i. ARCHIE JAMES⁵ BEAMER, b. Abt. 1916, Oregon; d. 11 Mar 1988, Ocean Park, Pacific, Washington^185,186; m. ELIZABETH H BAKER, 20 Feb 1937, Walla Walla, Washington¹⁸⁷.

More About ARCHIE JAMES BEAMER:

Census 1: 1920, OR Umatilla Pct 15 Dist 153 Pg 85A(See Father)

Census 2: 1930, OR Umatilla Pct 15 Dist 22 Pg 77B(See Father)

More About ARCHIE BEAMER and ELIZABETH BAKER:

Marriage: 20 Feb 1937, Walla Walla, Washington¹⁸⁷

ii. LOIS ELAINE BEAMER, b. 06 Feb 1919, Oregon; d. 17 Nov 1991¹⁸⁸; m. WILLIAM HENRY FLETCHER; b. 03 Jul 1918, Enterprise, Wallowa, OR; d. 29 Jun 1999, Wasilla, Matanuska Susitna, Alaska¹⁸⁹.

Notes for LOIS ELAINE BEAMER:

Walla Walla Union Bulletin (Walla Walla, Washington) > 1974 > February > 24, page 122

WESTON – When Mrs. W. H. (Lois Fletcher of Enterprise read the Union-Bulletin’s "Horse Era" series, she recalled days of her youth on a farm near here in the same period.

What she recalled is also a tribute to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Beamer.

Two other children of the Beamers are Archie Beamer of Ellensburg and Mrs. Walt (Geraldine) Roloff of Milton Freewater.

"The past came before me in vivid recollection as I read the article in your paper during my lunch break" Mrs. Fletcher wrote the U-B editor. "The article on the Buroker family was most interesting and I remember the family name as there were Burokers attending school in Milton-Freewater where I was reared"

That was the introduction. What Mrs. Fletcher wrote about her childhood and her parents’ work in the Weston-Milton-Freewater community follows.

No one person enjoyed their youth, the tough times growing up and the happiness we all had anymore than I did.

A child of the depression, I never felt that our family was poor – just without money. We weren’t poor, because we were a complete family and had a mother and father who saw to it that we had much happiness… happiness in doing things together, worshipping together, picnicking together, working together, playing together, laughing together and weeping together.

As the Burokers, I too can remember my father selling his 22 head of mules for a Caterpillar. We all cried when the mules were taken from the ranch. Had we any money, I think we would have kept the mules too, just for sentimental reasons.

Without money we had to barter. Dad bought the tractor with the money from the sale of the mules. We traded wheat flour (by the barrel), sugar (by the 100-pound sack), beans and any and all staple goods. We dried, (tons of it, it seemed) of corn; canned 250-300 quarts of peaches and a near amount of other fruits and vegetables. These jobs wouldn’t have seemed too tedious but Mother was up before dawn to get Dad’s breakfast and have him to the barn by daybreak. She baked all the bread and pastries and heated water in a wash boiler for doing the laundry.

We, too, cooked for and bedded down from 2 to 30 hired men during the spring and summer months. Added to this were the city cousins whose parents always sent them to our farm so they wouldn’t run the streets during the summer months. I think we always had at least two under foot and helpless as … you know what!

On one occasion I can remember Mother making whipped jello with fruit and whip cream in a large porcelain dish pan in order to have enough for everyone. Well, the kids gulped their basic food down to get to the shipped jello. Would you believe – yes, I think you would—those kids left hardly enough dessert for the men in one helping.

Another remembrance is that of Dad borrowing all he could against several life insurance policies in order to have operating capital and make mortgage payments. He had lost what small amount of money we had two different times when the banks closed their doors… first in the bank at Weston, then at the Milton bank.

Several years later, Dad sought help from the Baker-Boyer Bank in Walla Walla. Naturally, they were a bit dubious, as most small farmers just couldn’t hold things together, feed a family of five and help feed and care for other relatives and friends who didn’t have enough to eat or wear.

Anyway, Mr. Baker passed by the ranch one day to talk with Dad regarding this sought-after loan. He found Dad taking apart, trying to overhaul and put the tractor back in running shape. Mr. Baker asked if Dad was a mechanic. Of course, the answer was "no, but where there is a will there is a way."

Dad got the loan and Mr Baker felt Dad would stick with anything, no matter how tough and he always did. Dad not only got the loan, he succeeded in holding onto his land during the depression and became a very successful wheat rancher, as well as a purebred Hereford rancher.

We Kids, a brother older and a sister younger than I, never knew the sleepless nights our folks must have endured in order that their children would become the successful and commendable citizens they are today. We have them to thank for any happiness or success we have had because of the sound religious background and the stern but fair discipline by which we were reared.

We three wanted to go to college, so we had to pitch in and raise some kind of extra crop which could be harvested, netting us money for tuition, books, etc. As well as working in the cannery, I raised grass seed and one year netted around $850 to put me through one year of school.

I am sure we all knew what a dollar was and am sure of another thing; the dollar went farther than it does now!

If I recall right, my Dad held down three jobs and carried out his ranching operation while we kids were in college, to say nothing of Mom driving the school bus for discounted warrants instead of money. Dad surveyed, worked at the ASC office in Pendleton, leased timbered land and cut wood to sell.

Dad became manager of the ASC office in Pendleton where he worked for 27 or 28 years he was voted Oregon’s Conservation Man of the Year in 1952 for "practicing what he preaches," as they stated in newspapers at the time.

Dad was president of the Eastern Oregon Wheat League in 1945-46 and served as a board member of the Federal Land Bank for several years.

Mom was an outstanding woman in her community: advisor to Camp Fire; received the Outstanding Service award in the Oregon Federation of Women’s Clubs for her service to the Women’s Improvement Club in Milton-Freewater for over 45 years and the same in the Saturday Afternoon Club in Weston for over 50 years. In 1967 she was chosen queen of the Umatilla County Pioneer’s Reunion, at Weston.

People wonder why my Dad doesn’t have hobbies such as rock-collecting, golf, tennis or whatever. He never had time – but, I’ll bet he would have enjoyed each he might have chosen. His ranching and success have been his whole life. He loved every pinch of soil on every inch of that ranch and would still like to be on his late model machinery readying everything for the harvest.

Ill health had necessitated the sale of the ranch, but my parents have retained the home and several acres, so Dad could raise a few Herefords for his enjoyment.

More About LOIS ELAINE BEAMER:

Census 1: 1920, OR Umatilla Pct 15 Dist 153 Pg 85A(See Father)

Census 2: 1930, OR Umatilla Pct 15 Dist 22 Pg 77B(See Father)

More About WILLIAM HENRY FLETCHER:

Census 1: 1920, OR Wallowa Pct 3 ED 198 Pg 11A(See Father)

Census 2: 1930, OR Wallowa Enterprise ED 4 Pg 3A(See Father)

45. iii. GERALDINE BEAMER, b. 19 Jul 1920, Weston, Umatilla,OR; d. 19 Oct 1981, Milton-Freewater, Umatilla,OR.