We spent Memorial Day weekend in Dayton, a tiny town in southeastern Washington. Mark was born in Dayton, and Sarah and Jake were born there as well, prior to our family's move to Oregon in 1981. This visit was to celebrate the life of Mark's mom, and to reintroduce our kids to some of the sites of the area. Beka and Chris had never been there before, so it was fun to show them the town and the places where their spouses had their beginnings.
The route to Dayton from our house takes one along the Columbia River Gorge, where the scenery is breathtaking. The water was very calm and the clouds were spectacular.
Once in Dayton, we met up with Mark's sister Nancy and other relatives at the city cemetery. Nancy and her husband Roland had brought the stone for Margie's grave with them from Seattle. The cemetery workers had pre-dug the hole for the urn, but it was up to us to bury the urn and set the stone. In the picture above, Mark's cousin Bill and his cousin Vicki's husband Randy are digging out the recessed area where the stone will be placed. The stone is on a hand truck in the foreground, waiting to be set in place. It weighed 350 pounds, so we really appreciated all those who helped with the process.
Nancy is holding the wooden urn with Grandma's dates etched on the top. It was very beautiful.
After placing the urn in the hole, we all took turns placing shovelfuls of dirt in the hole. Mark's Aunt Marilyn awaits her turn, while Mark places his shovelful in the grave.
After the stone was set in place, Nancy and cousin Bill fill in the edges with sod to make it look so nice.
We then placed flowers around the spot to make it look nice for the service the next day.
Not only was this Memorial Day weekend, it was also Dayton Days, which is the town's annual celebration. We went to the parade on Saturday morning, staking out our places in front of the county courthouse.
There were lots of horses, and lots of rodeo queens and princesses.
And, of course, the Dayton High School marching band.
After the parade, we drove all around the town, taking the kids on a tour of places important to the family history. This building used to house the pharmacy of J.C. Dorr, an early pioneer in Dayton (1831-1892). He was a "drug dealer" who owned "J.C. Dorr & Co., Dealers in Drugs and Chemicals, Proprietary Medicines, Fine Perfumery and Druggest's Sundries!" An ad we have from the 1890 Dayton Chronicle states that the business was located on Dantzscher's Brick, Court House Block, Dayton, Washington. "Physicians' and Family Prescriptions Carefully Compounded," reads the ad. J.C. Dorr came out west in 1850 as a teenager from Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, to the California Gold Rush. He had seminary training, was a mortician, a coffin builder, a physician, a judge, and a California legislator from northern California before moving his family to Dayton in the 1880s. At the time, Dayton was the third largest city in Washington, with about 10,000 people, and was considered as a possible site for the state capital. Today it has a population of only 2,500 people.
Next it was on to the house where Mark's grandparents lived. They built this house after Grandpa Dorr returned home from serving in World War I, and it cost them $3,000 to build!
We went to the Dayton train Depot, too, and took the grand tour.
One of the items on display in the depot was this typewriter, which, we were told, had no shift key to make capital letters. Instead, it had separate keys for all the lower case and all the capital letters.
What made the typewriter so fun was the sign beside it. This machine was donated to the depot by Mark's grandmother and her three sons. George was Mark's dad. How often do you visit a museum and see something that was donated by your family? That was so cool!
Next we went to the elementary school where I taught first grade before Sarah was born. We're looking in the window of my former classroom.
And of course, the kids had to check out the playground!
Here is the church we attended when we lived in Dayton. It was known as First Baptist Church then, but is now called Community Bible Church. Before the kids were born, I also served as the church secretary here. Good memories!
Next we drove out to the country to see the sights. You might not know that most of the recipes that Mark cooks here at home are titled after places in Dayton, mostly Jasper and Hogeye. He makes Jasper Hogeye bread, Jasper Hogeye chowder, and Jasper Hogeye pancakes, to name a few. Here is a picture of a road sign in Dayton - proof to our kids that these places really exist!
The Navigation system in our new car proved helpful - here it shows the way to the family cabin at Hompegg Falls in the Blue Mountains, where we spent the nights this weekend.
On Sunday it was time to honor Grandma. Mark led the graveside service which preceded the memorial service at the church. He read some scripture, and Jake prayed.
Roland, Nancy, Kris, and Ben
Chris, Sarah, Beka, Jake, Mark, Jo, Hannah
Mark, Fred, Jo
The banner on the wall at the church where the service was held. The service was very nice. Pastor Greg Brownell gave a wonderful message, songs were sung, and Mark and Jake shared special memories. It was also gratifying to have so many people attend to honor Margie and to support the family.
The barns at Mark's Uncle Bud and Aunt Marilyn's place.
When we lived in Dayton, we lived in several places, but lastly in the country. Our chickens were kept in this shed, and Mark made a sign for their house which said "Chicken Hilton." Over the years since we moved away, the place has fallen into some disrepair, but the building and the sign remain.
Mark painted an old saw for his Uncle Bud, depicting the barns on the old home place, completing it this weekend. Here Bud holds the saw after receiving it from Mark.
Last, but not least, here is a picture of the ultimate souvenir from Dayton - a clucking chicken, which makes its obnoxious noise when you clap. Oh, it also clucks when you close the door, when you close the microwave, and when you take its picture. Fortunately, Mark took it to his classroom this morning, so perhaps we won't have to listen to it anymore. Good luck, Mark, keeping all of your middle schoolers from making it cluck CONSTANTLY!
