A16 News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, January 13, 2016 PC seniors have a building of their own Strawberry Grange is now the Prairie City Senior Center %\&KHU\O+RHÀHU Blue Mountain Eagle PRAIRIE CITY — The Prairie City seniors now have a building they Fan literally Fall their own. The group has purFhased the Strawberry Grange build ing at 20 N. MFHaley, whiFh is now named the Prairie City Senior Center. The transaFtion was effeF tive Jan. 1. Weekly senior meals, open to the Fommunity, will Fontinue to be served there at noon on Wednesdays. The Strawberry Grange has Fonsolidated with the Mt. Vernon Grange and will no longer exist or meet on its own. The newly formed group will maintain Mt. Ver non Grange No. 659’s name and number, and will be the only grange in Grant County. Both granges had seen dwindling membership in re The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler The Strawberry Grange building in Prairie City is now owned by the Prairie City Senior Citizens, as of Jan. 1. The grange surrendered its charter and merged with Mt. Vernon Grange No. 659. The sign on the Strawberry Grange in Prairie City will soon be replaced by one declaring the building as the Prairie City Senior Center. Fent years. In an OFtober 2015 letter to the Oregon State Grange master and exeFutive Fom mittee, Ron Dowse, master of the Mt. Vernon Grange, and BruFe Kaufman, president of the Strawberry Grange, said their Fonsensus was ³the od to use for their Wednesday meals. When that lease termi nated in 2003, the agreement Fontinued on a monthly basis until the seniors purFhased the building. )or information on renting the Prairie City Senior Cen ter, Fall 512030. To in Fonsolidation would result in a stronger Grange presenFe in Grant County.” The letter Fontinued to explain Mt. Ver non was the logiFal FhoiFe for the surviving grange due to its Fentral loFation in the Founty. The ¿ rst minutes of Straw berry Grange No. 661 were reForded on MarFh 1, 1925. The Fharter was framed on )eb. 5, 1926. The ³Strawber ry” name was suggested by Lottie Olp. In 19, the Prairie City Senior Citizens leased the grange hall for a 25year peri Tuire about senior meals, Fall the Fenter at 5120100 on the day of the meal. The Mt. Vernon Grange holds a potluFk meeting at 630 p.m. the seFond )riday of the month. )or informa tion about the Mt. Vernon Grange, Fall 5155100. In memoriam Strawberry Grange No. 661 in Prairie City A look back at 90 years of grange service %\&KHU\O+RHÀHU Blue Mountain Eagle PRAIRIE CITY — With a few signatures on paperwork and a ¿ nanFial transaFtion, Strawberry Grange No. 661 is now just a memory. After a yearlong proFess, the grange building has been purFhased by the Prairie City Senior Citizens, and the Strawberry Grange — whiFh had dwindled in membership over the years — surrendered its Fharter to merge with the Mt. Vernon Grange. The grange was organized in 1925 by Deputy W.R. Gekler. +ere¶s a look baFk at high lights from the Strawberry Grange¶s 90year history ‡ MarFh 1, 1925 )irst minutes were read for Straw berry Grange No. 661. Char ter members were J.H. Allen, William Axe, George Hall, William Hall, Ethel JaFkson, Leslie Holland, Bert Howard, William Bates, R.R. MFHa ley, Dona Hughs, Lottie Olp, Robert Olp, Mary Olp, L.A. Drewett, Rowena Davis and Sherm Davis. The ¿ rst of¿ Fers were William Axe, master; Robert Olp, overseer; E.W. .imberling, leFturer; George Hall, assistant steward; Ruth Nelson, lady assistant stew ard; Alma Kent, Pomona; Mary Olp, Ceres; Roger Kent, seFretary; and Silas Barkley, gatekeeper. ‡ )eb. 5, 1926 The Fharter was framed. ‡ 1926 The ¿ rst Grant County )air booth FonstruFt ed by the grange won ¿ rst prize. ‡ 192 The Carpenter building was purFhased for $500. ‡ 1929 Members attended the ¿ rst TriCounty PiFniF. ‡ 1933 A building fund was started for a larger hall. ‡ 1936 Members with teams, plows and sFrappers leveled the ground for the foundation of the new hall. ‡ 193 )irst meeting in the new hall. DediFation was on MarFh 26. ‡ 1939 The two halls were FonneFted. ‡ 192 All notes on the hall were paid. ‡ 196 The hall was paint ed. ‡ 1952 New eleFtriF stove for the kitFhen and À oor Fover ing for the kitFhen and dining room was obtained. ‡ 191 After deFreasing attendanFe, the grange went dormant. ‡ 196 The grange was reorganized by Ralph )enton, state grange deputy. Alfred Coombs was eleFted master; Irma Stanbro, overseer; Mar garet Coombs, leFturer; Phil Kuhl, seFretary; and Mary Harmon, treasurer. ‡ Nov. 16, 196 Irma Stan bro started as Fook for the Se nior Citizens, whiFh was still an unorganized group at the time. ‡ 19 Senior Fitizens formed at the state level. The group met with the Oregon State Grange master to sign a FontraFt for renting the hall. ‡ 2003 The Prairie City Se nior Citizens¶ 25year lease with the Strawberry Grange ended. The two groups Fontinued on a monthly rental agreement. ‡ 2016 EffeFtive Jan. 1, the Prairie City Senior Citi zens purFhased the Strawberry Grange building, and the fa Fility beFame the Prairie City Senior Center. The Strawberry Grange surrendered its Fharter and merged with Mt. Vernon Grange No. 659. Thanks to Bruce Kaufman, president of Strawberry Grange No. 661, for provid- ing the information for this article. 7RUHVROXWLRQVWKDWODVWƇ« Happy New Year! :KHWKHU\RX·YHJRWRQHRUZHZLVK\RXWKHGULYHDQGUHVROYHWRJHWWRDEHWWHUVWDWH ™ . Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. ® CALL ME TODAY. Jeanette Hueckman, Agent :0DLQ6WUHHW -RKQ'D\25 %XV MHDQHWWHKXHFNPDQF[X#VWDWHIDUPFRP 1101456.1 6WDWH)DUP+RPH2ǦFH%ORRPLQJWRQ,/