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Columbia Basin Ward Memories - Cindy Bleazard

Columbia Basin Ward Memories
By Cindy Bleazard

I remember Cecil Barrow playing the spoons at ward parties. We really enjoyed it, but not near as much as he did.

I remember lots of Christmas parties, but I especially remember one where Marele Thorne directed a play. Clinton Hunter, Aliesha Woodward, Raquel Woodward, Kamille Thorne, and some others were in it. It was about beating the Christmas blahs. I also remember a “Christmas in Jerusalem” program where the cultural hall was turned into a bazaar with booths offering food, games, etc., helping us feel like we were in Jerusalem.

I remember Bonnie Robison bearing her testimony every year around the 4th of July and also around election day about the freedoms we enjoy and the opportunity and responsibility we have to vote.

I remember several sisters from our ward attending a conference about the Equal Rights Amendment. I think it was in Olympia. Some of them came home changed women—they were shocked by the lifestyles and behavior of many of those attending the conference.

I remember making things for the bazaars.

I remember many years of playing for the ward choir. I loved everyone I worked with but Boyd Mackay will always stick out in my mind. He was very organized and dedicated to having things well rehearsed. He used to say that anyone could be in the ward choir—you couldn’t find a better place to learn to sing parts.

I remember the women who were the leaders when we moved into the ward and what capable and faithful women they were—Necia Gibbons, Kathryn Naef, Gayle Mackay, Mary Bleazard, Julie Mathews, June Bitton, Verna Hope, Lola Herron, June Monson, and others. They were great examples to me. Since my mother died just a couple years after Lynn and I were married, I learned a lot about child-raising from observing these great women, and many others.

I remember teaching many of the young people in the ward to play the piano and how I would watch them grow up, go on missions, get married, and raise their families. I know I got a lot more attached to them than they ever knew. So many wonderful young people.

I remember the chicken moves. I loved chicken moves because it was so fun to work together. The mess and smell became minor annoyances as we got to know each other better and worked together. I remember Al Taylor and Paul Naef would always grab 7 or 8 birds in each hand (you were only supposed to grab 5) and I could never hold them all. I remember no one could ever outwork Kathryn Naef. She was quick and never quit until the job was done.

I remember going to the cannery together and making jam or canning apricots or potatoes. That was also really fun working together.

I remember all the softball games in the summer and how much fun it was to “watch” the game and visit with everyone. I loved to sit with the Basin City folks and drive them crazy.

I’ve had the opportunity over the years of getting to know many ward members by accompanying them when they performed. There is something really special about preparing music for worship together. I treasure those memories.

I remember when Mount St. Helens blew its top. We had noticed the sky was very dark through the windows in the foyer, but didn’t know what had happened until the bishop got a phone call, announced the eruption, and sent us home. That was May 18, 1980.

I know we don’t pay for pews like some churches do, but most of us sit in the same place each Sunday, just like we were assigned. We’ve sat behind the deacons since our boys were deacons.

I remember lots of great youth leaders. Our boys went to scout camp and on long term campouts. Our girls went to girls camp—lots of great character building activities. I remember taking the Young Women to the Portland Temple open house and trying to keep up with Lawrence and Brad on the freeway. We had a great experience, staying in homes of members overnight. I know there were demonstrators on the temple grounds handing out their literature, which was pretty upsetting for the young women.

I remember helping with a roadshow that Lawrence Jenks wrote. He also wrote a play that the Elders Quorum put on that was very funny. It seems like Garvin Smith was a snake in it.

I remember going visiting teaching. Over the years I’ve had a lot of companions, but the early ones really stand out in my mind. I learned so much from them—June Monson, Colleen Ferguson, Jeanne (Allred) Jenkins, Verna Hope. What great examples they were and are.

I remember teaching early morning seminary. It was so early—starting at six o’clock. We loved to play games—I think it was easier to stay awake. I also remember Clinton Hunter with a blue blanket wrapped around him, standing on a table playing the part of the angel Moroni.

I came to the Columbia Basin Ward as a young married woman. We raised our children and ourselves in this ward—surrounded by faithful, strong members. We’ve loved and been loved. We had our testimonies strengthened and our faith deepened here.

Wendell and Geraldine Merrill - Thoughts

Thoughts about Columbia Basin Ward for the 50th Anniversary

Wendell and Geraldine Merrill

In April of 1956, we had just been married a month and were on our honeymoon when we came to visit the Hope’s. We had spent some time in Moses Lake with Wendell’s Uncles and Aunts there and Grandma Davidson, she guided us over the Radar Hill to the Hope’s, in a terrible wind storm. At that time the road was just a dirt (sand) road. There were snow fences to keep the sand from drifting across the road. We could hardly see her in front of us for miles. When we arrived the Hope children had just arrived home early from school as they had let it out because of the sand storm. It just happened that the Domestic water was hooked up that day and so they could bath without hauling water to the tub. Everyone including us was covered with dirt. We all took turns bathing and the water was soooo soft that I couldn’t get all the soap off so had to rinse off several times. It was so good to get out of the dirt. Never did we dream that we would be living across the street from them.

We met all the people who were here at church the next day. I remember the Barrow girls sang in the meeting and they sounded so good. Everyone made us feel quite at home. I went with Aunt Verna to the Bishop’s Store House (where the Regional Family History building is now). She was the RS President. We crossed the river on the Ferry. The road from their home to the ferry was just a gravel road.

We went back to St. Anthony, Idaho and Wendell’s parents come out for a visit too and they found the Eltopia Grocery store for sale and decided to purchase. They moved here on the 3rd of July We followed them but to Moses Lake on the 15 of August. Driving back and forth from Moses Lake to Eltopia to be with his family, I was getting pretty homesick. There was an opening with the Bureau of Reclamation in Eltopia and Wendell qualified for it and was hired to start work on the 1st of January 1957. We lived in the trailer house area in the camp where the workers were provided with housing. We became acquainted with our neighbors and loved the branch. We started going to church at the old Eltopia school. My callings were to help teach dancing for MIA. They were preparing for the General Dance Festival in Salt Lake. Brother and Sister Welch from Connell were stake directors and helped get us started. Sharon Merrill, George Bakon, LaRae Woodard, Bob Coltrin. *And others???

I was also asked to teach the 6 year olds. Danny Merrill and Dixie Robison and others were in my class. They were such sweet little kids.

Wendell and I were the youngest couple in the ward for several years. There were special families that took us under their wings and included us in their activities, inviting us into their homes. We spent a lot of time with the Withers and Baker families. Our children eventually took piano lessons from Sister Withers.

The old school was special in that there was a group of women in the community that played volleyball for exercise. It was fun to be with members and those who were not.

We had Tammy and Mike while we lived there in Eltopia. Wendell was transferred to Royal Camp for 3 years. We had Terry and Bruce while we were there. We made the trek back and forth to be with Wendell’s family on weekends that Wendell had Army Reserve meetings once a month in Pasco. About a month before we moved back to Eltopia, we were making trips each weekend with our belongings, Bishop Rigby ask us when we would be back for sure every week. He wanted to get our memberships so we could start with new callings. He waited until we were all settled before he ask me to be a counselor to Sister Bertha Roylance in the Young Women’s MIA. The ward had grown and there were young kids that had grown up and new ones moved in and I felt so inadequate because I didn’t know the girls that well, Colleen Ferguson was the other counselor. We put on a great production for the young women who were leaving MIA and those new ones that were coming in. It was a great few years with the young women.
We had been asked to help purchase a Barracks building from Richland about that time to meet in. We didn’t have a very large budget and so the Relief Society made the drapes for the windows and the men built banquet tables for all our activities. I remember I got a big sliver in my leg from the wood. I couldn’t get it all out and several years later it festered and popped out.

I was in the Primary for about 25 years straight. Teaching classes, Secretary, I also was chorister for Primary with Sister Jean Withers as organist. She helped me with my calling by reminding me to have the children sit up straight so they could sing better. They were quite the singers too. One of my classes was the older girls. One of our activities was going for a bike ride and picnic off Sagemoor Road next to the river. There were some cows that joined us and the girls had fun petting them. We made arrangements for a couple pickups to bring the bikes back up the hill. We never would have made it back.

