DECEMBER 1, 2000
11
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The Life and Times of
Myrtle May
Porter-Kowing
(1925-2000)
EDITOR'S NOTE: What a pleasure it was as I read the history of Tribal Elder Myrtle Kowing who recently passed on. What
a loving family, I thought, to have kept such a detailed history of their mother's life a history crafted with love and
caring.
With so much information provided by the family it became clear that some editing would have to happen for this to
appear here in our Tribal newspaper. Let me first sincerely apologize to the family for only being able to run a fraction of
what you provided us. I'm truly sorry for the edits and hope you will understand how hard it was for me to do easily
one of the most difficult assignments of my career so far. How do you edit someone's life story?
For those who are interested, we have the full account provided by the family on record here at the Tribe's Public
Information office. Let me also encourage other families to do this same type of history. Do it now before it is too late
and before the memories fade.
The following is a brief glimpse of Myrtle's family history.
This writing started in March of 2000 when family members
decided to document those details about Myrtle and her
family that would otherwise slip away with the years. Ma
jor sources of this information, memories and inspiration
were Myrtle and her children: sons Frank (Gene) Jr., Brad
and Terry; and daughters Judy and Nancy. Reliving and
documenting these memories provided many wonderful
family moments.
THE GIRL FROM HARMONY ROAD. Myrtle May Porter
was born on May 26, 1925 in a rented farmhouse on Har
mony Road, halfway between the church and Buell, Oregon.
Myrtle was the fifth of ten children born to Stephen
Daniel Porter Sr. and Cecil Rose Russell-Porter. Cecil was
originally from Tiller, Oregon and attended Chemawa Indian
School in Salem. Stephen and Cecil originally met at the
Norwest's house in Grand Ronde. Cecil was the daughter
of Riley Sherman Russell and Roselia Quintal. Roselia listed
her Tribe as Klamath Indian.
Myrtle's older siblings included: Stephen Daniel Jr., George
(who only lived one day), Oscar, Agnes, Etta, Iva, Birl, Celia
and Margie.
THE EARLY YEARS. When Myrtle was 4Vi years old her
family lived in Dallas, Oregon. During her first grade at
school they lived in Grand Ronde. Myrtle remembers her
nickname was "Bubbits."
After moving to Willamina, Myrtle and a Petite boy got
into trouble by pulling up some newly planted fir trees along
a road. Over, fifty years later, at a Tribal Council meeting,
retired school teacher Eula Petite would relate this same
story to Myrtle's' son Brad. Eula was the mother of the
Petite boy, both children's teacher, and the one who ap
plied some discipline for the tree pulling.
MEETING FRANK. Myrtle's family moved north of Sheri
dan when she was 16. It was there that she met Frank
Eugene Kowing, a good looking 18 year old friend of her
brother Oscar. Frank and Oscar had met at the Civilian Con
servation Corps camp at Nehalem, Oregon. Frank was from
Toppenish, Washington. He paid some attention to Myrtle
and after awhile they took more interest in each other.
THOMPSON'S MILL Myrtle's family and Frank then
moved to Thompson's Lumber Mill in the upper Gopher
Valley where her dad worked. She and Frank got jobs at
the mill. Myrtle and her dad worked on the "Green Chain"
pulling, sorting and stacking the green lumber, and Frank
was running a saw and driving truck.
At 17, Myrtle moved to Vancouver Heights to do live-in
child care for a family there. Frank had moved to nearby
Washougal, Washington, to stay with his parents. Frank
now worked at the Paper Mill in nearby Camus. Myrtle re
members that her and Frank use to meet and sneak kisses.
GOT MARRIED. Myrtle and Frank then moved back to
Gopher Valley to live with her parents. Myrtle turned 18.
Myrtle and Frank went to his parents to get their consent
for them to marry. They had to hike out to the road
through the snow to catch a ride to Sheridan, then to
Washougal, and then hitchhiked back to Sheridan.
Just before the wedding Frank acquired a mill shack at
Thompson's Mill for them to live in. Myrtle and Frank were
married in a simple ceremony at the Methodist Church Rec
tory in Sheridan, Oregon on June 15, 1943.
STARTING THE FAMILY. Frank Jr. (Gene) was born in
1944. Frank Sr. joined the Navy and served in WWII in the
Pacific. Myrtle said the war years were lonely times for her.
Frank did not talk much about the war afterwards.
Myrtle, Frank and Gene moved back to Thompson's Mill,
and lived there one year. Then they moved to Rock Creek
where Judy was born in 1947. This rented Rock Creek
shack had a kitchen, one bedroom and a front room. They
moved back to Thompson's Mill and were living there when
Brad was born in 1948.
DUPEE VALLEY. Then they built a house up Dupee
Valley and were living there when Terry was born in 1949.
The Dupee place had two big bedrooms, a kitchen, living
room and was the first place they had electricity and run
ning water.
BALLSTON, OREGON. Myrtle and Frank traded the
Dupee place for one partially built in Ballston. Myrtle and
Frank taught 4H classes. Family members participated in
church and bible schools. On Friday nights, Frank and "Myrt"
would load up the kids and go into Sheridan for hamburg-
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Myrtle Kowing
on Mother's
Day 2000.
