Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 1976)
Page I. THE GAZETTE-TIMES. Heppner. OR. Thursday. August 19, 197 Orville Cutsforth . . . Grand Marshall "He's quite a man." Orville Cutsforth. A man of determination, amazement, individualism, and humor. Orville Cutsforth is the 1976 Grand Marshall of the Morrow County Fair and Rodeo. And a man that is surely deserved of the honor. Bill Weatherford knows Or ville probably as well as any man in these parts. He can tell you a little about the man. "When I moved here 30 years ago, there were two ranchers in the county that appeared to be more aggres sive than the others," Weath erford said. "They were the two I noticed right off. I 'There are times when I get so damn mad at Orville , I can 't th in k. Simply because he thinks quicker than I can.' deliberately got to know them. It was selfish on my part ... I wanted to find out how they did it." One of the men was Frank Wilkenson, the other, Orville Cutsforth. "I was young and just start ing," Weatherford explained, "and I was in debt." He said he spent quite a bit of time with both men and learned to like them both. Not always agreeing with them, but respecting their "brains and abilities." "I guest I've heard most of Orville's whole life," he said with a chuckle. "He started with nothin' and with absolute determination and good jud gement and skills, he turned himself into a most successful rancher." 'Ile can fire so damn much quicker and ahead of anybody else that you don't know and you have to think... are you irritated at Orville or at yourself.' Weatherford called Orville a "businessman." He said a federal judge once told him that it "took more brains to be a rancher than anything else In the world." Cutsforth has a limited formal education, passing his eighth grade test for the state. But, he "succeeded better than average." "He has a terrific commun ity spirit," Weatherford said, "and he wants to see his area survive and grow." As most people in Heppner, Morrow County or Oregon know, Orville Cutsforth is an outspoken man. He has his own ideas and doeflrtt con-' form to many peoples ideas. An individualist, Weather ford calls Orville an "extra vert of the highest order." "He gets as much enjoy ment out of laughing at his own errors and mistakes as anybody. He is not at all averse to put one over on you . . . joke or business deal either one." Orville has obviously con tributed financially and men tally to the county. Look at road signs and see for your self. There is Cutsforth Park on the top of the list. Add Anson Wright park, Penland Lake and Prairie, and hun dreds of personal items at the library and museum. "He has been terrific help to many individuals," Weather ford states, "myself includ ed." "There are times when I get so damn mad at Orville, I can't think. Simply because he thinks quicker than you can. Then later you think you were silly, cause you should have thought of it yourself." Weatherford's favorite word to describe Cutsforth would be determination. One time out on Crville'i ranch, he ran out of power at seeding time. His tractor broke down. He took his Pack ard car and hooked onto a drill and proceeded to seed. "That points out the deter mination to get the work done when it was necessary." Wea- therford said. "That Packard car didn't commence to have the value of that wheat crop." Orville has the ability to think under pressure too, Weatherford says. A tight sit uation in a car one time, where "most people would have abandoned, Orville was able to extacate from the situation with no harm done to him or anybody else." "I know that he's acted under the same situations In his airplane," Weatherford said. "The conditions might be embellished (nl story jt Wl-- but at the same time, he wouldn't deviate from the truth either." "In my own opinion," Wea therford, a long time friend of Orville said, i have complete admiration for the man. Not necessarily agreement. I think they actually waited too long to make him grand marshall." Once Weatherford and Or ville took a trip to the Yukon together. "I never saw a man so in terested in the physical coun try where we were. He wanted t y - J " " St. (; I: v,f Girls work on 4-11 leathercraft. Superintendents give plenty Much hard work, effort, dedication and time are put in every year by fair superin tendents. When you see them working at the fair this year, give 'em a pat on the back. They are: Mary Lindsay, community booths; Gary Cri eb, livestock beef; Judy Cur rin, goats, sheep, wool; Lyn nea Sargent, poultry and rabbits; Dick Sherer, saddle horse show; William Rawlins, grasses, hay and grain; D.O. Nelson, commercial potatoes; Velma Ling, Helen Martin, Wilma Martin, Dorothy War ren and the Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth Miller, fruits and vegetables; Delpha Jones, Norma Rea, Barbara Cutsforth, Maureen Davis, Carolyn Howard, Hazel Hamlin and Irene Padbcrg. flower show; Marilyn Berg Strom, clothing; Ruth Berf "TMMMiT7"Tr5i Majrake'snd to know what made every thing tick." At White Horse, Orville pon dered and pondered how huge steam wheel boats were hoist ed from the water to the land in the winter. He figured out a man made lever type way. While on that trip, Orville got 25 or 30 people to sign a piece of paper. He stuck it in a bottle, corked it and threw it In the Yukon River. Somebody would find it, he figured. "Anywhere we went, he had the desire to see what made It go. He's a delightful man to ,.,.-,.,,...,1. ...,,. S ! j Ann Bergstrom, needlework; Be be Munkers, Theta Lowe, canning; Mrs. George Currin, Mrs. Darrel Vinson, foods; Kay Walsingham, Tanna Bunch, Lit Ernst, art and photography; Mildred David ton, Lois Woods, Marlene Gray, Susie Johnson, crafts; Jo Huston, Rosemary Parks, Harold and Edna Peck, col lectors comer; Karen THom pson, pet show; Anna Schwar zin. Darlene Arlington, Cln dee Green, Monica Jones, Laura Van Cleave, children's corner; General superintendents for 411 are Mike Howell, county extension agent and Birdine Tullis. extension program assistant. Others are Jeannle Howell, Sherd Mahoney, 411 presen tations; Louis Carlson, Susie French'. 411 bwl, Jean Ben nett. 411 dairy; Marite Acock, I. X , , t i, . V, i ) visit with, Weatherford said, "a mental challenge." "He doesn't have many enemies, Weatherford said, "people don't like him, but they're more mad at them selves then at him." "He can fire so damn much faster and ahead of anybody else, that you don't know and you have to think ... are you Irritated at Orville or at yourself." "He set his mind lo some thing and he could do it. He'd get it done. In my book, he's quite a man." 411 goats; Judy Currin, 411 sheep; Pete Richards, 411 swine; Kite Healy, Linda LaRue, Merlyn Robinson, Sa ndy Rodriguez, Everett Stru ckmeier, horse show; Bev Doherty, Jeannie Howell, 411 home ec. judging contest; Lou Crum. Bev Doherty, Barbara Peterson. Rlkka Tews, 411 clothing; Ellen Ken nedy, 411 knitting and crochet ing; Donna Bergstrom, Fran cine Evans, Maryn Mc Kill got t, 411 style revue; Betty Heath, Leila Key, Lrann Rea, 411 foods; Jeannie Howell, 411 favorite food show; Betty Heath, Pat Pettyjohn, 411 food preparation contest; Ilene Padberg, Phyllis Piper, tole painting; Louis Carlson, Ron Currin, Merlin Hughes. Bob Peterson, Bob Van Scholack. 411. FFA livestock auction; 'ami n HlnchC irtrtvijhr' Ing conleM if A7 ' If "Zf -fj i till