I was Primary President for a couple years, under Bishop Eppich, with Sharon Roylance and Colleen Ferguson as my counselors, and also Sheryl Records and Janet Russell. They were both new converts. They all did so well in their callings. We had some challenges as we had so many children we had to meet in the chapel. I gained a testimony of changes that the first Presidency made in the Primary Music. I was so disappointed at first that we gave up so many little songs that I had loved when I was young. I can now see the gospel songs that they have now help the children learn of the Savior and how to live the gospel and gain testimonies. What inspiration!
When we built the building we are in now we were blessed to pick up the building missionaries and take them to work each day. We grew to love them lots. We were able to spend some time staining wood and doors and scraping the excess mortar off the bricks are a couple things that I remember.

After we had the new church for a while they decided we could have our own Baptismals in our ward on the children’s birthdays. Our Tammy was the last child in the ward to have a Stake baptism.

I was a teacher of the Mia Maids: Rosie Hartelius, Kim Records, Misty Phillips, we had them overnight at our home, swimming party at the Hartelius pond. I also went to girl’s camp several years with some of the most wonderful women and young women. Lostine, Oregon, with Julie Mathews and Cleo Mann, some of the young women were: JoAnn Withers, La Dawn Naef, Kathie Ririe, I think they were all first year girls, It wasn’t easy to get them to go to Girls Camp the next year, it rained from the time we arrived, until we were packing up to come home. The sleeping bags were wet, clothes were wet, and shoes had been wet and dried and fried at the bonfire. I remember LaDawn , Sister Mathews and I took up the back of the station wagon to keep dry. We took Sister Mathew’s long johns and joined them with the flag; we shared some of our clothes with the girls that had nothing that was dry. I wore pedal pushers with a pair of long johns under to keep warm, I had given someone my jeans to wear. Somehow Sister Mathews ended up with pinecones in her sleeping bag one night. Sister Mann’s group lost their woodpile that was the perfect pile, but put in the wrong place and it was washed away with the washout that came though the camp in the night. Girls learned that digging a trench around their tent was one of the musts of camping -- the stream came through their tents. We needed moats that year. I don’t remember what the food was like but must have been the best part of the week.
Catherine Creek was much better in that we were in the lodge. The whole stake was awake all night, except the Stake Leaders. But they met their challenges as each day their long army tent got lower each day with the help of some ward leaders that just slipped by to pick up something off the ground near the tent. Sister LaVon McGary lost her trumpet after the first morning and all she could find was notes with hints of where it could be. It seems like there was something about her boots too. The last hint was given about pack up time. It had been hoisted to the ceiling of the lodge.

We graduated from the lodge and had camping spots around the grounds. I loved working with the girls.

June 16 1966, the day that our Todd, was born involved all the young women who were going to girls camp that year. We needed physicals to attend camp and we had a terrible time getting an appointment. All the girls were at the Doctor’s office ready to have their physicals and Wendell and I walked in, I was ready to have my baby and needed to see the doctor. All the girls said, Oh, Sister Merrill, you can’t have the baby until we get our physicals all done. I didn’t take long and went straight to the hospital. The doctor just had enough time to finish up the girls. Todd was born about 4:30 in the afternoon. We had a great Doctor in Dr. Thompson and his nurse was Colleen Ferguson.

Wendell worked with the Young Men in the basketball and softball teams. We have a large box of trophies for Stake and regional championships. We wore out 2 big suitcases carrying stinky sweaty uniforms home to wash. One of the basketball tournaments was in Seattle.

One of my most memorable teaching times was teaching Dixie Robison and Alaina Monson. They were Daughters of Bill and Bonnie Robison and Nolan and June Monson.

I had them for about 2 years. We met in the girl’s dressing room, no heaters, blackboards or comfortable chairs. They loved the children’s story of the life of Joseph Smith, and a children’s picture book about prayer. They loved to sing and color pictures. They both enjoyed these two activities the most. They knew who Joseph Smith was and could point him from the book and other pictures. These two young ladies brought me great pleasure.

One of my most spiritual experiences happened just after Wendell had been released from being Bishop. The MIA put on an activity for the ward called Flight 202. We and others had made it through close to the end and we were told that Wendell and Lane McGary and a few others were not going to make it to the Celestial degree. We were sitting with Jan and Lane (they were newly married). They had asked Wendell and Lane and a few others to leave the room for different reasons, and we were to go on without them. By that time I and Jan had been so caught up in the activity that we asked each other, where do we go without our husbands? I and I think Jan had never felt such a desperate feeling of being separated from our husbands. I have since hoped that I never will have to have that feeling ever again. I gained a testimony of being together forever. The young MIA kids did a great job that night.

I was in the Relief Society counselor to Jesse Hobbs. While we were in that calling was when we had our last bazaar. Our goal was to raise enough money to get a water heater installed in the kitchen so we could have instant hot water. I was released when Wendell was made bishop and was called as Relief Society president later by Bishop Ferris Naef. My dear counselors were Josephine Steele and Audrey Davis, and Lee Ana Naef as my secretary. What dear committed women!

I remember the things I did but don’t recall all the things that Wendell did. He went on many hikes with the scouts, kayaking, they lost a borrowed new kayak in the river. Wendell still feels bad about that. He loved working with Brother Shelton and Brother Hobbs. He worked in the SS Presidency with Ron Steele. When we went to Utah he and Ron did some fishing there.
Wendell went Salmon fishing with Bishop Eppich and his brother Glenn. Wendell was sick the first day and they didn’t want to come in. The next day Wayne and Glenn were sick and guess what they did? Came in. Good memories!

The couples would go to the dances and movies and out to eat. Whoever didn’t go, we would gang up on them and go to their home for midnight breakfast or any treat they might want to fix at that time of night. You didn’t want to miss many activities.

Temple trips to Idaho Falls with the Seminary kids were great. The Spirit was good with the young people. They were very faithful in attending Seminary and their meetings. They loved going to the temple. We managed the end of the trip to spend some time at Lolo Hot Springs, One trip Terry had his 16th birthday. Denise Mathews wanted to give him his first kiss but Jan Eppich beat her to it. Denise was very disappointed.

One of our favorite Temple trips to Idaho Falls was when Vern and Sheryl Records were sealed and had their children sealed. Karl Eppich had his Endowments before his mission. It was a special time.

Wendell loved being a ward clerk. He took it very seriously. He didn’t mail his reports to the Stake Leader, we would drive to Richland to give it to him. He said many times that he loved being with the brethren and enjoyed the spiritual talents that they all had.

Our lives had come to a point where we were comfortable in our ward callings and in our work on the farms. We had purchased farms from the Thayle Nielson family. That was a great opportunity for us. Then Arthur Purser ask us to buy his unit that joined the Nielson place. He was so willing to help make it as easy as he could for us. Then another miracle in our farming was purchasing the Headman place. Heavenly Father was really looking out for us sending such good “angel neighbors.” Our lives were in order for Wendell to be called to be Bishop.
Wendell was called to be bishop by President Keith Barber. He had called to come visit. He was our insurance man and come to visit quite often so Wendell didn’t think it was anything to do with church. I felt it was to be called but didn’t say anything. President Barber was such a wonderful man and we loved him dearly. He made Wendell know that he was worthy and capable of the work ahead.

Wendell loved the people in our ward very much and was loved by the ward. His counselors were Will Robison, after Melvin Cook was Vaughn Johnson. Wayne Woodward was Ward Clerk. They managed to get the baseball diamond and lights for night games. Families helped get the grass cut out, bleachers, built a backstop, and eventually built the Scout Building. Big Bend Electric employees donated time getting the lights set up. The fun was just beginning.
Wendell preformed several marriages and conducted some funerals. Our ward sent a lot of missionaries during this time also. Many spiritual experiences were enjoyed by him and as a family.

There isn’t enough paper or time to bring to memory all that was great and good in this ward. We have helped with the community when needed and I think that as a ward we are respected.

Our Children: Tammy married Gary Ivers. They have four daughters: Jennefer who loves this ward. She came to help Todd and Lisa two summers. Julie, Allison and Alicia. Tammy is teaching Special Education. Her husband works for Frito - Lay. They live in Mantica, California.

Mike married Lisa Dixon from Kennewick. They divorced and he remarried Susan. She is from Palmyra, New York. He has 5 children: Cameron who passed away this last April, Aaron and wife Calie, Christi, Brooke, and adopted son Tanner from Tonga. He lives in Provo and has a pool and spa maintenance business. Susan is his right hand man.

Terry married Shelly Charlton of Montana. They have four children: Micaela, Macie, Maura, and Kent. Terry teaches earth science in Jr. High. Shelly is in the High School administration as a counselor. They live in Rupert, Idaho

Bruce married Celyn Carter from Pingree, Idaho. They have 5 children: Dillon and wife Hidie, Landon, Tashia, Taya, and Beau. Celyn is a RN and works with the family business: Yike’s sports catalog and American Sports Store in Idaho Falls. They live in Shelly, Idaho.

