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
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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
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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
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PRICE TAX
$110.37 $4.69
$118.22 $4.73
$106.85 $4.58
$124.58 S5.G7
car.
If no trade add $3.
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CHROME MO JOCK WHITE ?IOJOCK
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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
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no trade add $1.
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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
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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
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FR78-14
GR78-14
IIR78-14
GR78-15
1IR78-15 '
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with old tire off
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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
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52.99
52.35
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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.
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