Blast from the past: Laura Jean Hevel was first city council woman

WAITSBURG – Dr. Roger Hevel and his wife, Laura Jean, have been cornerstones of the Waitsburg community for decades. Laura Jean, who passed away in December, at the age of 93 was always ready to greet a neighbor with a warm smile and a kind word. She was also a strong community activist and philanthropist.

While looking through past city council minutes, City Manager Randy Hinchliffe recently ran across these minutes from July of 1971. In them, Laura Jean was unanimously nominated to city council to fill a seat vacated by Joe Abbey.

"Mrs. Hevel will be the first council woman to serve the city," state the minutes, prepared by then-clerk Joan Hays.

The Hevels met in Pendleton, Ore. where they attended second grade together and were going steady by junior high. The couple had two children and moved to Waitsburg in 1953 where Dr. Hevel practiced medicine for forty years. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary surrounded by friends and family at Waitsburg Town Hall in March of 2017.

"The Hevels came to town 10 years before we did and they just took us under their wing, having us over for dinner and introducing us to everyone," said Anita Baker. "And we weren't the only family they did that for. I watched them do the same for other newcomers over the years," she added.

After serving on the Waitsburg City Council for two years, Laura Jean went on to serve 23 years on the Waitsburg Planning Commission. She was a member and served as chair on the Weller Library Board, was a member and past president of the local P.E.O. chapter, was an Eastern Star member, was a member and past president to the Auxiliary to the Walla Walla Valley Medical Society. She was also Mother Advisor to the Rainbow Girls. She sang in the Presbyterian Church choir for 50 years and was an avid historian.

She and Dr. Hevel felt strongly about the importance of children learning how to swim and originated a grant in 2007 that continues to make swimming lessons free to Waitsburg residents. They were the sole funders of the grant for many years.

In 2018, a total of $14,926.99 was distributed to support Waitsburg recreation, civic, religious and education efforts from funds established at the Blue Mountain Community Foundation by Dr. and Laura Jean Hevel.