Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 10, 1980)
Hie Heppner Gasette-Tlmes. Heppner Oregon, Thursday, July II, 1M0-NINE ' o Rachel Harriett, a by Justine Weatherford , "We all keep hearing that no person It Irreplaceable. How- -ever, the growing number of visitors to Morrow County's outstanding museum and those families who appreciate Its fine historical collections and Its records, feel that Rachel Harnett is very close to being an Irreplaceable person. They sincerely hope there will be no need to try to replace her In the foreseeable future," states the first para graph of the document read at large, civic banquet where the Soroptlmist International named Its Heppner's woman of Achievement In 1975. Last week, when the county "'began to seriously pare Its twice-defeated budget, Rachel was approached about chang ing her work schedule. It was greed that Johanne Wood, who has long been the occasional weekend substitute for Rachel and who works In the courthouse will come to the museum for 20 hours each week, and Rachel will contin ue as director, serving five hours each week. She will also be able to occasionally substi tute for Johanne. However, the two women will hold at their present schedules (Johanne being at the courthouse 40 hours and Rachel staying 23 hours at the museum ) until a revised county budget is approved. Rachel has been the curator of the museum since before It was developed in 1960 and housed in the memorial build ing presented to the county by ) Amanda Dubai . She has been active in the community in many ways during her life time here. She was born here on October 24, 1906, the only child of Charlotte Shipley Scherzinger and Henry Sther tinger, married here in 1877 and lived in Spring Hollow off Rhea Creek. That land is still family owned by Rachel and her only child, Melvin Har nett. Shorty Peck had farmed It for years. Dean Wright presently farms it for the Harnetts. Rachel began and complet ed her public schooling in Heppner, being graduated by Heppner High School in 124. She attended Oregon State College for several years. She Is a member of the Christian Church, of the Order of Eastern Star, is a Past Noble Grand of the Sans Souci Rebekah Lodge, is a past president of the Kate Young Degree of Honor Protective Association, is a former mem ber of Soroptimist, is a life member of the Disabled American Veterans' Auxiliary and is a director of the Morrow County Historical Society, Rachel lived away from the county for a period but returned early in 1960 after the death of her husband, Marion Harnett. She assumed the responsibility for organ izing the museum here in 1960, and she also took on other activities. She began teaching knitting and handiwork to 4 H girls, and during the succeed ing years her pupils have won 9i. ouac a cniiaren 0 "Wheels For Life" Rugga to lone City Park Saftunircllay Registration Ruggs 8:30 a.m. Departure 9:30 a.m. Lunch served at lone city Park for all participates Prizes for both boys and girls 1 . .Rides will be available from Heppner City Park, Del's Market in l.exington. and lone City Park for those needing rides. ..Departure time from these points is 8:00 a.m. . . pledge cards are available at Murray's Drugs. Heppner Pel's Market. Lexington, and Bank of E.O., lone. many prizes at county and state fairs. She also taught quite a Tew adults' folinirToF a number of years she served as Mother Advisor to the Rainbow Girls Assembly In Heppner. Rachel has contributed many historical articles to the museum from her own family. Her maternal grandfather, Dr. Lewis Francis Lynn Shipley, came to Heppner with his wife, Sarah Emily, and their two children, Frances Marlon and Charlotte, In 1880. He left a successful practice at Dayton, Oregon, to come to this "vast part of Umatilla County where there was no doctor within more than 60 miles of the little, new town called Heppner." (He was a medical graduate of Willam ette University in its fourth class of medical students in 1869. He married Sarah Emily Williamson that year.) He was the first, real, licensed physician here-only "Doctor" Shobe, a druggist who came in 1872, set up a drug store in Heppner ,and practiced a pioneer-type medicine, predated Dr. Shipley. While his family stayed i temporarily with Mrs. Hiram Clark down Willow Creek, Dr. Shipley went hunting for housing. The first person he met in Heppner was Henry Scherzinger who was then working for Pap Simons in his blacksmith shop which stood where McDonald's Chevrolet stands now. The doctor bought two and one-half acres with a house on it northeast of Willow Creek and west of Gale Street near where Tom Springer's TV Shop is now. After many unusual pioneer experiences he died at the age of 54 in 1898, and the Shipley home was washed away in the 1903 flood. His widow