Todd married Lisa Casper from Basin City. They have six children: Kyle, missionary, Kiersten, Kelsy, Korbin, Katie and Kory. They bought the Gar Calaway farm and all but 90 acres of our farm. They all have their farm jobs. We get to enjoy them as they are the only ones that are close.

We have had all our grandsons go on missions so far. We have 24 grandchildren

My mother has been living with us over the winter for a few years now and is now a member of our ward and she loves to tell everyone that her bishop is her grandson.

We need to thank all those who helped raise our children. Our home teachers and visiting teachers, seminary teachers, all their teachers in SS, MIA and Primary you all have had a great impact on our lives.

1960 Ward Historical Record

1960 Historical Record

The following entries were taken from historical reports prepared by Ward Clerk Gordon Mathews.


January 3, 1960. A sustaining vote was taken in support of the Ward borrowing $10,000 for the 1960 farm operations. The voting was unanimous in favor of the proposal.

January 24, 1960. Those sustained were: Curtis Lee to be advanced to a Priest; Steven Lee and Barry Wilson to be advanced to a Teacher; Jean and Joyce Mackay to be Teachers in the Junior Sunday School; Renee Nielson to be Chorister in the Relief Society ; Jeanne Adamson as Chairman of the Education Committee.

January 25, 1960. Jeanne Adamson was set apart as Chairman of the Education Committee by Reed Gibbons. June Bitton was set apart as a teacher in the Primary; Bernice Ririe as a teacher in the MIA by William Rigby; Howard Ririe as a teacher in the Sunday School by Bishop Bleazard; Arlin Wilson as a Sunday School teacher and Chairman of the Genealogical Committee by William Rigby.

February 14, 1960: Those released were: Clara Barrow as a Counselor in the Relief Society; Myra Gessel as Work Director in the Relief Society; Miriam Johnson as Junior Sunday School Coordinator; Ann Barrow as Junior Sunday School Chorister.

Those sustained were: Bernice Ririe as a Counselor in the Relief Society; Bertha Roylance as Work Director in the Relief Society; Joyce Rigby as Chorister in the Primary; LaRae Woodard as a Primary teacher; Clarence Woodard as Scoutmaster; Bob Roylance as Assistant Scoutmaster; Russell Liston as Explorer in MIA; Kathy Liston as Chorister in Junior Sunday School; Ada Taylor as Junior Sunday School Coordinator.

February 28, 1960. Those released were: Albert Johnson, Winfred Merrill and William Robison as YMMIA Superintendency. Those sustained were Reese Hope as YMMIA Superintendent with Winfred Merrill as 1st Counselor and William Robison as 2nd Counselor.

April 10, 1960: Those sustained were: Keith Harvey Roylance and Stuart Monson to be ordained Deacons.

April 17, 1960. Ward Conference

Harold S. Davis of the Stake Presidency presiding. Speakers were: Brother Edmonds of the Stake High Council; Wayne Eppich; Jeanne Adamson; and Brother Davis.
144 present.

Bishop H. Grant Bleazard, First Counselor William F. Rigby, Second Counselor Reed J. Gibbons. Ward Clerk Gordon L. Mathews. Assistant Financial Clerk Boyd Mackay.

Committee on Ward Teaching: Members of bishopric with Arthur Lee, Bryce Cheney and Alvin Briggs.

Ward Committee for Aaronic Priesthood under 21: Warren Mann as General Secretary.

President of the Priests Quorum under 21: Bishop H. Grant Bleazard with Stanley Briggs as Secretary.

Deacons Quorum: Ronald Bleazard, President; Randy Ririe, Second Counselor; Val Johnson, Secretary.

Genealogical Committee: Arlin C. Wilson, Chairman; Erma Horton, First Assistant; June Wilson, Secretary.

April 24, 1960: Those sustained were: Betty Perkes as Manual Counselor in YWMIA; Duane Mathews as Assistant Explorer Leader; JoAnn and Wayne Eppich as Program Chairmen in Mutual Marrieds of the MIA.

April 25, 1960: Bernice Ririe as Employment Counselor in the Relief Society; LaRae Woodard as Speech Director in MIA and a Primary teacher.

May 1, 1960: The Priesthood sustained the Bishopric in borrowing an additional $2,000 for farm operation. The proposal was also presented at Sacrament meeting and the vote was unanimous.

May 8, 1960: Guila Mecham was sustained as Relief Society Secretary.

June 5, 1960: Those sustained were: Arlyn Johnson as President of the Teachers Quorum with Barry Wilson as First Counselor and Lynn Bleazard as Second Counselor and Irvin Howe as Secretary.

June 26, 1960: George Withers was released as 1st Assistant to Sunday School Superintendant. Those sustained were: Bryce Anderson as 1st Assistant to Sunday School Superintendent; Edith Roylance as a teacher in the Primary.

July 10, 1960: Helen Cunningham was released as Teacher Trainer in the Primary and Luanna Liston sustained as a teacher in the Primary.

July 17, 1960: Jeanne Adamson was released as a Primary teacher and sustained as Teacher Trainer.

August 14, 1960: Brent Shelton was sustained to be ordained a Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood.

August 21, 1960: Sharon Merrill sustained as MIA Organist.

September 4, 1960: Bishop Bleazard was given the sustaining vote of all members present to lease the George Jenkins farm for 1961, the proceeds of which will be used for the Building Fund.

September 11, 1960: Roma Sharp released as a Counselor in the Primary. Miriam Johnson was sustained as a Counselor in the Primary and Lola Herron was sustained as a teacher in the Primary.

September 25, 1960: Those sustained were: Randall Ririe to be ordained a Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood, and Robert Perkes and Stan Briggs as Sunday School teachers.

October 16, 1960: Those sustained were: Randall Merrill and Daniel Wilson to be ordained Deacons in the Aaronic Priesthood; Pam Ferguson to be Speech Director in the YWMIA; LaRae Woodard as Junior Sunday School Secretary; and Bertha Roylance as 2nd year Beehive Teacher in the YWMIA.

October 30, 1960: Those released were: Reese Hope as Superintendent, Winfred Merrill as Manual Counselor, and William E. Robison as Activity Counselor. Those sustained were: Wayne Eppich as YMMIA Superintendent with William E. Robison as Activity Counselor; Helen Cunningham as Topic Trainer in Relief Society, and Fred Steele as a Sunday School teacher.

November 13, 1960: Those sustained were: JoAnn Eppich as a teacher in the Primary and Winfred Merrill as a Manual Counselor in the YMMIA.

November 20, 1960: Those sustained in the YMMIA were: Ernest Baker as M Men Leader and George Herron as Ensign Leader.

November 27, 1960: Bryce Cheney released from the YMMIA as Explorer Leader. Ronald Bleazard and Michael Lee were sustained to be ordained Teachers in the Aaronic Priesthood.

December 11, 1960: Val Johnson sustained to be ordained a Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood.

Orrin and Betty (Woodard) Smith

Orrin and Betty (Woodard) Smith

Marriage in June 1959 (reception was held at Columbia Basin Branch)

50th Anniversary in June 2009

1960 video

Starts in Canada on a Temple trip.

1972 Historical Record

1972 Historical record

The following entries were taken from records kept by Ward Clerks.

1 January: New Year’s Breakfast was held in the ward after celebrating the new year with the Elders Quorum preparing the breakfast.

6 January: The Junior basketball team lost a game with the Pasco Ward, in our gym.

14 January: The Ward Reunion was held in the cultural hall with many old friends and former ward members attending. A very good program was presented under the direction of the Seventies Quorum. The dinner was prepared by the Relief Society and served by girls of the Basin City Ward.

19 January: The Bi-Stake music festival was held in Richland Stake.

10 February: The Stake basketball tournament was held in the Stake Center at Pasco,
with Columbia Basin Ward teams, both junior and senior, coming in second.

19 February: The ward Gold and Green Ball was held in our ward cultural hall with live music being played. The whole ward supported this function and it was one of the best we have had in a long time.

21 February: The Ward sponsored a trip to Squillchuck State Park for a day of tubing and general fun in the snow. The day was full of minor accidents but no one was seriously hurt, and the ones in attendance had a ball.

22 February: The daddy-daughter date was held in the ward, and it was a good date with all in attendance having fun.

25 and 26 February: The regional basketball tournament was held in Richland Stake with Richland 2nd Ward winning the Tournament.

