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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 1963)
2 g 6UWPAY. FEBRUARY 3. I'M MEDFORD HAIL THIBUH.. Mturunu, , WlrsGrace Fiero, A Woman Who Has Mever Known Mediocrity Br EVA HAMILTON MiU Trlbuno Staff Wrlttr Faith, the size of a mustard seed, will move mountain; and it will give a person cour ase to accept the swing of life's pendulum, even when it seems drawn by a magnet from one extreme to another - never resting in the middle. So believes Mrs. Grace Flero of Medford, a woman who has never known mediocrity "It has always been the Ritz-Carlton or a park bench. Creoes Suzette or buck wheat," she summarized the tempo of her Hie wnen re cently queried as to the suc cess of her inventions. "Oh. I'm fresh out of roy alties," this former actress of the legitimate stage, who has called Medford home for many years, replied. "The pat ent on the bottle guard was good for 17 years. Seventeen years so by rapidly. How much did she realize from the invention? Baby Sitting Now "Probably $38,000. I'm baby sitting now. I love it. I just adore children." Then she laughed and It was as if someone had turned on a switch.. It was there again. That same fervor rec ognfzed by David Belasco when he gave Grace Andrews of Minnesota the lead in "The Rose of the Rancho," when the star of the show devel oped laryngitis. She drew 10 curt-in calls the first night she played "Juanlta." She became known as "David Belasco's find of 1908." It is all reported in clippings, very yello- and a little torn, now treasured in her home on West Tenth street. Mrs. Ficro's theatrical ca reer began in the famous Gar rick theater in Chicago. She was the baby of the famous Andrews Opera company fam ily. Because she was too young and "didn't have a voice," her father, Will An drews, kept her on the Minne sota farm when the opera company went on tour But she didn't stay there. She went to Chicago and won her audience with Belasco I m 8 J ' . footlights, Ed Andrews, whose such comments as "appalling WITH INVENTION Mrs. Grace Flero, one of the Rogue valley's most versatile citizens, former actress, former inventor, music clerk, gardener and baby sitter, poses here with bottle guards, her most profitable in vention. She was photographed at 537 West Tenth st., where she and her sister, Edith, widow of the late James Stevens, oper star, now make their home. (Knackstedt photo) after many weeks of living on bananas "10 cents a dozen in those days." Can Still Remember Her stage success followed an exciting and colorful child hood. Her uncles, Ed and George Andrews, owned a beautiful resort at Water villc, Minn., on Lake Tetonka. They had a special railroad spur built to the park. The hotel was spacious and sup ported two large verandas which were used as stages for summer opera. The An drews company presented "H.M.S. Pinafore" rnd the "Mikado" there with Japanese lanterns lighting the lake and the grounds. I can still remember the thrilline beauty of It all," Mrs. Flero exclaimed, describ ing a little girl's reaction to the trips to the resort, which was always filled with celebri ties. In winter, the opera com pany went on tour. In sum- meri the company rehearsed and presented light opera at the resort. all," Mrs. Ficro said, "bu; sho was so deeply religious she wouldn't go on the stage." Religion was an imprnant Influence in the lives of most of the Andrews troupers. It was faith that started them on the singing trail. Mrs. Ficro's grandfather, John R. The family, also, had sta bles and a race track at Lake Tetonka. Minnesota's famous horse, Dan Patch, ran there. "Surely everyone knows about Dan Patch," Mrs. Fiero added without gelling a re ply. How long did tho Andrews brothers have this resort? Always Had Fun "Until they lost It," their adoring niece answered. 1 no Andrews' never had money, but boy we Always had fun." Eight members of the fam ily of 10 participated in opera. "Aunt Mary Andrews Stone really had the best voice of Andrews, was a Methodist circuit rider in Minnesota. Singing hymns at his services, her father, uncles and aunts, learned they had operatic voices. This realisation gave birih to the Andrcwj Opera company.. After 40 years behind the name recently appeared in the Mail Tribune's flight O' Time column, abandoned the opera company and came to! the Rogue River valley, drawn by the fruit boom. He joined his brother, Will T. Andrews, who had led the migration to southern Oregon. Later, George Andrews c.