Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1972)
The Florrnrr Family Three generations of Flor ences have proved up on homesteads on Upper Willow Creek. First there were the brothers Sterling P (called Price) and Louis Albert (call ed Al) who ran cattle from their homesteads to the Co lumbia River before there ere any fences at all. Al's son Norman and Mrs. Flor ence, who was Beulah Cam mell from Iowa, were marr ied in Heppner in the home of Mrs. Jim Gentry (now M.ittie Rood) in 1915, and they too became home steaders on land adjourning his parent's place. They are living on this beautiful place today where Norman was born close to 80 years ago. Norman Florence's mother was Ella Kimsey Florence, and she and Al bought a claim from a Keithley !o join the Price Florence place. The Florence family was important In Oregon History before Price and Al came to Willow Creek. Thtir father, Norman's grandfather, Al bert Burn Florence was the first senator from Lane Coun ty in the first state legisla ture. His wife was Katherine Skinner for whose family Skinner Butte near Eugene is named. The town of Flor ence on the coast in Lane County is named for this pioneer family. THE FAMILY TODAY Norman and Beulah cele brated their golden anniver sary in 1965 in their attrac tive, modern home sur rounded by its lovely yard, and a tremendous vegetable garden. Mrs. Florence has decorated their home with her needlework, colorful pictures formed in many special stit ches and needlepoint tapestry chair seats and pictures. A very special feature is a hand carved hanging clock that be- wm If Lewis Albert Florence longed to Norman's grand parents. Beulah says she cares for the flowers, but Norman is the vegetable gar dener, and this year he in sisted in planting a wonder ful, big garden. Among the many family treasures is an account led ger dating back into thel890's kept by Norman's father which contains the names of many families, quite a few still represented in the coun ty, who purchased farm pro ducts from Al Florence. It also reveals that he paid helpers $1. per day for labor. The Florence's son Eugene Louis died in Aug. 1967. His son Gary, and their great grandsons live in Eugene. Their daughter, Marv Elea nor (Mrs. Dean Gilman) an officer of the Heppner Branch of the First Nat. Bank is well known here. r ft if " ) f '' .-. ; F i ", ' I ' , , r. . ? !WA t I ! v: "i , - , I Mrs. Harry Archer (I.etha Devin) The:, .in ;'iu be other board walks in H;ppner; how ever, a very nice one leads to the front of Letha Arch er's home on Water St. Le tha has lived right there since 1917. She is one of the six girl and 1 boy family of M.J. Devin and his wife Sarah Hurt Devin, both from Miss ouri, who came partwaywest by train and the rest of the way be wagon. Letha was carried west on apillowwhen she was very young-about 88 years ago. The Devins had sheep and later went into cattle on their Sand Hol low homestead. Letha still has her father's favorite rocking chair in her home. She has two sisters living in Hermiston, Mrs. Altha Kirk (Merlyn Robin son's mother) and Mrs. Tena Scott. Letha went to Sand Hollow School and then came in to Heppner High. Her first husband, Max Smith, a na tive Oregonian, died in 1938. She married Harry Archer, a painter and carpenter in 1941, and he died less than one year later. She has gone through all the offices of the Sans Souci Rebekah Lodge. Letha worked downtown for over 12 years in the variety store that belonged to Jimmy Healy and was sold toBlakes. Her daughter Margaret (Mrs. Jimmy Leach) died in 1954; her son Austin Smith lives in Portland. Among the neighbors she remembers from her girl hood in Sand Hollow were the McCartys, Turners, Ed wards, Galloways, Morgans, and Barratts. She says most of her early friends are gone now and that she is some times quite lonely. The Don Robinsons are on the Devin homestead now. Mr. Orvlllr J. Itiimui urh C'rril) Norah Rasmus livesalmost downtown In Heppner nov in a little pink house with a beautiful little yard on Cen ter St. The house Is not so little inside and is so taste fully furnished. Norah is the granddaughter of William Y. Cecil whocame so early to settle on the creek where the community named after him stands now. Her parents were Wilford Edwin Cecil and Elsie Ellen Zacrx ary. Their first child Norah was born at Rhea Siding in 1890, her brother Ralph Ed win was born in 1892 and died in 1961 and their young er brother Glenn William born in 1895 died in 1939. Norah attended school at Cecil, Arlington and at Hepp ner. Her husband Orville Jac ob Rasmus was the son of John and Miryetta Rasmus, early residents of Heppner. He served as water super intendent for theCityofHepp ner. NORAH'S SHOP Norah was a longtime em ployee of the big Thomson Store with its large stock and many departments where who learned much about mer chandising. Later she opened her own business, a ladies ! Remember in the i !; Centennial Year: Harris Drive-In has j old-fashioned m i : f reals AVjf ! ice cream rlW ; ! as well as frfjf ! ; the best in ii restaurant rMf ' I ,ood fjipi "drop by and see as' ij i Syrel and Coleen Galliher i 676-5586 : ! ready-to-wear store that shu called Norah's Shop to the old brick Fair Bldg. that was torn down before Cal's Rich field was built. She started with a $500 stock and when she sold out to El ma and Everett Harshman in 1956 the stock was appraised at about $30,000, she says. Norah Rasmus is a Rebe kah, a member of the Amer ican Legion Auxiliary, and a member of the Episcopal Church. She was hurt badly in an auto accident a few years back and hospitalized in Pendleton. She is of good humor, loves to visit, and is now able to get around with reassurance from a walker. Norman Florence
