PIONEER PORTRAITS

10 Years Ago

March 13, 2014

Frank Reser taught in Prescott for "many years" before retiring in Waitsburg where he spends his days driving bus, playing local handyman and, most recently, creating unique wine barrel furniture. Reser is donating a barrel stool and table set to the silent auction that will take place during the upcoming Waitsburg Elementary Home and School carnival fundraiser. A commitment to children and community runs in the family. Sons Clint and Kurtis are both teachers, as is his daughter-in-law Sarah, and brother- and sister-in-law, John and Dinah Lindsey. Frank's wife, Judy, has cared for many local children in the in-home daycare she operated for many years. With two grandchildren in elementary school, Reser is glad to use his talents to continue supporting local teachers and students.

25 Years Ago

March 11, 1999

[Photo caption] The Waitsburg Cardinals were all smiles while being applauded by community supporters after their third-place finish last Saturday in Spokane. After a heartbreaking 42-36 loss in the semifinal game against the eventual state champs Wilbur-Creston, the Waitsburg Cardinals bounced back to dispatch the Napavine Tigers 47-39 and clinch third place in the State B girls' tournament. Waitsburg trounced Pe Ell 74-55 in the first-round game March 3 and smothered Seattle Lutheran 60-30 on March 4 to earn a spot in the Friday semi-final round against W-C, a team that had finished second behind Ritzville in the previous two tournaments.

50 Years Ago

March 14, 1974

Waitsburg Students presented an enjoyable production of "Cheaper by the Dozen" to an appreciative audience on Thursday evening, March 7. Larry Ketcherside did a fine job as Mr. Gilbreth, the time-study engineer who conducted his household on a factory efficiency schedule, complete with whistle and stopwatch. Peggy Baker played a believable Mrs. Gilbreth, and the dozen children (less the three who existed in an imaginary upstairs as babies) were humorously played by Pat Sharpe, Jerry Smith, Lonnie Mesick (a six foot eight-year old), Robin Hutsell, Tony Henderson, John Kenny, Krista Archer, Laurie McCaw and Susie Danforth.

75 Years Ago

March 18, 1949

Fire broke out in the basement of the Palm Club abut 10:20 Sunday evening, destroyed two refrigerator motors and the floors and smoked the entire building.

Seeding of sweet clover by plane is quite general this week and planes can be heard throughout the area as this work progresses.

H.D. Conover is celebrating his 90th birthday on Sunday, March 27 when Mr. and Mrs. Conover will hold open house from 2:30 to 5:30 to their friends on that day. Their daughters, Mrs. F.P. Kinder of Seattle, and Mrs. H.G. Humphrey of Yakima will be present.

100 Years Ago

March 21, 1924

A.S. Dickinson of the hardware firm of Dickinson-Shaffer is the new president of the Waitsburg Merchants Association having been elected presiding officer at the annual meeting Wednesday. Roland Allen was selected vice president and J.F. Kershaw was re-elected secretary-treasurer.

Mr. And Mrs. Emerson Woods entertained at dinner Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. C.R. James and two children, Elizabeth and Donivan, and Mr. A.C. Dexter of Seattle, who spent the day here before going to Walla Walla in the evening.

125 Years Ago

March 24, 1899

This office is under obligations to Mr. A.W. Philips, one of Coppei's most prosperous farmers. Mr. Philips has a fine young prune orchard and last season purchased an evaporator and disposed of his entire crop himself. That he did a good job at evaporating we can testify. His prunes are superior to any others on the market.

Mrs. F.M. Scott now rides a new ideal wheel. That is, we mean, she rides part of the time.

D.H. Harris one of our prominent farmers, made this office a pleasant call on Monday. He informed us that fully half of his fall wheat will have to be resown. Mr. Harris is a heavy stockholder in Republic mining stocks and is just now much elated over the reported rich strikes in that section of the state.