-.ie, and so did opera to Jackson county. Grace came to spend her vacaiion with her parents. She stayed to marry Conro Fiero, Chicago millionaire. She gave up the opportunity to star in "Beverly of Grau- stark" to become hostess at "Woodlawn," Fiero's orchard home, now known as Mon Dcsir Inn. Glamorous years, filled with entertaining, followed. Conro was a Yale man and the valley had become a mec ca for gay young blades from several eastern schools. It suddenly seemed to ha i its own Ivy league. There was dancing. There was music. Dining, wining and theatre -then the apple boom col lapsed. Fieroi Lose Orcha.d The Fieros lost their or chard in 1917, first year of World War I. Each ent into war work in Washington, D.C, The colorful life resumed. Their home became a salon through which moved social' itcs from many lands. The war ended, the Fieros ' ent to Paris, he as representative of the Buda machinery company. They went to Africa, Conro representing the White Motor company. They lived there several years and today Grace describes them as "The most exciting years of my 'Te." Next in Fiero's business ca reer came Canada. In Toronto, Grace got footlight fever again and some of the best press notices of her career, Starring in "The Three Wed dings of a Hunchback" in Hart House theater with the Players club of the University of Toronto, her character work inspired the critics to effectiveness and Dynamic power," her scrapbook re veals. Wonderful Comeback A wonderful comeback after so many years at the bridge table,"- she admitted. Those years were all "Ups in Mrs. Ficro's terminology. no downs." But the ride on life's elevated was brief. Con ro decided to leave the Motor company and returned to the States to invest in a promis ing invention. (Not his wife's.) Speaking today as a former inventor, Mrs. Fiero describes the idea as wonderful. It was for a razor blade vending ma chine but it didn't materialize for the Fieros. However, they were in the money for a little longer. Then came the st ck mar ket crash and the depression. Conro's health broke and they moved into a small New York City apartment with Conro's sister, a sculptress Works in Shop Mrs. Fiero went to work in a shop. Evenings she made foundation garments for spe cial friends, selling them at $40 each. In search of better garters for the exclusive mod els, she called on Venus cor poration and this started her on the inventing trail. She showed the garment to the manager, Herman Schneit tacher. "Too expensive," she re calls his conversation. "Try some inexpensive gadget." "I have it," she answered, and returned with a bottle guard she had made in Paris to keep Conro's shavins lo tion from spilling in his lug gage. So began her inventing career. The royalties did not come in soon. They were very small for many years. During those years the Fieros -eally knew the feel of a park bench at night, the gnawing sensa tion of hunger in the day. Recoupes Standing Then Conro, who also mov ed in extremes, recouped his financial standing the same way he had lost it, in the stock market But health was not so eas ily reclaimed, and death end ed the story for Conro, when he was 56, and out of debt. Mrs. Ficro returned to Med ford. The apple trees had been gone for many years. The house, the lawn, th hedges were quite the same. But now they were for the public, "Woodlawn" had become Mon Desir Inn. She could have lived on memories,' alone, but she was an Andrews and no stranger here. Works at Store For a number of years she worked at the Purucker Mu sic Slore. With her sister, Edith, Mrs. James Stevens, she cared for her mother un til her death. She concentrated on her inventing and her gardening. her favorite hobby. Her roy ally checks grew frorr two to three to four figures and she was sure that she was once again on her way. The patent on the bottle guard ran out and she went to San Fran cisco with models of several inventions on which she had worked far inio the r.ig.it for many nights. The patent attor ney told her she had nothing to patent. "Completely defeated I re turned to my hotel room," she described the incident. "Then I said to myself 'Grade this is not the way to get things done. I got out my Bible and asked God what lo do. God said, Gracie go see the other patent attorney' and Gracie did. Two Basic Patents "The other patent attorney told me I had two basic pat ents and several possibilities." The pendulum was swing ing to the right again. But not for long. The Korean conflict broke out and Mrs. Ficro's inventions were to be produced in aluminum which I became a strategic metal. So ended another well laid plan. She hasn't quit inventing, but she has given up the idea of having inventions patented. It is too difficult and loo ex- and her 27 volunteers re- pensive, she said. Her hou'.e and garden are better places in which to live because of her inventions and she is con tent lo seek no greater satisfaction. Never Misses Concert Mrs. Fiero never misses a concert by the Southern Ore gon Philharmonic Society, conducted by Richard Wer ner, husband of her cousin, Carolyn Andrews Werner, daughter of Ed Andrews, who continued his career in Med ford later joining the Ameri can Light opera company. Challenge to Workers . I For five years she has been canteen chairman of the Jackson County Red Cross chapter. When she has lo make a speech she has the same butterflies in her stom ach she had on opening night. But her fellow workers say she gets the job done just as she did behind the footlights. The Dec. 2 flood was a challenge to all Red Cross workers here and Mrs. Fiero sponded adequately to the need. Whatever she wins, what ever she loses, her philosophy remains the same. "It is: If you really want something, pray for it, work for ii, and you'll get it. You have to have faith," she de clared at luncheon at the Hotel Medford. (The remark triggered that switch again and there was no doubt in the mind of her listener that Mrs. Fiero has the answer.) TAX