built a new home upon Elder Street where Eva Griffith lived later. Rachel's grandmother lived in Heppner until her death in 1923. In 1881 Henry Scherzinger patented his homestead in Spring Hollow and began buying additional land. By 1905 he was known as a prosperous stockman when he married Charlotte Shipley, six years after her graduation from Heppner High School Class of 1899. The Scherzingers bought a Center Street home in 1912 when daughter Rachel was ready to start school. For a while they lived there winters and in Spring Hollow sum mers. That home, a part of the first Heppner schoolhouse, is where Rachel lives presently. Rachel's versatile father learned the leather trade and shoe repairing and bought into Matt Linchenthal's shoe bus iness here (later Gonty's and now the Shoe Box and Farra's Shoe Repair). Henry was active in public school super vision, was a member of the Heppner Volunteer Fire De partment and belonged to several lodges. He continued to operate his ranch until 1917 when he rented it and moved the family to Heppner full time. He died in 1938, 62 years after he came to Morrow most remarkable woman r v.. ; - 1 1 f ' ' ' is v ( Rachel Harnett County from his family's home near Oregon City where they had settled after moving on the newly completed trans continental railroad from Wisconsin to Sacramento and up the coast by boat. His widow, Lottie, lived on in the Center Street home until her death in 1960 when Rachel returned to Heppner and to XX ;?t! OA it tM C HI . if Seel Calficd Dadial ii irocuSoo SIZE 750x16-8 Ply L78x 16-8 Ply 875x16.5-8 Ply 950x16.5-8 Ply with old tire off it w i STRIKER v ' : v I ill that home. Rachel's son Melvin is a professional federal, hospital supervisor. He and his wife Barbara have three children, Dawn, Sherrie and Shawn. Rachel visits them often and enjoys having them visit here quite regularly. Rachel has devoted much beyond" the hours for which the county and the museum C I ti ft tuiMX W it ' n fj 0 j x H SZE PRICE TAX 155x12 $3S.2 1.55 155x13 $41.77 1.65 j 165x13 HS.Cl 1.81 j 175x13 $49M 1.92 j Jfi5xH 7.72 i.97 t I75xH $52.19 2.02 165x15 $50.93 2.01 s?,n ' n with old tire o car.' If fi. PRICE TAX $110.37 $4.69 $118.22 $4.73 $106.85 $4.58 $124.58 S5.G7 car. If no trade add $3. i y I L CHROME MO JOCK WHITE ?IOJOCK - .rvvi Ml s VI. I ' t 1 .A- ooard engage her. She re sponds to calls during her off-duty hours, coming quickly and cheerfully to open the cheerfully to open the 1 museum to out-of-town visit ors. She has so carefully cataloged each item received by the museum. She has studied museum management and the keeping of folders of information about county - V . J ) f WA no trade add $1. . x 0. ur q X "t n 1 i t is' ., s 5 i 4 TNI SUDOfN SERVICE tors families which are filled with documented notes and news clippings. Now approaching her 74th birthday, Rachel is this county's oldest employee. In November 1979 she fell at work and needed some hospit alization, however, she has since continued her Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday museum hours with out interruption. She has long been a great help to the Heppner librarians who share the same building. Not many of us can know that our work will become Help Yourself Save Money Help America Save Energy You are probably using more electricity, gas, and oil than necessary. By using our monthly tip you can identify ways of reducing energy use and costs, and help the nation conserve energy. Ll Heatingcooling: system - clean or replace filters as needed. Close vents in ' unused rooms. Insulate ducts and pipes in unhealed spaces. Consider devices which can increase the efficiency of your existing system. When replacing, choose an energy -efficient model. Columbia BlIiiiiiJwqKiiiiii iMP 7 ro Of SIZE PRICE PI65--AR7S-I3 P185-BR78-13 P185-DR78-14 P195-ER78-14 P2QSFR78-14 P215-GR78.H P225-HR7S-14 P2Q5-FR78-15 P215-GR7S15 P225-HR78-15 09. with old tire off car. OoEictoI SIZE BR78-13 DR78-14 ER78-14 FR78-14 GR78-14 IIR78-14 GR78-15 1IR78-15 ' LR78-15 with old tire off srr more valuable after we must leave it. Rachel's work will Increase In value very much as the years pass. The Soroptimists were wise in - f , , -s If you need additional help with your home inspection. Please call the Heppner office 676-9146. Home energy audits provided to our customers at no charge. Jasln 9(fecfaic Co 4 C C "T f. i OJ a.ii If no trade add $1. 9 o M 2.19 Jf'ttaoW 2.5S rft J' ' 7 , inr" X FnbirSc DotHa! TAX " i&SX J i.SS 2.14 I 4V5' 2 57 -AftsfesWi 2,9 P'CE 9 4.95 52.99 52.35 54.03 5 7.39 60.04 5 7.95 59.39 63.25 car. If no trade add $1.1 J 21N.riaIn Heppner G7GCC1 676-9463. ' honoring her as their 197S Woman of Achievement, and her fellow citizens recognize her as a most remarkable woman today. ji n rr?t -r- ,r- - op. $nc. C" lb P