3 March: There was a seminary dance held in our ward cultural hall.

10 March: The Elders Quorum had a dinner and program in the cultural hall, with shrimp being the main course. The High Priests were also in attendance.

31 March: The Stake Gold and Green Ball was held in the Stake Center with Steve Laughery and his Orchestra playing for the dance.

1 April: The Stake wrestling tournament was held in the Stake Center, with the Columbia Basin Ward Juniors coming in first and third in two divisions.

14 April: There was a wedding reception held for Susan Perkes and Kim Pauley.

15 April: There was a stake play in the Stake Center with many of our ward members cast in the play.

2 May: There was a softball game between the Junior and Senior teams as a warm-up for the coming softball season, with the senior team winning.

6 May: The Primary Mother and Daughter outing was held in the ward.

11 May: The Junior softball team beat the Basin City Ward by a score of 27 to 3.

18 May: The Junior softball team beat the Pasco Ward by a score of 50 to 0.

25 May: The Seminary graduation was held in the Stake Center with 15 members of our ward graduating.

26 May: The Young Marrieds of our ward held a party at the home of Keith Callaway with about 45 in attendance, with a real good time being had by all in attendance. There was dancing, games, and plenty of food for all.

May: During the month of May, all ward members participated in one way or another in getting the church farm in order and getting the corn planted. The corn is now up and looking good.

1 June: The Junior and Senior softball teams had a game with the Pasco Ward, with both games being forfeited.

2 June: The Junior and Senior softball teams had a game with the Pasco 2nd Ward teams with the teams of Columbia Basin losing both games by a narrow margin.

6 June: The Order of the Arrow was held in the Ward Chapel for the scouts of the ward.

23 and 24 June: There was a Fathers and Sons outing at Lehman Hot Springs in Oregon.

29 & 30 June: There was a Mothers and Daughters outing at Lehman Hot Springs in Oregon.

17 through 22 July: The girls went to the Church girls camp and had a good time.

21 July: There was a wedding reception for Lynn and Cindy Bleazard.

22 July: The ward held their 24th of July celebration at the Robert Perkes’ Ranch. There was a rodeo and lots of good food. There was a good turnout and everyone seemed to have a good time.

3, 4, 5 August: BYU Education Week was held in Richland.

7 August: The Deacons and their fathers had a party.

18 & 19 August: The Scouts had an outing to O’Sullivan Dam.

14 September: The Relief Society opening social was held with a fashion show from Robinsons of Richland. Several of the women in the ward modeled the clothes.

23 September: There was a stake building fund dinner. The Bishopric furnished the meal with the members paying $25 a plate. It was a very nice meal. There was a good turnout. Everyone was thrilled because it was such as success.

30 September: A Stake Beehive Standard Night was held.

21 October: The Young Marrieds met at Wayne Woodward’s home and from there went to Basin City to hear an explanation on the referendums for the 1972 election. Those that went felt they learned a lot to help them know how to vote.

28 October: The Laurel Standard Night was held at the Stake House. The girls heard some very good talks and had a real nice time.

28 October: There was a meeting for the Explorers and Adventurers with their fathers.

30 October: The members of the Ward supported the Bishopric’s desire to get the Ward corn harvested. 70 acres was harvested in one day.

31 October: There was an MIA Halloween Costume Party for all those MIA age and over. Everyone there had a spooky time.

10 November: There was a Stake Young Marrieds fireside with the theme “Temple Marriage.” It was a very spiritual meeting and everyone there felt blessed to be able to attend.

11 November: There was a Bi-Stake Dance held for the youth of the Stake.

29 and 30 November: The Stake MIA Family Theater presented “House Talk” at the Pasco Stake House. Everyone that attended thought it was presented very well.

2 December: There was a wedding reception for Susan and Danny Merrill.

7 December: The girls team tied in the Regional Volleyball tournament.

14 December: The youth of the ward held a dinner and dance to earn money so they could have a speaker come from the coast to talk on archeological findings to go along with the Book of Mormon. It was a real success. They made enough money.

Some callings during 1972:

Steven Cowgill, M-Men Representative to Stake

Jose Palomarez, Aaronic Priesthood teacher

Karl Eppich and Bart Mackay, counselors in Teacher’s Quorum
Timothy Davis, Secretary in Teachers Quorum

Kent Mackay, Junior Assistant Scoutmaster

David Davis, Assistant to Superintendent of YMMIA

Warren Mann, released as Farm Manager
William H. Robison, sustained as Farm Manager
Vern Records, Assistant Farm Manager

Scout Committee: Ross Warren, George Withers, George Herron, William H. Robison, Bonnie Robison, Paul Naef, Homer Gessel, Geraldine Merrill, James Hinsley

Patsy Cook, Assistant to YWMIA
Audrey Davis, Sunday School Teacher

Michael Merrill, Deacons Quorum President
Keith Baker, First Counselor Deacons Quorum
Paul Allen Herron, Second Counselor Deacons Quorum
Greg Powell Mackay, Secretary Deacons Quorum

Timothy Davis, Second Counselor Teachers Quorum

Ernest Baker, Max Bitton, Dennis Barrow were released from Elders Quorum Presidency.

Keith Callaway, Brian Johnson & George Herron were sustained as Elders Quorum presidency.

Colleen Ferguson, Sunday School teacher

Mark Roylance, Ward Clerk

Audrey Davis, Education Counselor, Relief Society

Bernice Ririe, released as Junior Sunday School Coordinator
Louise Merrill, sustained as Junior Sunday School Coordinator

Karlene Hope, MIA Chorister
Myra Gessel, Assistant Librarian

Brenda Perkes, Sunday School teacher
Dorothy Jenkins, Relief Society teacher
Lauanna Callaway, Sunday School chorister
Helen Warren, Primary Secretary
Gloria Woodward, Primary teacher
Bruce Anderson, MIA Teacher
Juanita Anderson, Primary teacher
Gayle Mackay, Relief Society teacher
Judy Barrow, Primary teacher

Marlow Mecham, Winfred Merrill and Reese Hope released as Sunday School presidency.

Robert Perkes, Terry Fox and Danny Merrill sustained as Sunday School presidency.

Photographs of Franklin County Properties

Instructions on how to use the Franklin County Assessor web site to view aerial photographs of properties.

Go to www.co.franklin.wa.us/assessor
Click Property Search
Click Property Records Search
Click I Agree

under Situs Search, type in % and road name, using rd for road
(example: %ELTOPIA WEST RD)
All the properties on Eltopia West Road will come up.

To see the church property, scroll down to 7750 Eltopia West Road. Go to the far right and click on Map.

Click I Agree.
Click Layers
Click Aerials
Click on box by Franklin
Click Refresh

(An 2007 aerial photograph of the church will come up on the screen.) You can then use the arrows to move to another spot or do a different search.


To see a picture of the front of the church, do the following:

www.co.franklin.wa.us/assessor
click Property Search
click Property Records Search
click I Agree
under Parcel Search, type in parcel number 123-030-077
Click Assessor Information
Go to bottom of screen.
Click Photos/Sketches

The Assessor’s office is glad to answer your questions. Their number is 509-545-3506.

Memories from Shiela (Johnson) McCary

In this fast-paced world we live in now, it’s fun to stop for a few minutes and remember a time long ago when life seemed so simple, peaceful and a whole lot slower. I remember being excited to have a few hours off in the day to ride our bikes to play with neighbor friends, swim in the ditch, and how we learned to swim in the canal.

I remember winter seemed to be so much colder and our bus ride to school wasn’t very warm and in those days we wore dresses to school but got to put pants under our dress if it was super cold.

One of my first memories was holding church at the Rigbys’ (Bishop Rigby’s house), then holding church at the Junior High in Eltopia. A fun adventure was going by ferry boat to Richland which was our stake.

I was baptized in Richland and remember my interview with Bishop Bleazard. He was always very kind.

We later held church in a barracks building while we were building the church house. At that time they had work missionaries come out to help. Of course, all the teenage girls thought that was pretty neat.

MIA was always so much fun. After we had class we usually always got to take the chairs that were set up for church down and we got to dance.

We also had great Saturday night dances (usually a lot of nonmembers came also). I remember Ferris Naef and Randy Ririe as being great dancers. Sundays were fun to have Sunday School and Priesthood Meeting in the morning with Sacrament Meeting at night so it was a time when you could invite your friend over for the afternoon and go back to church at night. I remember Sundays with Vicky Herron, LaDawn Naef, Sheri Adamson, Darla Robison.