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Above: Frank (age 19) and Myrtle (age 17)
in 1942 at Thompson's Mill.
Left: Frank and Myrtle's children pictured
in 1960 at their new home in McMinnville.
(L to R) Gene, Judy, Brad, Terry and their
youngest Nancy.
ers. On Saturday nights they would get a sitter for the
kids and go into McMinnville for some barn dancing.
, It was in Ballston that the family got their first electric
clothes dryer. They had an old crank clothes wringer washer.
Hot water came from heating pipes in the wood burning
stove.
They were the first family in Ballston to get. a television.
Frank bought it for $149. Neighbors came over a lot to
see wrestling matches on TV. Everyone enjoyed The Lone
Ranger, and Frank's favorite was Gunsmoke.
Myrtle taught the kids to make ice cream out of snow,
sugar, vanilla and evaporated milk. Homemade ice cream
always seemed like a nice winter treat.
There was a garden at the side of the house. Mom
canned tomatoes, green beans and pickles, and Dad made
prune conserves. Seemed like Mom was always busy. She
got up early summer mornings to take the kids to picking
jobs in the beans and strawberries. This helped earn money
for school clothes. Then she worked at home, cleaning
cooking and canning till midnight some days.
Daughter Nancy joined the family in 1957. Originally the
daughter of Myrtle's sister Celia, Nancy had been born pre
maturely with a heart defect. With a heavy burden of
medical treatment for Nancy and some misfortunes of her
husband, Celia let Myrtle and Frank care for Nancy, and
eventually to adopt. The family then moved to McMinnville
to be closer to Frank's Rex Mobile Home job.
MCMINNVILLE, OREGON. Frank first got a job as a Mc
Minnville City Policeman, then became a deputy with the
Yamhill County Sheriff's office.
Judy remembers that our home was always open to family
and others who had nowhere to go or no one waiting for
them. Mom would grab another plate, and there was al
ways room somewhere in that house to sit. And we never
ran out of food, no matter how many extras we fed. "How
did you do it, Mom?"
Frank was forced to retire from the Yamhill County Sheriff's
office due to age, and died shortly thereafter. Nancy went
south to Los Angeles, Terry moved to Seattle, Frank went
to Washington D.C., Brad settled in Dallas, and Judy is still
in Rose Valley were in the summer you can catch crawdads
and swim in the creek.
CANCER. Myrtle was a heavy smoker for most of her
life. She was eventually diagnosed with lung cancer, com
pleted radiation treatment and achieved some remission.
The year 2000 arrived and Myrtle's cancer returned.
VALUES AND OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS. Myrtle
liked to meet with old friends, and she often dropped in to
favorite restaurants to do so. She enjoyed reading and
writing prose and poetry, a gift she had achieved some
mastery in. When asked what the most important things
to her were, Myrtle replied that her kids and their kids
were among the most precious to her. She took pride in
their achievements and worried about their problems. She
hoped for their future. She missed her departed husband
Frank and would have given most anything to have him
back. She prayed twice a day, morning and night for her
family to be safe. She was not sure what was left of a
person when they die, but was comforted to have faith in
something beyond herself.
CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF GRAND RONDE. She liked
the Tribe doing more to get education and resources for
kids, and donating money to schools and health programs
in surrounding communities and elsewhere.
HOPES AND DREAMS. As a girl, Myrtle always wanted
to grow up and be a wife and mother. She had to quit
school after the eighth grade to help with her younger
brothers and sisters. She wanted to have at least three
boys and three girls. She and Frank took in many foster
children over the years and in this her dream of a large and
extended family was realized.
She was pretty tired, but she looked forward to her
75th birthday on May 26, 2000. When asked what she
wanted for her birthday she replied, "A few more months."
And she wanted to see her kids and grandkids do well, be
happy, and she hoped to live long enough for the birth of
her first great-grandchild. Myrtle's first great-grandchild,
Savannah, was born October 2, 2000, eighteen days be
fore Myrtle passed away.
She passed away at 4:45 a.m. on October 20, 2000.
She died in her sleep at her home after a long battle with
cancer. Myrtle had been kissed "Good Night" by her son
Brad (who has shouldered a large part of the daily and
weekly care) at about 7 p.m. on Friday night, October 19,
2000, with words of love and "hope you sleep well and III
be right here if you need me."
Everyone knew (including Myrtle, her kids and extended
family) that every day could be the last; that time was very
short and every moment was precious beyond description.
Every greeting and parting was treated as a possible last
and loving "hellogoodbyeI love you," and "I appreciate
what you have done for me and with me." Her extended
family provided comfort and support, especially in the last
few weeks and days, above and beyond what words can
express. When the going got tough, the family pulled
together.
THANK YOU FOR THE NEVER ENDING STORY. The
family would like to thank the many family and friends who
devoted countless hours of time and energy. You sacri
ficed so much and helped make mother's life and last days
a celebration of life. Myrtle and her family were (and are)
the thankful recipients of your unselfish and steadfast com
fort, support, and loving participation in this our shared
family experience.
This is a never-ending story, and the next chapter is in
the making; all this from the girl from Harmony Road. May
the memories and the story last as long as the wind blows
and the grass grows.