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' ' "y MAnne, a princess on the 1972 During the Rodeo Parade II llfVx'f j " " "'v
" BcKlt-o Court. Harry Dinges carried the l .ill' t U ' ' S
t 1947" In 1947 the Hef)- nac.Lennie Louden rode side I) All I Y ' ' " 1 V )
VV I X. i ' Piiif Ro(l..obardas headed saddle, one of the Judges of "MAX A I ' S "riJI 4w;
kvA X 1 ty Lee Beckm r, president; the Parade as Ralph Jack- ; AJf I - X -f "v J
Jim Valentine, arena direc- son. the best-dressed coweirl wlwll: I V Jr '-iSJr.T". - i -
T Hei iiii r Mathew Thi.rnton
A white shirt as to le
found for Queen Darlene, but
no pants and a very scarce
selection of white materials,
due to the post-war shortage,
Mrs. GorfUe of the New York
Store, had saved two pieces:
one of heavy weight and one
of light weight. Ttie selec
tion was for the light weight.
The Pendleton Round-up
Queen was the recipient of
the other material. After
sending this to Nudelmans in
Los Angeles, the pants sent
back were too shear, so Mrs.
Clyde Nutting proceeded to
line them, an unheard of tiling
then.
IN
Darlene said she would
never forget the time she
first met the Queen of the
Round-up, she in the too heavy
material made into pants and
herself in lined ones so com
fortable! The court this year ap
peared for the first time at
Elgin and also went to Pend
leton Lexington's
July 4th Parade, and John
Day.
Directors that year were
Lee Beckner, president; Har
ry Dinges, secretary; Eb Hu
ghes, Jim Valentine, Cliff
Dougherty, Harlan McCurdy
and Claude Buschke.
Darlene and her husband,
Robert, have a daughter,
RE
'
rrCt
rv
I i nSt I
V
IT; (.1111 uougmery, grou
nds director, Raymond Fer-
guson, stock director-riaiirtP
Buschke, dance director; Ja
ck Loyd, secretary; and Har
lan McCurdy, parade direc
tor. In May of that year, the bo
ard met and selected Mer
lynKirk daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Merle Kirk, long time
ranchers of Morrow County,
as Queen. Both of her
grandparents were early set
tlers of this county. Her
sister, Evelyn, was princes
on the court of Queen Ma
xine McCurdy in 1938.
The Court for that year was
Shirley Wilkinson, Lexington
Grange; Laurel Palmateer,
Willows Grange; Francine
Hisler, Lena; and Corabelle
TRO
Nutting, Rhea Creek Grange.
The Queen 0re the white
pants, shirt, hat and boots
and the princesses were at
tired in pearl gray pants and
shirts accented with black yo
kes, white piping and ties
and black hats, boots and
belts.
This group traveled to many
shows. Frank Turner and
Harlan McCurdy trucked the
horses many times. The
Court was represented at
Hermiston, Pendleton, Elgin,
John Day and Arlington. Nu
merous lunches at different
places involved this group
with Courts of other places.
The 4-H and Farmers' Fair
was held Sept. 5 and 6, Fri-
1953 Elsie Bauernfeind Paisley
day ai. Saturday of the Ro
deo. Nels Anderson wasCou
nty Agent.
During the Rodeo Parade
Harry Dinges carried the
flag, LennieLowden rode side
saddle, one of the Judges of
the Parade was Ralph Jack
son, the best-dressed cowgirl
was Mary Beamer, the best
dressed cowboys were Mac
and Don Griffith, sons of
former RodeoQueen Eva Pad
berg; there were trick
riders and ropers during the
Rodeo. Joe Stenson of Ya
kima was all-around cowboy.
Merlyn now resides with
her family on the Kirk and
Robinson Ranch near Hep
pner 1948. Betty Smethurst Sie
gler was chosen Queen of the
Rodeo in 1948. The princes
ses were Lillian Hubbard,
Willows Grange; Vesta Cuts
forth, Lexington Grange; Lo
rraline Swaggart, Lena
Grange; and Constance Rug
gles, Rhea Creek Grange.