WORK MADE EASY Rent or Least Adding Machine Typewriter Calculator VOIGHT'S 8th 1 Gripe Easy Parking 772-4100 Green Stamps The ONLY Time-Tested GLASS FIREPLACE SCREEN Enjoyed by Thousands in the Rogue River Valley RADIATES MAXIMUM HEAT ELIMINATES ROOM HEAT LOSS, SAVES FUEL PROTECTS AGAINST HYING SPARKS, ASHES. DIRT AND DRAFTS TWIN DOORS OPEN WIDE FOR EASY LOADING OF FUEL CONTROL DRAFT WITH TWO SLID ING DOORS FOR FAST OR SLOW FIRE SOLID BRASS CONSTRUCTION, BEAUTY UNHEARD OF. THOUSANDS IN USE WINTER AND SUMMER BURN WOOD, COAL OR GAS PHONE 772-7166 SMITH LUMBER CO. Corner 8th and Fir Sts. IffiMiMaimg fiawr ttflne IFmntiuiire is Public High School Student Fees Brings State Board Action Salem - Student fees In Or egon's public high schools, subject of many Inquiries and some recent complaints from parents, who feel the fees have become too high, partic ularly for families with a num. ber of children in school, brought action from the state board of education at the Jan uary meeting here. The board passed a resolu tion requesting all local dis trict boards lo adopt a policy which would limit costs to students to only those charges approved by each local school board m a regular school mpetinff. Board members rejected, by failure to approve, an urcgon City ftcimoi board appeal lu continue its post-high school, vocational-technical program f- n arHltlonal year. Raiulied from Tie Vol The failure to approve the request resulted irom a lie vote by the six members of the board present. The action limits the Oregon City pro gram to high school students nnlv Thrt nrr-sent enrollment is composed predominantly of high school students. Last year the state board of education approved for one year the operation of post high school, technlcal-voca- t,.,na r.rnsram In the OrCEon City school dlntriet under the community college law. This approval expires June ju 1903. Two school district rcor ganiution plans wfre p nrnved bv' the board. One forms an administrative dls nt nrrvlimn district 4. Or lent district 0-3OOJ. Pleasant v.it.u 1K.302J. Rockwood 27 Lynch 28 (all In Multnomah county) and Damascus union High school district, and all of the Gresham Union High ichool district except Clacks- tnisa Ad. Tho other nlan nrovldes for the formation of an adminis trative school district com prised of School District 21-J- Gatcs, 123 J-Mlll Clly and Santiam Union High school. Other Board Action The stale board aiso ap proved: -A policy guide pcitaiii!.;g to the Joint use of state educa tional radio and television network facilities by the slate department of education and the slate system of higher ed ucation. This will be the of ficial guide for the two agen cies in planning, developing, and producing ETV and radio programs for public schools. The policy statement was de veloped by the Governor's Ed- ucstmna! Ccordinaiir.s rns-.n-cil. -March 25 as the election date on the question of t ho formation of the Central Dougias County Area Educa tion district. -Financing; migrant educa tion programs during the reg ular 1962-63 school year in Nyssa (District 28), Malheur county; and for Monitor (Dis trict 14.2CJ), Marion county. Nyssa reported 160 migrant students and Monitor Indent ed 21. -Issuance of elementary emergency ccrtilicalrs for the school year 1063 64. Nina County Students On Oil Dean's List Nine Jackson county stu dents arc on the fall' term honor roll and dean's list re leased by Oregon Technical Institute, Klamath Falls. All received grades of 3.0 (B) or better to be Included in the list. They are Michael T. Dwy cr, Lawrence A. Brown, Ger ald R. Gould. Charles J. Good man and David A. Elro'i. of Medford: Patricia D. Logan, Talent; Donald D. Mi-Kelcrs, Shady Cove; Dean L. Writ man, Eagle Point, and Frank H. Thompson, Central Point. y i jners -",. v ; W3 f.Ma-9'lL. For 52 years tha Boy Scouts of America hai bean working to preparo our young men for tho future . . , to build better cititem. The Boy Scouts of today are tha leaden of tomorrow ... a largo part of our country's security rests with them. Boy Scout Week begins next Thursday . . lasts until February 13th. So, this week we salute them tor their outstanding job in fulfilling this goal. Wa offer them our wholehearted support and wo hope that you will do the same. Active adult participation and cooperation art essential to tha growth and usefulness of this tint youth move mcnt here in tha Rogue River Valley and through out tha nation! i. i, srvr- KA.j.M V.I . Vtft. Sv' 1 -.tv. sr p24 4 -iSofc- i1iaMn J. T-?:.- ;t ; "'s-ts ja.."fR. S a? r m"A wstm tan; vS? iS;-SIS2 Tk.. ifc.nel fail X'iSi1' Kk. A Z"jex-zwl Sims v' W--JA-M dy S-. .isj JZj?sr TASTE j-W Mi 7 .'.,1 -S 'mw mm 4 S For F iViai T,ii '-y-..f.f 'J-'' V-T JUmhixtot A LJL.Ss -- TTTUTIC 'Ti?M1.".t"'! gPfTLUa i WE CMEAiil After session with fellow Boy Scouts, there's nothing quite ss refreshing as Jorgenien's tatra-nutritious, extra-flavorful FIESTA ICE CREAM (It gets the added oomph from an exclusive nutrient NUTRIMIXI). Scouting is FUN . . . ;-H wheniver and wherever there's F1 IN, you'll usually find FIESTA. It's really COOD to the last spoonful, comes in convenient site, colorful cartons that lust fit the refrigerator. Stock up TODAYI iiie Duivy Products Ash lor 'JorycHseus9
