
ing quickly across the sky
in a northerly direction. The
object was seen between 1
pm and 2 pm last Thursday.
25 YEARS AGO
Aug. 14, 1997
The EHS mascot received
a one-year stay of execution
when the school board agreed
to let the athletics teams con-
tinue to use the nickname
“Savages” and Indian logo
until the fall of 1998.
Wallowa County ski-
ers Rocky Thies, Charlie
Kissinger and Ryan Kissinger
have now skied 48 months in
a row in Wallowa County, a
feat that has taken them to
destinations they previously
hadn’t even heard of.
Acting on a tip, Humane
Society volunteers visited the
Wallowa County dog pound
and found the caretaker out
of town with no provisions
taken for the six dogs in the
building. They have con-
trolled the facility ever since
with daily visits bringing food
and water to the impounded
animals. They are now ask-
ing the county court for offi -
cial control of the facility.
DEATH NOTICES
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Gary L. Ainsworth
SEE THE EXPANDED ONLINE CALENDAR AT
EASTERNOREGONEVENTS.COM
Gary Lynn Ainsworth,
67, of Rapid City, South
Dakota, and formerly of
La Grande, died Aug. 7,
2022. A graveside ser-
vice will be held Sept.
9 at 2 p.m. at Mt. View
Cemetery in Rapid City.
Arrangements are by Kirk
Funeral Home, Rapid City.
Daniel
Aschenbrenner
Daniel Aschenbrenner,
73, of Enterprise, died
Aug. 7, 2022. Aschen-
brenner was born Sept. 19,
1948. At this time no ser-
vices are planned. A full
obituary will be published
later. Bollman Funeral
Home has been entrusted
with arrangements.
Rock Botham
Graveside services for
Rock Botham will be Sat-
urday, Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. at
the Cove Cemetery.
Gerald (Gerry) McLain
Shirley Gardner
Dec. 28, 1953 - June 15, 2022
June 20, 1936 - August 3, 2022
Gerald (Gerry) Keith McLain,
formerly of Wallowa, OR, passed
away peacefully on June 15, 2022
in Walla Walla, Washington, at the
age of 68.
Born in 1953 to Gerald Vern
McLain and Bettie McCrae
McLain, he grew up on the
land that both his parents and
grandparents farmed and where he
would eventually make his living.
In high school he enjoyed playing basketball,
running cross country, and took pride in getting
good grades. Graduating from Wallowa High School
in 1972, he went on to run cross country for Eastern
Oregon University. He then took a gap year and spent
many months enjoying travel and experiencing life in
Australia and New Zealand.
On his return, he continued his education at Oregon
State University where he earned a B.S. in geography,
receiving his degree on a day where they interrupted
the ceremony to announce the Trail Blazers winning
the national championship.
He loved his time at OSU, where he made lifelong
friends and met his future wife, Kate Macnab, whom
he married in 1979. He never stopped rooting for the
Beavers.
Following graduation, he returned to Wallowa
County to take over the family farm, raising pigs and
cattle as well as growing hay and grain. He took pride
in farming and worked hard to be a good steward of
the land.
Later, he added a new venture with his business,
McLain Spraying.
Despite long days in the fields or out spraying, many
mornings he could be found sitting around the Lostine
Tavern shooting the breeze with the locals over a cup
of coffee. He brought a sense of humor to the table that
always livened things up.
He and his wife Kate had two daughters, Kelly and
Megan. He loved being a father and spent quality time
with his girls; he found joy in taking them for leisurely
drives along backroads, sharing stories and passing
along life’s great lessons.
Gerry was community minded and served as a board
member for Wallowa FFA, Wallowa School, Grain
Growers, and Wallowa Resources. By far, his favorite
community involvement was as a basketball coach for
Wallowa High School. He loved the sport, the kids, and
that it was an activity he could share with his daughters.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Vern and
Bettie McLain, and his stepmother Minerva McLain.
He is survived by his former wife Kate McLain of
Vancouver, Washington; daughters Kelly Peacock
(husband Jesse) of Imbler and Megan McLain (husband
Karl Kiest) of Portland; his brother Kirk Wade (wife
Deborah) of Canby, as well as by two nieces, one
nephew, and their children.
A Celebration of Life will be held at M. Crow in
Lostine on Sunday, Aug. 28, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Shirley Ann Cuthbert Gardner, 86,
peacefully passed away on Wednesday
Aug. 3, 2022 at Saint Alphonsus Regional
Medical Center, in Boise, Idaho.
All who knew and loved Shirley called
her “Annie.”
Annie was born on June 20, 1936, in her
grandmother’s home in Henderson, Illinois,
to the late Milo Cuthbert and Dorothy
Folger Cuthbert.
Annie grew up on the Mississippi River in the towns of
Nauvoo, Illinois, and Fort Madison, Iowa, where she graduated
in 1954. During her journey she met Robert Gardner Sr., who she
would marry in 1956.
Annie was a devoted military wife with Robert Sr. being in
the Air Force.
Throughout her life she would relocate to several different
states including South Dakota, Texas, New Hampshire, and
California. Along the way she formed many lifelong friendships.
Annie was full of love and joy and she let this shine through
with her varieties of interests. She was an artist. As an activities
director, she enjoyed being very creative, from putting on parades
to teach line dancing. She also loved to make people smile by
being Mrs. Claus and “Lovie” the Clown. Her love of all children
shone through while being involved with the Scouts - both Boys
and Girls.
Her children, then all of her grandchildren, were her next
adventure. She followed her first grandchildren to Oregon, where
she lived for the past 30 years. During this time, in 2012, she
opened the Red Rooster Restaurant, which became a family
affair. Annie loved to be a “Hostess with the Mostest,” while her
daughter, Kim, uses her creativity in the kitchen.
