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Just my cup of tea

Originally ran in the July 15, 1971 edition of the Illinois Valley News

The Pullen families on the Holland Loop and Dick George Road have recently had friends and relatives visiting them. Mr. and Mrs. Myron Wright and son Danny visited Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Pullen and Sharon. While there they stayed in Wilma Pullen’s trailer. Myron Wright bought 15 acres from Clifford and has started a tree farm. Visiting the Melvin Pullens and other members of the family were cousins Robert and Marilyn Pullen and their 3 boys and 2 girls. Also recent visitors of Clifford and his family were Norman and Ardell Moore and their 4 children from Albany. There is a fun time coming, beginning July 17 and lasting for a week when all of the cousins, nieces and nephews have been invited to camp out on the Clifford Pullen place -that is, the children and young people have been invited – not the parents. Entertainment planned is swimming, walks through the woods, storytelling and lots of bike riding.
Mr. and Mrs. John Rossiter, Holland Loop, had a busy and enjoyable Fourth. Their son and daughter-in-law Wesley and Joyce and 2 daughters from Arcata visited 5 days. While here they also visited Joyce’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Everett Cox in Cave Junction. Another son Johnnie, his wife, and little daughter Kim from Rio Linda, Calif. visited his parent’s from July 2 to 6. John and Pearl, son Johnny, his wife Helen, and son Billy went to Canyonville Sunday to attend the wedding of John and Pearl’s grandson Robert, his bride was Carol McGinnis. The young couple plan to make their home near Winston. Other company of the Rossiters were John’s sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Ted McCall of Eureka. They were here until Thursday. Mrs. McCall also spent part of the time with her sister, Mrs. Alton Sowell. Except for the time Pearl took off to attend the wedding, she entertained her company and supervised and cared for the boys at the Boys’ Farm Home.
After writing about the old time Fourth of July celebrations, several phone calls have been received from interested people and from some who attended the picnics about 55 years ago. Phayo also tells me that there were humorous and near tragic incidents also. On one occasion the Valley people were sharply split on the choice of young ladies for the role of “Goddess of Liberty.” Many ideas were given including this question, “whoever heard of a red headed Goddess of Liberty?” As Phayo remembers it there was a red headed Goddess of Liberty that year. Another incident that is remembered is when two slightly inebriated young men decided to play William Tell. There was no convenient bow and arrow, so a 22 rifle would do. Also apples were not yet in season that early in the year, so perhaps the bottle they had just emptied would be a good substitute. With that target on one of the fellow’s head, the other shot from about 20 feet – a perfect shot with the bottle shattered. “Now it is your turn to shoot, and the bottle is to be on my head,” said the other. It was decided to use the thick deeply indented end of the bottle for the target this time. But the shot was high and followed the curvature of the bottom, imbedding the 22 short next to the scalp. With a cry, “I am shot,” the game of William Tell ended. “Put your head between my knees,” the other commanded, and whipping out his pocket knife, quickly removed the bullet, which surprised the man who had just been shot. Yes, there could have been a tragic ending instead of a humorous one.
I enjoyed an afternoon’s visit with Mr. and Mrs. Neal Ferguson, Holland Loop Road. Mrs. Ferguson, whose maiden name was Arlene Coates, was born in Woodville, but lived near Holland on the J.D. Griffin Ranch in Bear Creek Valley, near The evening of July 14 will be remembered by all of the people who stay in the Kerby Trailer Park as a time of fun and friendship. Milo and Manka Mladyovsky, owners of the park, invited them and their guests to a barbeque, and about 75 attended. There were guests there from states as far as Florida and seven nationalities were represented. Food to please everyone was served, including American favorites. Hungarian and Czechoslovakian dishes. Milo and Manka hope to have another barbeque next month.
The Mladyovsky’s youngest son, who is a doctor at the University of Utah, his wife Gail, and their two daughters Sarah and Michaela, are coming to visit July 23. They will be accompanied by Gail’s father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Gardman. Gail has been attending the University of Utah, recently received her Masters Degree in History and English and is now working on her BA Degree.
Kjeld and Evelyn Grimsgaard have had company from Los Angeles this week, Mrs. Claire Bannasch. She likes to come to the Valley because the people are so friendly and the scenery so beautiful and peaceful. During her stay she visited Mrs. William Burch, Mr. and Mrs. Dave Wilson, Mrs. Agnes Oliver, and had tea at Forest Lodge with Evelyn and Fern Markham.
Phayo Pfefferie, his sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Earl McLeish of Medford, went to Brookings Sunday for a reunion of Brookings school students of the 1920’s held in Azalea Park. More than 80 former students, their husbands or wives, and several teachers who had taught there during the 20’s were present. Former students came from most of the Western States and the guest book registered such cities as Bakersfield, Riverside, Berkeley, Tacoma, and Medford and Cave Junction, of course.
Last Saturday afternoon my niece Edith, and her husband Richard Gardner of Artesia, California, greeted me with their children, son Russell and foster children, Terry, Louella, Carol, Roberta and Bobby. This is Louella’s first visit. Edith is the daughter of Osmond Henry, Rockydale Road. They set up their camp on property they bought three years ago on the Illinois River near O’Brien. They have lived in Artesia for many years, but hope to make the place on the river in Illinois Valley their retirement home.
July 6, visitors arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Cheney, Hummingbird Lane. Their daughter, Mrs. Allene Young, drove Mrs. Cheney’s sister, Mrs. Bea Denton of Shawnee, Oklahoma, from Sunnyvale where she had been visiting, after spending some time in Southern California. They were accompanied by Mrs. Cheney’s brother Harvey Kelley from San Jose. Allene and Harvey had to return home but Mrs. Denton has stayed for a longer visit.