The chaperone was Mrs. Ray
mond (Cora May) Ferguson.
The color of the princes
ses' outfits were green and
tan. Betty's outfit was black
with white accessories.
The court appeared at se
veral rodeos: John Day,
Condon, Arlington, Hermis
ton, Pendleton Dress-up Pa
rade, Pendleton Round-up and
Arena Parade. They also
attended several luncheons.
Heppner had the honor of
entertaining the All Indian
Court of the Pendleton Round
up on Saturday, Parade day.
This was an honor to have
been the first to entertain an
all Indian Court. 1948 was
the first time in the history
of the Pendleton Round-up it
has had an all Indian court,
although twice before Indian
maidens had ruled as Queen.
1949. Shirley Wilkinson
Rugg was crowned Queen of
the Morrow County Rodeo on
Main St. Her princesses
that year were Ingrid
Hermann Crawford, Betty
Walker Gentry, Faye Cuts
forth Olsen and Dorothy Wig
lesworth Meredith.
Shirley, a born horse
woman, was the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wilkin
son, ranchers of long standing
on Willow Creek. She broke
and roae most of the horses
on the ranch and she rode
her favorite, Penny, a colt
from the famous Swaggart
ranch. Shirley was a prin
cess of the Court of Queen
Merlyn and has ridden in pa
rades since she was three ye
ars eld. Shirley now has se
veral ranches in Morrow Cou
nty, and with her daughter,
Jill, raises cattle, sheep and
horses.
1950. Joan Hisler Sum
ner, Queen of the 1950 ro-
Kathryn
SPECT
deo, is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Paul Hisler, ranch
ers on Batter Creek. Mr.
and Mrs. Hisler have been
active throughout the years
at the Heppner Rodeo and
Fair. Paul is now chairman
of the Fair Board. Joan, an
active ranch girl, started her
years in the Rodeo world
at the age of five when she
was queen of the 1935 Cow
boy Convention at L'kiah. In
1945 she was princess in the
Court of Queen Colleen. Her
princesses for 1950 were Bet
ty Graves Carlson, Lexing
ton; Katie Campbell Van Scho
iach, Rhea Creek; Jane See
haffer Tye, lone; and Evelyn
Miller, Boardman. The
Queen was attired in white
and the Court wore gold shi
rts, brown pants, hats and
boots. They participated in
the opening ceremonies of the
Heppner Hospital. That year
Governor McKay of Oregon
rode in the Parade and was
their guest at the luncheon
on the CourtHouse lawn. Joan
was not the only one in her
family involved with Royal
duties that year. Her sis
ter. Francine, was princess
on the Pendleton Round-Up
Court of Queen Lazinka.Joan
and her family now reside
in The Dalles.
1951. Queen Ingrid Her
mann of lone was selected
as Queen of the 1951 Fair
and Rodeo. An unusual fea
ture about the Court was that
it was the only year that
there were five princesses:
Nancy Rands, Boardman; Jo
an Renninger Hughes, Lex
ington; Eileen Ball Stieger,
Rhea Creek; Elsie Bauern
fiend, Morgan; and Lee Chap
el, lone. Ingrid wore the
traditional w hite outfit of that
time and the girls wore
light blue hats, shirts, pants
and burgandy ties and boots.
( ainpbell Van Schmaih
Muhillc Miller Burns
The chaperone was Mrs.Jua
nita Melena. Ingrid, (Mrs.
Harlan Crawford), now lives
in La Grande.
1952. The Rodeo Board se
lected the Queen of the 1952
Rodeo, Kathryn Campbell Van
Schoiach, daughter ofMr.anc
Mrs. Pat Campbell of Lone
rock. She was a princess
on the court of Queen Joar
Hisler. Her princesses werf
Grace Miller, Boardman,
Wilma Dezell, Lexington,
Rita Graves, Rhea Creek;
and Shirley Meyers, Lena.
