Special Edition • Morrow County Fair and Rodeo • Heppner Gazette-Times, Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - Page 3
Dedication and commitment describe this year’s Grand Marshal
His voice has been heard
at the Morrow County Fair
and Rodeo for almost twen
ty years. D edication and
commitment are two words
that help describe this year's
Grand Marshal, Frank Hal-
vorsen. He continues his
commitment this year again
and can be heard announc
ing slack at the rodeo and the
M orrow C ounty JackPot
Rodeo on Aug. 21. Frank
Halvorsen is the man behind
the voice you hear each year
during slack and rodeo.
Frank was born in The
Dalles, OR on April 1, 1951.
He grew up in M orrow
County and graduated from
lone High School. He con
tinued his education at Blue
Mountain and Eastern Ore
gon College, and then re
turned home to run the fam
ily’s cattle and wheat ranch
near lone. He married Cathy
Cannon in 1972 and they
raised three children on the
ranch, Ryan Halvorsen, the
late Jason Halvorsen who
was killed in 1994, and Alli
son Halvorsen.
Frank never competed in
rodeo himself. As he put it,
he had all the rodeo action
he needed in the hills and
corrals of home. However,
he was an athlete none the
less. He was an active wa
ter skier and trampolinist.
While growing up his family
often performed all over the
Pacific Northwest at events
such as the Hydro Boat Rac
es in the Tri-Cities, as enter
tainment for the great Cycle
Oregon bike race and he
could be seen yearly at the
Hermiston Track meets.
The interest of rodeo has
always run deep in the Hal
vorsen Family. Many of
F ra n k ’s re la tiv e s have
reigned as court members of
our yearly rodeo. These in
clu d e P rin ce ss D im ple
Munkers, Donna Ray, Non-
ie Walters and Laurel Can
non. His aunt Babe Stender
performed as part of enter
tainm ent with the Salem
Saddle Club many years ago.
Frank Halvorsen
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Over the years Frank has
noticed numerous improve
ments to this yearly event.
“We have facilities that we
should all be proud of here
at Morrow County.’’ With
time, the locations o f build
ings and accommodations
have improved. He remem
bers the rodeo dances back
in the 60's, “These often
drew more people than the
rodeo.” The Fair and Rodeo
has been fined tuned with
community support and the
changes have been grand.
Community involvement
is something that Frank is
still active in. He has been
involved with the Cowboy
Breakfast for the Heppner
Masonic Lodge and is cur
rently a member. He also has
held an office at this lodge
and is a life long member of
the Willow’s Grange. A thir
ty plus year member of the
Heppner Elks and the lone
K
I
N
Community Church wraps
up his activities.
Thinking back, Frank’s
greatest accomplishments
had to do with rodeo, sup
porting children and athlet
ics. His most memorable
honors include volunteering
and helping at The Shriners
Children's Hospital and re
cently being inducted into
the Northwest Community
College Association Hall of
Fam e. His team (1969-
1970) was the only undefeat
ed team ever to play basket
ball in a full season.
He is also very proud to
be honored as the 2005
Grand Marshal of the Ore
gon Trail Pro Rodeo. This
year, you can see the face
behind the voice we have
heard and appreciated for so
many years.
Z
U
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