One Sunday School teacher I remember was Melvin Cook. He had just got home from his mission. I also remember when he brought Patsy and introduced her to us. They impressed me as a couple. He was a great teacher.

We had a great softball team and thought it was really exciting to go to Walla Walla or Tri-Cities to play and going to A&W afterwards for a hamburger, fries and root beer, all for 50 cents. Some players were Sharon & Diane Gibbons, Deanna and Louanna Hope, LaDawn Naef, Vicky Herron, Judy Bitton, Brenda and I, and others.

As teenagers I’m sure we all got tired of working on our own farms and loved to go work on the church farm. We knew all our friends would be there. Working was one thing we all learned to do and I’m sure we all look at it as a blessing now we’re older.

I remember Testimony meetings and how most all the youth got up to bear their testimonies.

My parents Vaughn and Bardella Johnson were on a Stake Mission and taught Robert the lessons when we were dating and he was baptized. We have three sons and one daughter with 13 grandchildren. We’re at the age where you realize how fast time really goes!

I’m thankful for the chance to have grown up in Columbia Basin Ward with all the fun memories and to be a part of the pioneering as a teenager. I am most thankful for parents who were strong in the Gospel and set such a great example for me, my children and grandchildren.

Sheila McCary (Johnson)

Some deaths

Shirley Cheney Thomson, Rhoda Lee and Mary Norman have all died in the last several months.

Jessica and Lucas Thorne family

Ryan, Bob and Audrey Howard

Ryan, Bob and Audrey Howard in George and Jean Withers' home. Undated, but prior to 1999.

final post of pictures from Pasco Stake History

#3 from Pasco Stake History

#2 from Pasco Stake History

from Pasco Stake History published in 2008

Reprinted by permission from Pasco Washington Stake History published in 2008

Prepared for the 40th Anniversary of Pasco Washington Stake

from Pam (Johnson) Roylance

Pam (Johnson) Roylance

I remember the Primary music with Bonnie Robison leading. Bonnie made music come alive. That’s where I really learned how music helps build testimony.

I remember Gordon Mathews singing “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” That impacted my life.

Whenever Patsy Cook bore her testimony, she left a real impression on me.

from Cleo Mann

We moved from Connell WA to our farm on Elm Road in March of 1957. We rented a trailer from Doyle Mathews to live in. No Water or any plumbing. We did have electricity and the biggest sand pile in the world and lots of sage brush. Christine was 4, Kim 3, and Cheryl 6 weeks old. “But we had some land”.

We went to Church in the old Eltopia School House. We were so glad when they moved to the Church building out on the farm unit. We all worked on the Church farm to get us a new building. I remember thinning beets with Cheryl hanging on my back and Kim and Christine playing at the end of the rows.

I was Camp and Sports Director for years. It was fun after work, which we all had to work. “Oh, those sprinklers had to be changed”. We played softball. We had a team of 23 girls. We traveled to Connell, Basin City, Pasco, Kennewick, Richland, and Walla Walla. There were the Adamson girls, Robinsons, Rigby, Cheney, Bitton, Herron, Bleazard, Nelson, Baker, Asay, Gibbons, Withers, Woodard, Hopes, Naef, Merrill and two nonmembers the Vance girls all got to play, IF, they came to church and practice.

We had a Volkswagon (Beetle). I put 8 girls and myself in the car. We had 2 other cars full. I would tell Warren the meat loaf and baked potatoes were in the oven and away we would go. We won some games but I hope the Sportsmanship trophy was the most important.

We went on many camp trips to Idaho, Elgen, WA, Catherine Creek, Union, OR and Canada and Burbank WA on the Snake River. We took our boat and the girls got to water ski. Then things got tough and I had to go to work at the potato plant, which I did until we moved to Vancouver, WA in 1973.

Warren worked in the sugar factory every winter for 8 years at Moses Lake, WA. He drove 63 miles up and 63 miles home every day. We grew mostly all alfalfa and some wheat on the farm. He got a truck and hauled most of his hay to the coast. He was a Stake Missionary two different times.

The reason we moved was Warren’s asthma cleared up when he would bring a load of hay to the coast.

Christine graduated high school in Pasco and when we moved she worked in a sheltered workshop here in Vancouver. She is now retired and is still here at home with us. She enjoyed a bowling league for many years.

Kim, our son, left on his mission from CBW in November of 1972. He served in the Florida Tallahassee mission. He has 2 boys and 2 girls and 6 grandsons.

Cheryl has 1 son and twins (a girl & a boy). She served a mission in the Frankfurt Germany mission in May 1980.

Kim and Cheryl both live in the Vancouver area.

Warren worked for 5 ½ years in the plywood plant. In 1978 he had a stroke. That was 31 years ago. He hasn’t been able to work since the stroke.

When the Columbia Basin Ward building was being built we all helped feed the workers. One of the boys, Roland Harris lived with us for a few months. There was Jerry who was older and Hewey and of course the Asays. What great memories.

We are so thankful for being in the Columbia Basin Ward and all the memories.

Cleo

from Pam (Johnson) Roylance

Pam (Johnson) Roylance

I remember the Primary music with Bonnie Robison leading. Bonnie made music come alive. That’s where I really learned how music helps build testimony.

I remember Gordon Mathews singing “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” That impacted my life.

Whenever Patsy Cook bore her testimony, she left a real impression on me.

Sage, Sand and Fortitude - Part 4 (final excerpt)

Some class pictures from Eltopia School

Sage, Sand and Fortitude - part three

Memories from Jennifer (Bleazard) Graves

How can anyone who has lived in the Columbia Basin Ward, not have any good memories? Here are a few things that always come to mind when I think of good ol’ CBW:

- The annual 4th of July Breakfast. I feel that my 4th of July has never been complete since I moved out of the ward and do not get to attend the breakfast anymore.

- Mutual Activities: A service scavenger hunt, Road Show where I got to be a tree, skits, cooking. Most of all being with friends with the same standards.

- Some of my Young Women leaders: Tracy Gibbons, Geraldine Merrill, Judy Winebarger, Jan McGary and Joni Gibbons. I always look forward to seeing you when I come home for a visit.

- I remember being in sacrament meeting when Mt. Saint Helens blew and thinking, "Why does it look so dark outside this morning?" Then going outside and seeing all the ash.

- The endless chicken moves at the egg farm. Passing chickens down the aisles. Smelly work conditions. I think Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs would like to come see the fun at the egg farm.

- Bill Robison was my family's home teacher for a long time. I remember Tim asking him one time if he was going to give the long version or the short version of the lesson. I think it was always the short version after that thanks to Tim.

- Most of all I remember always hanging out with friends from the ward--the Bleazards (I know there was a plethora of us), the Howards, the Jenks, the Naefs, Stinsons, etc.

I always feel at home coming back to CBW. Thanks to everyone who helped me gain a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and live it.

Jennifer Bleazard Graves

excerpts from Sage, Sand and Fortitude - part two

excerpts from Sage, Sand and Fortitude - part two

A book titled Sage, Sand and Fortitude: Columbia Basin Recollections was published in 2004. It is a compilation of memories of people who have lived in this area. Some of the chapters are included below.

Perkes, Robert W. and Betty B.
Unit 128 Block 14

On June 10, 1958 we chose Unit 128 Block 14 to be our future. It was a very hot day. It was our second choice from Block 14 and Lower 18.

In October I moved a truck load of equipment to our new farm. When I arrived I had to drive around the place and look at it. I drove on the ditch bank which was not stable and tipped the truck over with two tractors, plow, disk, fuel tank, tool bar, and all the little equipment I could put on. I crawled out the side of the truck and was looking toward Melvin and Delma McAffee’s place as the McAffees were the only people we knew here at the time. The ditch rider had seen the truck tip over and came over and gave me a ride. I bought a house in Moses Lake and had it moved and set on cinder blocks.

In November we brought our family, Susan, Rex and Brenda. My sister Joyce came to help Betty. They both cried because they thought we were moving to the end of the earth. When we left Arco, Idaho, it started to rain and rained to Baker, Oregon. Then it changed to snow. It was the first snow storm of the season and the road was not plowed and we got stuck on the pass. When we arrived at the farm we were wet and cold and Brenda was sick. We parked the truck load of our few belongings under the garage part of the house and went down to the McAffees. We don’t know what we would have done without them; they helped us so much.