Four generations and extended family members have worked
in some capacity at the restaurant, from waitressing, to prep cook,
to carpenter.
Above all, Annie was a devoted Catholic while being a
parishioner at St. Katherine’s for the past 30 years. She was
involved with the Rosary Guild, where they made and distributed
thousands of Rosaries to missions around the world, and to
overseas military soldiers. She also was a Eucharist Minister
where she would take communion to those unable to attend Mass.
Annie’s greatest love was for Mary, Jesus’s mother. She
commissioned the “Our Lady of Comfort” statue of Mary, located
at the entrance of St. Katherine’s.
Annie is survived by four children, Kim (Bill) Moore, Diane
(Mark) Hill, Robert Gardner Jr., and Chistopher (Mary) Gardner;
Larry Martin, who is a long time foster son; eight grandchildren,
Kristy, Matthew, Robbie, Gregory, Gillian, Val, Sophia, and
Aidan; eight great-grandchildren, Madison, Nathaniel, Miles,
Celeste, Caleb, Calvin, Eden, and Coby; and one great-great-
grandson, William.
Annie is preceded in death by her father, Milo and mother
Dorothy Cuthbert; one brother, Barry; and two sisters, Gloria and
Candace. Robert Gardner Sr., her loving husband of 54 years,
passed in April 2010.
A Celebration of Life will be held at St. Katherine’s Catholic
Church in Enterprise on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022 beginning with
the Rosary at 10 a.m., followed by Mass. Immediately following,
all are welcomed to join family and friends at a luncheon in the
parish hall.
Bollman Funeral Home entrusted with arrangements.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 17
SENIOR
STRENGTH
&
STRETCH: 10 a.m. Wallowa
Avenue Wellness, Joseph.
Six-week series to enhance
strength and increase balance.
$67. 541-203-3634.
ROTARY CLUB OF WALLOWA
COUNTY: Noon-1 p.m. Odd
Fellows Hall, Enterprise. Pre-
senter Ron Polk’s topic will be
“Is it the truth? Science and
misinformation in the era of
COVID.”
WALK WITH A DOC: 12:30-
1:30 p.m. Meet outside in front
of Wallowa Memorial Hospi-
tal. Every Wednesday, Dr. Emily
Sheahan will host a brief dis-
cussion around a health topic,
and then the group will head
out on the walking path that
encircles the hospital campus
— about a half-mile long, fl at
and well equipped with rest-
ing benches along the way.
WINE GLASS PAINTING:
5-7 p.m. Josephy Center. Give
back to the community with
your fi nished painted wine
glass. Ages 14 and up. Free.
DRAGONS ON THE LAKE
DRAGON BOAT PADDLE
PRACTICE: 6-7 p.m. Boat
launch dock at the Marina. No
experience required. Wear light
clothing and bring water. For
more info, call 541-432-1121.
THURSDAY, AUG. 18
WALLOWA-ABLE BALANCE
CLASS: 1-2 p.m., Wallowa
Memorial Hospital classroom.
Designed for older adults to
focus on safe cardio, strength-
ening and coordination. To
register, call 541-426-5314.
COURTHOUSE
CONCERT
SERIES: 5:30 p.m. Courthouse
gazebo and lawn.
Weather Forecast
Courtesy of Weather Underground • wunderground.com
High Low
Conditions
Aug. 18
92
61
partly cloudy
Aug. 19
93
61
partly cloudy
Aug. 20
93
59
mostly sunny
Aug. 21
91
59
afternoon showers
Aug. 22
91
59
sunny
Aug. 23
93
59
mostly sunny
Aug. 24
92
60
partly cloudy
Phases of the moon
Aug. 18
Aug. 27
Sept. 3
Sept. 10
Last Quarter
New Moon
1st Quarter
Full Moon
WALLOWA COUNTY SUNRISE & SUNSET AUG. 18 – 24
(from the U.S. Naval Observatory)
THUR
FRI
SAT
SUN
MON
TUES
WED
5:52
7:53
5:53
7:51
5:54
7:49
5:56
7:48
5:57
7:46
5:58
7:44
5:59
7:42
Annella Faye Robinson
September 12, 1926 - August 4, 2022
Annella passed away at the age of 95 on Aug. 4, 2022
in La Grande, Oregon.
She was born Sept. 12, 1926 in Canyonville, Oregon,
to Carol and Zella Hyde Converse. She was raised on
the Green Springs and Siskiyous out of Ashland, Or-
egon. She attended a one room schoolhouse through
eighth grade and graduated high school from Ashland.
She attended Southern Oregon College where she
met her husband, William L. Robinson. They lived 50
years in Central Point, Oregon. They had one adopted
daughter, Jane Elizabeth. Annella moved to Enterprise
in 1998 to be closer to her daughter, Jane and son-in-law
Bruce Dunn.
She worked for the Forest Service, Mann’s Depart-
ment store and Crater High School as a library aide.
She was active in the Altar Guild at St. Mark Episcopal
Church in Medford, Oregon, and St. Patrick Episcopal
Church in Enterprise. She was involved with Camp Fire
Girls, Rogue Hikers and FFA. She volunteered at the
grade school in Enterprise as a library aide for years. She
loved sewing, reading and her garden in Central Point.
She is survived by her daughter, Jane, sister Lorraine
Ashcraft of Alaska, cousins, nieces and nephews. She
was preceded in death by her parents, husband William,
brother Roger Converse and son-in-law, Bruce.
Internment will be at Eagle Point National Cemetery
with her husband in Eagle Point, Oregon.
Services will be held Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022 at 2
p.m. at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 100 NE Third
St., Enterprise. Funeral arrangements through Boll-
man’s Funeral Home.