Smoke Signals
Elder Christmas Party Kicks Off Holiday Season
JANUARY 1, 2005
By Ron Karten
It was like Patsy Cline and Willie
Nelson had come together for the
evening.
Long time musicians Gene and
Tribal Elder Patsy Pullin brought
the old standards to life pieces
like Cline's "Walking After Mid
night," the old Kingston Trio num
ber, "Scotch and Soda" and the
World War II-era favorite, "Let Me
Call You Sweetheart."
Christmas time in Grand Ronde
this year held on to a lot of the old
while the Tribe's success is never
theless everywhere to be seen.
This year, the Elders Committee
held a drawing for a lighted bowl
(won by Claudia Leno) and had
gifts like umbrellas and candy
dishes for everyone. One hundred
and thirty five Elders took part in
this year's Christmas party, said
Tribal Elder and Elders Committee
Chair Arlene Beck.
Tribal Elder Gary LaChance cut
the rug all night long while Tribal
Council member Jack Giffen, Jr.
dressed up like Santa Claus and
made his rounds with gifts.
"It's hot inside this thing," he con
fided at one point. "Sweat's just roll
ing off this fat boy."
It was a Christmas dinner with
all the trimmings and all the joy.
"Everybody enjoys themselves,"
said Tribal Elder and Elders' Com
mittee member Tom LaChance. "A
lot come to the party that you don't
see too much. We just get together
and have a good time."
0
V - n & f
"Remember When. . ." Tribal member Steve Hudson talks with Elder
Margaret Provost. Provost played a major role in the Tribes' Restoration..
if O W-- I
1 - s l o
' iN f: . . . X
. w u .. I r
" ' - i 5'. in I I ft , n 1 1
Friends Tribal Elders Darlene Reeves, (left), and Violet Folden share a laugh
at the Tribal Elder Christmas party on Thursday, December 16.
Smooth Tribal Elder Gary LaChance and Leonette Galligher make the most
of the Pullins' music.
Near Death Tragedy Can't Stop The Performing Pullins
Before coming to the Tribe in
1999, Gene and Tribal Elder Patsy
Pullin played their beautiful music
for 15 years in Ketchikan, Alaska.
"Mostly bars up there," said Patsy.
"We worked at the VFW post for a
long time."
They were singing together be
fore they married in 1960, and at
that time, Gene already was play
ing with a band and Patsy just had
some experience singing in church
and in high school.
"He had a band," she said, "and I
convinced him that he needed a
woman singer."
Today, one hardly needs to men
tion, Patsy sounds more than a little
like Patsy Cline, one of the great
popular music singers of all time.
Pullin did a cover of "Walking Af
ter Midnight" during the Christmas
party that would have had Cline
resting easy, wherever she is now.
To a passing reporter without
much musical ability, Gene's voice
sounded like a dead ringer for
Willie Nelson's, but Patsy said he
just had a head cold.
The Pullins recorded three albums
in those early days, one of which
was titled, "Walking After Mid
night." "They're all obsolete now," said
Patsy. "It should have
given you the idea
when I said, 'albums.'"
The resurgence of
interest in Patsy
Cline's music was nev
ertheless a big help.
"After her movie
came out, 'Sweet
Dreams,' I think I got
ten years worth of
work out of that."
The evening's work
was all the more re
markable for Gene's
recovery from a near
fatal head-on car acci
dent in August, 2003.
"He has somewhat re
covered," said Patsy,
"but still has surgery
ahead to get the full
elbow."
If Patsy Cline was an
influence on Patsy, she said that her
parents, both musical, had the big
gest impact on her. Gene "was
greatly influenced by Chet Atkins,
who invented finger-style picking
on the guitar," said Patsy.
Together, they raised four chil
dren with their music, and son Den
ver, a Tribal member, played with
them for the Elders' Christmas
r a- nHn , v. t- - ,
Performance Art Gene, Patsy and Denver Pullin (from left) perf omed the old standards at
the Tribal Elders' Christmas party.
Party. In fact, Denver has had
bands in the past and though in
between bands at the moment, he's
still an active musician.
"He plays drums, bass, guitar,"
said Patsy, and their daughter,
Tribal member Tracy Bing, has
been singing around the Reno area
for the last 12 years.
, .Throughout their careers, the
Pullins have played across the
western half of the U.S., said Patsy.
Today, Gene is semi-retired as a
result of the accident, and Patsy is
in her "third career" as an Employ
ment Coordinator in the Social Ser
vices Department.
"Being a mother and working in
bars prepares you for social work,"
she said.