We applied and received a loan from FHA to develop and operate our farm. We hired Keith Stock to level our farm in the spring. I helped to cut the cost. We had all the experiences with no water, no telephone, dirt and dust, ditch breaks and sink holes in the field. In the spring of 1959 we drilled our well which is 585 feet deep.

We lived in the house on cinder blocks till the middle of the summer of 1959. Then we built a daylight basement under it. In the winter we enclosed the garage and made our living room and kitchen bigger. One of the experiences we had while the house was on cinder blocks, one night juts after we went to bed and asleep, Betty woke me and said the cows must be out and rubbing on the house. I jumped out of bed and went outside. The cows were not out and it was very still and beautiful. I came back in and told Betty she said something happened because the light hanging in the middle of the room was swinging back and forth. The next morning on the radio, it was telling about an earthquake in Yellowstone Park and it was the same time that our house shook.

The first year we planted 13 acres of barley with alfalfa. The rest of the place was planted to red and pinto beans. On the first of September the pintos did not have any beans on them and I told Betty I wasn’t going to water them any more, it was too late to make any beans this year, but Betty said I should keep the water on them a little longer. About the 15th of September the field man came to look at the beans. It was a wet, rainy, cold day and there were little beans all over the vines. I was really happy. We did not finish harvesting them till Thanksgiving. They were rained on and we didn’t get a very good price, but we paid our operating loan that year. Over the years we have grown many different crops: potatoes, sugar beets, sweet and field corn, clover seed, seed peas, and cottonwood trees for Boise Cascade, which we enjoyed very much. It was a challenge as they had never been grown under rill irrigation before. We think we did a good job of growing them for Boise Cascade, but Boise Cascade did not take the option to grow them again.

March 23, 1960, Robert Asa was born to us and passed away March 24, 1960. We did not know why he did not live, but later learned after the autopsy that Betty had been exposed to an excessive amount of radiation. April 24, 1961, Shirliann was born. On July 30, 1964, Randall Scott was born.

In 1964 we bought Farm Unit 155 Block 19 from Glen Ward and finished developing it. We moved lots of dirt and picked up lots of rocks. We sold it in 1990.

After our son Randy was in school, Betty enrolled in the nursing program at Columbia Basin College and received her LPN license with the highest state score in her class. Betty worked at Othello Community Hospital, Kadlec Hospital, Option Care, and taught Life Care skills in the Kennewick schools. When Betty decided to stop teaching, the State and the mother of one of her students approached her about taking care of David Vandyke. We decided to make our home a Foster Home and have two clients, David Vandyke and Gary McDonald. They have been in our home for about eleven years.

When we moved here there were a couple of things we agreed on. One was that if we didn’t like it we could move back in five years. Two was that we would build a new house. After five years we couldn’t leave, and when we were going to build a new house there were too many memories and the house was structurally sound so we decided to remodel, which we did in 1978 and made a beautiful home for us.

Susan married Kim Pauley, Rex married Sharlyn Underwood, Brenda married Raymond Koehler, Shirliann married Michael Namcheck and Randy married Sharon Campbell. We have ten grandchildren, one great-grandson and one great-granddaughter.

The only regret we have is that our children have been radiated and some of them have very bad health problems.


Rigby, William F.
Rigby, Joyce
Units 149 and 150 Block 16

I read about the drawing in the paper. I lived in Newton, Utah, and was a school teacher. I had served in the U.S. Air Force. I had been raised on a farm. My wife and I both had mixed emotions when we found out we were selected. We came together the first time. I chose my unit because it was the best I had to choose from. I was very excited when I saw the area. My wife was anxious to do anything to get out of Utah. There were six in our family with our four kids. The kids were 8, 6, 5 and 4. We didn’t have any backing. We borrowed and traded for equipment. We lived in Pasco for three months, then in a shed for a year. Our first crops were beans and alfalfa. I don’t remember what the land cost per acre, but it wasn’t given to me.

It took about a year or so before I really felt at home here, until we got our house finished. I don’t know how long it took my wife to feel at home. Our nearest neighbors were Ron Steele and D. J. Dodson. I don’t remember the first neighbor I met. For entertainment, we had church activities and PTA. On the 4th of July I remember celebrating at Art Purser’s farm on the river. Our children didn’t show at the fair. The best part of this area is the people. I can’t think of any worst part.

A family saying or slogan was:
Early to bed,
Early to rise,
Work like hell
And fertilize.

One character trait we developed in the Basin was patience. If one of my children came to me and wanted to go somewhere and homestead, I would probably agree with them. However, I would not do it again, all things being as they were then. FHA was too domineering.

It was a very enjoyable period of my life. All six of the kids are married. They live in various places of the world.


Ririe, Howard and Bernice
Children: Randall, Janeene and Kathy
Units 110 and 111 Block 14

We have been farming for over 50 years. We first came to the Columbia Basin in 1954 from Lewiston, Utah. We rented a farm in the Quincy area for the first five years. Then we were able to draw the farm unit on Glade North Road where we have lived since 1959.

Our nearest neighbors were Maynard Bailie and John Winebarger. At first it was very discouraging because of the high winds, blowing dust, hot summers and crop failures. Two years in a row all our farm was in beans. One year we lost our crop when high winds thrashed the beans in the windrow. The next year we were unable to harvest our beans because of excessive rain. Because we stayed in there through thick and thin, we finally came out on top and were happy we came to this area.

Things have really changed since we first came. There is much less blowing dust, modern machinery, less hand labor and better ways to irrigate our crops. We no longer have to stack hay manually but it is picked up with a harrowbed and stacked without touching a bale. Some crops have planters that plant seeds and no longer need thinning. We now have potato harvesters and beet harvesters and chemicals to kill the weeds.

Also, instead of living in machine sheds, trailer houses or basement houses, we now live in a nice modern house with modern conveniences.

Instead of being surrounded by sagebrush and weeds, lush crops are grown. Trees have been planted and we have nearby companies where we can market our crops.

Howard passed away recently.


Withers, George and Jean
Block 16 Unit 84

I was raised on a farm near Rexburg, Idaho. After serving in Army, I worked for my uncle who farmed and raised sheep. One day I heard of farms opening up in the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. They were to be awarded to World War II veterans according to a draw system. I had served during World War II mostly in New Guinea and the Philippines.

We had visited Jean’s cousin Keith Stock and Elaine their girls Bonnie and Deon prior to moving here. I put my name in for a farm. Jean was all for it. In recalling our move, Jean said, “As I moved up here, probably the hardest thing for me was to leave my parents and my family. I never thought that moving up here was a hardship because I had been raised with hardships during the depression. They didn’t seem like hardships at the time, it was just the way it was. We were happy. I never thought that I was a poor child.”

My name was drawn and a farm was offered. It wasn’t a very good farm (poor soil), so I rejected it and put my name in for a second draw. I was drawn again and was allowed to have Unit 84, Block 16, located at Eltopia, Washington. I felt it was a good farm, as it has proved to be over the years.

My Uncle Oliver Lee had been very good to me so it was a difficult decision to leave Idaho. Uncle Oliver told me he would sell my sheep when he sold some of his sheep in the spring and send me the money. So Jean and I packed up and used all the money we had to move to the Columbia Basin. We had two children, JoAnn age 4 and Cary age 3. We came out here in 1956 and we brought every possession we owned on a two-ton International truck. We parked the truck at Reese and Verna Hope’s place and plugged the deep freeze in to keep it frozen until we could find a place to live. We lived in a motel in Pasco for a couple of weeks and commuted back and forth to the farm.

I remember the first year we moved, it was 113 degrees the day we arrived and the daytime temperature never went below 100 for three weeks.

There was no house or well on the land. I was so poor that the FHA wouldn’t loan me any money. At the time I felt bad that FHA had turned us down, but it proved to be a blessing in disguise. I saved back $50 hidden in a sock until I could find a job so that I’d have enough money to buy gas to get home (back to Idaho) on. I had moved my family into temporary housing in Eltopia for the time being until we could build the house, and I went to work for the Bureau of Reclamation. With the money I earned and the sheep money Uncle Lee sent, we began building the basement home.

I started out farming with an 8N Ford with a 14-inch, one-bottom, two-way plow. It didn’t take a very wide swath; you had to sit there quite awhile to get any amount of ground worked. But I farmed 100 acres with that little tractor and put in my eight hours a day at the Bureau on top of that.