The route to Dayton from our house takes one along the Columbia River Gorge, where the scenery is breathtaking. The water was very calm and the clouds were spectacular.
Once in Dayton, we met up with Mark's sister Nancy and other relatives at the city cemetery. Nancy and her husband Roland had brought the stone for Margie's grave with them from Seattle. The cemetery workers had pre-dug the hole for the urn, but it was up to us to bury the urn and set the stone. In the picture above, Mark's cousin Bill and his cousin Vicki's husband Randy are digging out the recessed area where the stone will be placed. The stone is on a hand truck in the foreground, waiting to be set in place. It weighed 350 pounds, so we really appreciated all those who helped with the process.
Nancy is holding the wooden urn with Grandma's dates etched on the top. It was very beautiful.
After placing the urn in the hole, we all took turns placing shovelfuls of dirt in the hole. Mark's Aunt Marilyn awaits her turn, while Mark places his shovelful in the grave.
After the stone was set in place, Nancy and cousin Bill fill in the edges with sod to make it look so nice.
We then placed flowers around the spot to make it look nice for the service the next day.
Not only was this Memorial Day weekend, it was also Dayton Days, which is the town's annual celebration. We went to the parade on Saturday morning, staking out our places in front of the county courthouse.
There were lots of horses, and lots of rodeo queens and princesses.
And, of course, the Dayton High School marching band.
After the parade, we drove all around the town, taking the kids on a tour of places important to the family history. This building used to house the pharmacy of J.C. Dorr, an early pioneer in Dayton (1831-1892). He was a "drug dealer" who owned "J.C. Dorr & Co., Dealers in Drugs and Chemicals, Proprietary Medicines, Fine Perfumery and Druggest's Sundries!" An ad we have from the 1890 Dayton Chronicle states that the business was located on Dantzscher's Brick, Court House Block, Dayton, Washington. "Physicians' and Family Prescriptions Carefully Compounded," reads the ad. J.C. Dorr came out west in 1850 as a teenager from Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, to the California Gold Rush. He had seminary training, was a mortician, a coffin builder, a physician, a judge, and a California legislator from northern California before moving his family to Dayton in the 1880s. At the time, Dayton was the third largest city in Washington, with about 10,000 people, and was considered as a possible site for the state capital. Today it has a population of only 2,500 people.
Next it was on to the house where Mark's grandparents lived. They built this house after Grandpa Dorr returned home from serving in World War I, and it cost them $3,000 to build!
We went to the Dayton train Depot, too, and took the grand tour.
One of the items on display in the depot was this typewriter, which, we were told, had no shift key to make capital letters. Instead, it had separate keys for all the lower case and all the capital letters.
What made the typewriter so fun was the sign beside it. This machine was donated to the depot by Mark's grandmother and her three sons. George was Mark's dad. How often do you visit a museum and see something that was donated by your family? That was so cool!
Next we went to the elementary school where I taught first grade before Sarah was born. We're looking in the window of my former classroom.
And of course, the kids had to check out the playground!
Here is the church we attended when we lived in Dayton. It was known as First Baptist Church then, but is now called Community Bible Church. Before the kids were born, I also served as the church secretary here. Good memories!
Next we drove out to the country to see the sights. You might not know that most of the recipes that Mark cooks here at home are titled after places in Dayton, mostly Jasper and Hogeye. He makes Jasper Hogeye bread, Jasper Hogeye chowder, and Jasper Hogeye pancakes, to name a few. Here is a picture of a road sign in Dayton - proof to our kids that these places really exist!
The Navigation system in our new car proved helpful - here it shows the way to the family cabin at Hompegg Falls in the Blue Mountains, where we spent the nights this weekend.
On Sunday it was time to honor Grandma. Mark led the graveside service which preceded the memorial service at the church. He read some scripture, and Jake prayed.
Roland, Nancy, Kris, and Ben
Chris, Sarah, Beka, Jake, Mark, Jo, Hannah
Mark, Fred, Jo
The banner on the wall at the church where the service was held. The service was very nice. Pastor Greg Brownell gave a wonderful message, songs were sung, and Mark and Jake shared special memories. It was also gratifying to have so many people attend to honor Margie and to support the family.
The barns at Mark's Uncle Bud and Aunt Marilyn's place.
When we lived in Dayton, we lived in several places, but lastly in the country. Our chickens were kept in this shed, and Mark made a sign for their house which said "Chicken Hilton." Over the years since we moved away, the place has fallen into some disrepair, but the building and the sign remain.
Mark painted an old saw for his Uncle Bud, depicting the barns on the old home place, completing it this weekend. Here Bud holds the saw after receiving it from Mark.
Last, but not least, here is a picture of the ultimate souvenir from Dayton - a clucking chicken, which makes its obnoxious noise when you clap. Oh, it also clucks when you close the door, when you close the microwave, and when you take its picture. Fortunately, Mark took it to his classroom this morning, so perhaps we won't have to listen to it anymore. Good luck, Mark, keeping all of your middle schoolers from making it cluck CONSTANTLY!