Chaperone was the Queen's
sister, Martha Campbell.
A dress-up Parade pro
ceeded the Rodeo followed by
the Queen's Coronation.
Judge Garnet Barratt bestow
ed the Crown. The Court
made many appearances to
neighboring Fairs, Rodeos,
and Parades. The Court
and all guests were given a
luncheon by the Soroptimists
and Chamber of Commerce
at the Elaine George home.
The Rodeo that year was
an R.C.A. event and featur
ed many exciting horse rac
es. Archie Murchison won
the saddle for Morrow County
Ropers. In the juvenile sec
tion Bob Steagall won a sil
ver bit. Harold Erwin was
arena director. A new at
traction that year was the
horse show sponsored by the
Wranglers Riding Club under
the supervision of Fred Man
kin. This event replaced a
regular round of Rodeo which
had previously taken place on
Friday afternoon. The 4-H
Fat Livestock Auction was
held with 12 steers, 16
lambs and 12 pigs sold. Top
bid was on all steers was
34'2 cents per pound.
Harry Dinges le the para
de. A luncheor. followed on
the Courthouse lawn for all
Royal visitors, dignitaries &
Heppner band members. Pa
rade awards were given to
Greg Jones for the youngest
mounted cowboy and to Erna
Lynn Winchester as the youn
gest Cowgirl.
10
4 v
l5l Ingrid Hermann ( raw ford IhiJtJ
V , I 1 .1 mil
Katy now resides with her
family on a cattle ranch near
Heppner.
1953. In 1953 Elsie Bau
ernfelnd Pisley, the daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Martin
Bauernfeind of Morgan, was
chosen Queen. Elsie's paren
ts had a large pony ranch
and she was brought up on
the back of horses, riding
and training.
The Court was Carol Ann
Wiglesworth, Lena; Beth
Ball, Rhea Creek; Wilma Hug,
Boardman, Patricia McMil
lan, Lexington. The chaper
one was the Queen's mother,
Mrs. Martin Bauernfeind.
They enjoyed the usual par
ticipation in the nearby Pa
rades, Dances, preceedingi
during the Rodeo, a visit tc
the hospital and the happen
ings of the Fair and Rodeo
itself. Miss Austria, Lore
Felger of Vienna, was pre
sent at one of the dances.
She had just competed in the
Miss Universe contest and
she had stopped in Heppner
for a 5-day visit with the
Gontys before going back to
Austria.
Elsie now resides in Rogue
River, Oregon, with her hus
band and family where she
teaches school.
1954. Queen Grace Mil
ler of Boardman was the
first Queen to be chosen from
the north end of the County.
She was a princess on the
Court of Queen Kathryn
of 1952.
Princesses chosen for her
Court were Janet Howton,
lone; Deanna Steagall, Lex
ington; Patsy Wright, Rhea
Creek; and Christine Swag
gart, Lena.
Grace is now married to
Vern Carpenter and lives in
La Grande. They have two
sons.
1955. Carol Ann Wigles
worth, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Walt Wiglesworth, But
ter Creek ranchers, was
chosen to be the Queen of
the 1955 Heppner Fair and
Rodeo. Her princesses that
were Betty Olmstead, Board
man; Sharon Rill, Heppner;
t Marilyn Munkers, Lexing
ton; and Carolyn Crabtee,
lone. The chaperone was
Mrs. Archie Munkers. Carol
Ann won the all-around cham
pionship buckle In the 13-17
age group in the Wranglers
Club. She remembers her
horse being injured in a li
ghtning storm during one of
the princesses' dances. They
.also rode on the hood of a
Cadillac in one of the Pen
dleton night Parades and Ca
rol Ann" vividly remem6ers
getting the hot seat. Carol
and her husband, Lawrence
Meredith, now reside inGalt,
Ca.
1956. The 1956 Queen was
Patricia Wright, represent
ing the Rhea Creek district.
She was the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Walter Wright of
Heppner.
The Court included princes
ses Janet Myers from the
Cont. on next page
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