I hauled water to the house for the family’s needs from the Bureau well in Eltopia. We finally saved enough to dig a well. We just had enough to dig 100 feet. So we started digging and finally hit water at 92’. What a blessing running water was. We didn’t have any indoor plumbing. They had backhoes in those days, but we didn’t have the money to hire one of them. So I started to dig a septic tank and before I got done I had a septic tank and a drywell dug by hand below the basement in my house. Those holes were about 14 foot deep and about 10 or 12 foot wide. We didn’t have to worry about whether our trousers would go around our waist in those days. We had plenty of exercise to keep in good shape.

We didn’t have harrowbeds. When we got our hay baled, we hauled it in by hand and stacked it by hand.

One of our biggest treats in those days was to hear June Bitton and Cecil Barrow perform or Gordon Mathews sing to us. We used to have socials down at the Purser orchard in Ringold. Nobody had much money so we made our own fun. We were all close because we were all in the same situation.

It was a struggle for many. We never had places to sell our crops. I can remember Reese and Verna Hope had planted a bunch of potatoes. There wasn’t a processing plant in the country. They had to ship those potatoes to Chicago on consignment – nobody would buy them, just ship them and say, “I’ll take what you can give me.” Well, there are lots of crooks between here and Chicago and they never got anything for their crop. This was one of the trials we had to face. Oh, we could raise beautiful crops. It was like the Garden of Eden. You could get by with one little cultivation on a patch of sugar beets. There weren’t any weeds, only a Russian thistle or two, so it was easy farming, but it was hard to market our crops after we raised them. In later years when Mitch was selling sweet corn at the Pasco Farmer’s Market, I looked around at all the fruit and produce and realized this really is like the Garden of Eden.

We planted trees around the house and worked as fast as we could to finish the house before the weather turned bad.

Jean gave piano lessons to many of our neighbors’ children. She saved her money to buy furnishings for the home. She also worked in the fields, particularly in the potatoes.

In the November 1964 while I was working in the field, Jean came rushing out to meet me. She said to me, “How would you like to buy my Christmas present early?” I thought that was a good idea, so I left off my work, and Jean and I traveled to Othello where we got our first glimpse of our adopted son, Mitchel. He brought great joy to our family.

Eventually we were able to purchase two other farms. This additional land and a lot of hard work by the family provided us with a good life. I will always be grateful for my decision to move to the Columbia Basin, for all of our good neighbors and their friendships over the years. I hope our children appreciate the hard work and sacrifice we made in this goodly land.



Family Update:
Jean died in January 1993. George died in 1999. They are both buried in the Eltopia Cemetery.
JoAnn and Chuck Edler live in Los Banos, California. They have three children.
Cary and Mary Withers live near Eltopia, Washington. They have three children.
Mitch and April Withers live near Eltopia, Washington. They have six children.


Woodard, Clarence and Inna
Eltopia residents from July 1957 to June 1969
Children: Betty Lee and La Rae
Farm Units 43 and 44 Block 13

Clarence & Inna Woodard were living in Provo, Utah, and Clarence was working in construction, repairing equipment. They had farmed for many years in Utah and he yearned for another farm so in July of 1957, Clarence and Inna and their two daughters, Betty Lee and La Rae, took a trip to visit relatives in the Columbia Basin. They were going to visit a nephew, Bill Casper and his wife Joan, who lived in Mesa, WA, and a cousin, Zona Giles and her husband Guy, who lived in Othello, WA. On July 6, 1957 while staying with the Giles family in Othello, Bill Casper took Clarence and they went looking at farms. It happened to be Clarence and Inna’s 20th wedding anniversary that day. When Bill and Clarence returned, Clarence presented Inna with a brand new raw farm for an anniversary present. Inna was expecting to finish their vacation visiting her parents in California but instead they began moving to Eltopia. That summer Inna watered HIS farm with HER tears. It was two years later when they finally finished their vacation and traveled to California to see Inna’s family.

Clarence and Inna bought two units, Farm Units 43 and 44 Irrigation Block 13. Unit 43 was purchased from Cai Nyby and his wife Geraldine Nyby and Unit 44 from Jim Myers and his wife Jean W. Myers. (Upon finding the contracts, it looks like Erle T. Churchman and Blanche, his wife, bought the land from the U.S. Government on October 16, 1945, and later sold it to Mr. Nyby and Mr. Myers.) Churchman Investment Co. was the Broker when Clarence purchased the place. Since Clarence hadn’t been farming for a couple of years, he needed new and used farm equipment, which he bought from the Pasco area.

Raw ground was a challenge to Clarence. The first thing they did was get the electricity there and then drill a well. They owned a small 12 foot camp trailer which they lived in for the next several months. He built a nice garage which served as additional living quarters during that first winter while they started building their home. The winter was mild and he scrubbed the brush off this raw land and plowed, getting the ground ready for spring planting. Some of the crops he raised were alfalfa and beans. They built a cinder block home which they enjoyed living in until they sold their place in April 1969.

That first winter Betty Lee went back to Provo, Utah, to college and La Rae attended Pasco High School, graduating in 1958. La Rae was a Primary teacher for the L.D.S. Church during that time. Some of the students she had were: Kathleen Bleazard, Kathy Baker, Nancy Liston, Buzzy Nielson, David Shelton, Alden Taylor, Janet Bitton, JoAnn Withers and Barbara Sharp. During the summers, both girls helped on the farm. Betty married Orrin Smith in June 1959 making their home in Othello, WA, and is currently living in Cheney, WA. They have four children. La Rae worked at Hanford sharing rides with Geri Gammon and Enid Coltrin, attended BYU for one quarter, then worked at Tri-City National Bank for a short time. She was in Utah and California for the next year or so, then returned home and married Gary Martin. They had a baby boy, David. They later divorced and La Rae and David moved back to Eltopia with her parents for three years. While living at home she worked at Battelle Northwest at Hanford in Richland, then worked for West Coast/Air West Airlines for a year. She married Jack Poe, had three more children, and Jack and La Rae are currently living in Boardman, Oregon. La Rae remembers being friends with Sharon Merrill, Kathy Liston, Edie Roylance, Vivian Howe, Anne and Dennis Barrows, Charlotte and Judy Prefontaine, Deanne and Luanna Hope, George Bacon, Stan Briggs, Willy Stredwick, Pam Ferguson, Kathy Baker, Dick Fox, Bob Coltrin, Louetta & Wayne Monson, Mary Gessel, Ed and Curt Lee, Sharon Noble and Jan Meyers. (I’m sure there were others, it has just been too many years.) La Rae loved the farm in Eltopia, the “wide open spaces,” the Northern Lights, the smell of the newly mown hay and dancing. La Rae and her friends would turn on the radio and dance anywhere.

Most of Clarence and Inna’s entertainment was with their membership in the L.D.S. Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). When they first moved to Eltopia, the Church was meeting in the Eltopia School House. There were community dances held at the School building almost every Saturday night and some of the members would go early Sunday morning to clean it up and get it ready to hold Church meetings in. The Church then bought an old barracks building, moved it to the current location, and fixed it up until they built their new building. Betty Woodard and her husband, Orrin Smith, were the first to hold a wedding reception in the barracks building. Sharon Merrill and her husband, Al Collins, were the first to hold a wedding reception in the new building.

Clarence and Inna came to love Eltopia and the people there. George and Jean Withers were a great help and blessing to them. They had many wonderful neighbors during the twelve years they lived there. Boyd and Gayle Mackay, Ernie and Merle Baker, Hal and Ditto Kniveton, Winfred and Elaine Merrill of Merrill’s Corner Market, Howard and Bernice Ririe, Reese and Joan Risenmay, were just some of their wonderful neighbors. Clarence’s dad William Woodard and Clarence’s brother Lee and his wife Juanita lived in Eltopia for a short time. Clarence and Inna loved developing their new farm, the beautiful sunsets and the friendly neighbors in Eltopia.

It was while living in Eltopia that Clarence finally decided to make another dream come true – he wanted to fly! Since he didn’t believe in using anything that belonged to someone else, he first bought an airplane, THEN asked Wayne Mitchell to teach him how to fly. Did he ever love soaring around the skies! One night when he was returning from a flight the wind was blowing so hard that Inna tried to persuade him to stay where he was until morning. Like the obedient husband he was, he headed straight for home. When Inna saw him coming she ran out and turned on the air strip lights in time to watch him land crosswise on the strip and come to an abrupt halt the instant the plane touched down. Flying was not Inna’s favorite thing to do.

In 1969, Clarence had developed his farm, learned to fly, and wanted a new adventure, so they put their place up for sale. Hal and Ditto Kniveton bought the farm. Clarence and Inna moved back to Myton, Utah, for a few years, then bought a place in Ibapah, Utah, where they lived for seventeen years. After Clarence had a stroke and Inna had problems with her diabetes, they sold their farm in Ibapah, Utah, and bought a small farm next to their daughter, La Rae Poe, and her husband Jack, in Boardman, Oregon. Clarence passed away 5 January 1993 and Inna passed away 3 September 1998.

I, Betty, have great memories of Mom and Dad’s place in Eltopia. Since we lived in Othello, I would travel to Eltopia almost every week with my children to see my parents. I also remember the first time I saw the soil in the Columbia Basin, I thought it was bleached. The soil in the Uintah Basin, Utah, was quite red. I thought the Columbia River must be part of the ocean, it was so big. The canals here were much bigger than the rivers in the Uintah Basin. La Rae remembers the spectacular sunsets, the wonderful people and the exciting times in Eltopia.

Mom and Dad loved people. Nearly always, someone would be at their place, visiting, needing something repaired or bringing something to share with them. Dad loved helping his neighbors and it seemed Mom was always cooking. Anyone who came to their home was usually fed a big meal or at least goodies. Living in the Columbia Basin during those exciting formative years was truly a remarkable experience.



Woodbury, Bob and Claudia
Unit 274 Block 16

January 2001

I had been putting in for drawings in Idaho, Wyoming and Washington for two or three years before my name was drawn. Claudia and I and Dad and Mom came up in February 1955. My brother-in-law from Tulelake, California, came to look at the land with us. There were 12 to 15 farm units to pick from. I, Claudia, Dad, and Bill took a day with the Bureau of Reclamation representative showing us the farms to choose from. It was number four on the list for choice. The first three of our choices were taken so I took the number four unit of 120 acres, which is Farm Unit 76, Block 16. We met some of the people that became neighbors: Ira Hammons, Walt and Mable Mauseth, and Earl and Bert Halverson.

Claudia and I were interviewed by a panel consisting of a Bureau representative and two local farmers to see if we were eligible. We had to have some farm experience and assets of about $7,500 in cash and machinery.

I remember we had some very slick roads to drive going back home. We had about a month to make our down payment. Shortly after, Dad was killed in a tractor accident.

We moved from a small dairy farm in Granger, Utah. JoLynn was about three and a half years old when Claudia and I came here. Claudia was glad to move so we could get something of our own.

That fall, 1955, Claudia and I brought a tractor up to Washington. We had bought a 1946 Ford two-ton truck and a John Deere G tractor. We built a small building 14’x 20’ (the “black shack”) while we were up here. The spring of 1956 Mom sold her cows and no longer needed my help with the dairy. I was able to leave and we moved here. We brought a cow and a steer with us. Sure should have left them at home for they got away! I was scared to look for them because I didn’t know the laws up here. I looked for two or three days. A county deputy came by about two weeks later to let me know where they were. With no fences here they had got as far as Pasco – about 15 miles.

We staked the farm at 100 foot squares. A man from Soil Conservation Service took shots of it and figured the cut and fill for each field to balance the soil to fit. He gave us the cut-fill map and we put the ribbons on the stakes. A red ribbon marked the cut from the top of the stake; white ribbon was for the fill and measured from the ground up. As we leveled, we filled to the white ribbon.

I got a job with Stan Forest and leveled most of our farm and leveled a few others. It cost about $85.00 per acre to level plus the cost of water, seed, fertilizer, and other supplies like siphon tubes. So it didn’t take long to use up our money.

I think we got about 35 acres planted the first year: 10 acres in alfalfa, 25 acres in red beans. We came up with some pretty good hay and 32 bags of beans per acre.

It took about eight weeks to get electricity. We hauled water in ten-gallon cans for drinking and washing. Summer time was not too bad. We could go to the ditches and canals for baths. 1956 and 1957 we were either freezing in winter or roasting in summer. We had the water freeze in the middle of the room. I and Claudia had an electric blanket and JoLynn had a heating pad. We took rides in the car to get warm and used a coal stove for heat.

The second year we put in some beans and potatoes. Sold the potatoes on consignment, but only got a bill from the shed. It took most of the bean money to pay that. Hay was selling for $10.00 a ton so there wasn’t anything from that either. I remember getting down to a dollar and a half in the bank and was on my way to the bank for a loan so we could eat. We passed a hay buyer who paid us $800.00 for hay he had bought. We were so far behind that it sure did not take long before that was gone.

We started driving the school bus so we could eat. It paid $125.00 per month for nine months. I worked watering on a couple of farms and did some land leveling. That meant Claudia did a lot of the watering at home. JoLynn learned to set tubes very young and drove the tractor and truck, as did Jeff at a very young age.

Joe Schmidt came up for a visit in 1957. He helped me build a 16’x20’ room and a bathroom on the back of the room we had. Then we got water! Seven of us drilled a community well. So now we had a living room and a kitchen with heat in them. (Hog Heaven!)

In 1958 we got a loan from the Farmers Home Administration to add on to the house. We came up with three bedrooms and two baths—as it is now. When Jeff was first born he slept in his basket in the kitchen living room area until we finished. I think we moved into the rest of the house about Christmas time 1958, then finished up where we had been living as it had been just getting us by. I bought 30 more acres and some sprinklers.

Claudia started having health problems. We had no health insurance or life insurance because if you need it, no one will sell it to you. Open heart surgery was very costly. Friends and neighbors had some dinners and raised quite a lot of money for us. The surgeon knocked a lot off his bill. We were very thankful for all the help and support. It took three years to get the hospital bill paid. She passed away eleven months after the surgery.

Dorothy Ann and I were married in 1973. Jeff was about fifteen and JoLynn was going to college. Dorothy Ann’s daughter, Patty, married about three weeks after we did. She and Bill have two boys and two girls, and have a granddaughter and two grandsons.

JoLynn is a dental hygienist. Jeff and Sharon have a little girl, Nicole, who will be three years old in February.

We took out our old irrigation systems and put in two circles. It was hard to remove those concrete ditches as they took a long time and a lot of money to put them in.

We retired ten years ago and have leased the farm out since then. We have a very good renter.

In those early years we visited a lot with neighbors and had a lot of block meetings, dances, and picnics together. Merle Hornbaker and I refereed ball games at the Eltopia School and Little League baseball games. I drove the school bus when the kids played at other schools. Merle and Wayne Ehresman drove bus to the games, too.

Would I do this again? Yes. It was hard work and very dusty the first few years: light, sandy soil; planting and leveling; and the ditch breaks.

I am sure I have missed some very important things that happened, and a lot of funny things like chasing little pigs with no place to corner them.

Bob Woodbury


By JoLynn Woodbury


Life on the Farm

I was just over three years old when we moved to the farm from Grandfather’s dairy farm in Utah. I believe most important to me from farm life is the work ethics, values and just plain hard work. It was about 15 years ago when I was in Seattle and the realization that I am a country girl hit me. Currently, we are living on Samish Island, a rural neighborhood. Each trip to town is through farmland in Skagit County. It took a few years to educate Gary Storm (housemate of 14 years and a Seattle boy) about all the different farm implements and crops. Gary is now retired. He worked as a radio officer on ships – tankers traveling to ports all over the world. I am still working part time as a dental hygienist in Mount Vernon.

I had forgotten about the Bookmobile, until reading the Block 15 book, but what a pleasant memory, and a great source for summer reading. I was in the 4-H club, Country Cousins, which was started by Jan Messenger. It was a sewing club and some knitting, too. I still do some sewing, but more on a sock knitting kick now. Most of my grade school years were in Eltopia, with sixth grade in Mesa, then off to Connell for junior high and high school. I worked at Lamb-Weston in Connell during the summers of college years, the first year at Columbia Basin College, then the two-year program for dental hygiene at Yakima Valley College.

I have always lived in a windy place, and still get tired of the wind. The winter Valdez, Alaska, winds with blowing snow and cold seemed worse than the Eltopia winds. One winter morning in Valdez, all the people were tired, had not slept at all, as it was too quiet because the wind had stopped. Many nights, the garbage cans were rolling down the street. No farming in Valdez so no crops were blown out of the ground.

I would get so embarrassed when Dad had me hauling manure out to the fields. At times, returning from the fields, we would race the tractors on the road to the house. Greg Mauseth and I would ride our bikes looking for beer bottles to turn in for candy money.

I am very thankful for all the help, from the neighborhood, when my Mother was ill and medical insurance would not cover her genetic heart condition.