Otto D. Upton

Otto D. Upton was born the 31st of May 1890 in Spring Creek, Warren County, PA.  He was the third of five children of James Monroe Upton and Ellen Augusta (Nellie) Carter. 

He lived in Spring Creek and attended school through the 8th grade.  Shortly thereafter he left his family and headed to the Pacific Northwest.

He worked in lumber camps in Washington and as a milkman in Portland, Oregon where he met Margaret Elsie Greenwell.  They married on the 29th of October, 1913.  

Otto was the proud father of three girls, Margaret, Ellen, and V'Ona. 

His work career including working as a dairy farmer, running a sawmill, co-owning a lumber company in partnership with Mr. Williams...

and as in independent logging contractor.

The Log Scale book was one of the important tools of his trade.  And before heading up to the woods for a picnic with family on the weekend, all the log scale tickets were meticulously recorded. 

He was happiest in the woods both for work and for pleasure.  He suffered a severe stroke in the early 1950's and spent the last years of his life in a care facility in Portland, Oregon.

We Remember

This weekend we take time to remember family near and far...

This is the stone marker for the McAdam family.

They are buried in the Blooming Prairie Cemetery.

Hamilton, Thomas, Mathew, and Mary are all in a row each with a simple flat marker with their name, dates and relationship.

Memorial Day traditions remain strong in this small town.  As per The Post Bulletin, "The Blooming Prairie American Legion and VFW posts will serve coffee and cookies at 9 a.m. Monday at the Servicemen's Club. A parade will follow at 10:30 a.m. at Prairie Manor Care Center and will proceed along 3rd Street to Center Avenue to Main Street and east to First Ave. S.E. to 3rd street S.E., east to Highway 28, then south to the cemetery. The ceremony at the cemetery will begin at 11 a.m. and there will be a potluck at the Servicemen's Club afterward. 

Also in the cemetery are Albert Ingvalson and Agnes McAdam Ingvalson.

Other member of the McAdam family including Tom and Rob are buried in the St. Columbanus Catholic Cemetery.

Botanical Specimens - Pansies - 1928

Pansies - Botanical Specimen

Pansies - Plant Description

Pansies

Tuesday Farmers' Market

On Tuesday my sister and I braved grey skies and went to the Tuesday Lane County Farmers' Market ... to look ... and to eat!  Though smaller than the Saturday Market, there was still a nice variety of vendors.

Produce Vendors

and more Produce Vendors

and Flower Vendors.

Also three interesting food vendors.  The always great Field to Table, Cousin Jack's Pasty Company, and new to us, Caramel's French Patisserie.  Ironically, my sister's French teacher came by and was thrilled with Caramel's.  She bought madeleines and meringues which she shared with us!  I will have to try the Chocolate pot de creme sometime.  I ended up getting a couple of smoked salmon pasties at Cousin Jack's - yummm!

Botanical Specimens - Camas - 1928

"The starchy bulbs of the camas lily plant were collected mostly by Northwest Coast Indians of Cape Flattery, California; the Nez Perce of Idaho as well as those of Pitt River; and the Plateau Indians in parts of Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana. The bulbs were second only to salmon in importance in their diet. Each spring the meadows of the Northwest were covered with the blue flowers of the camas. The tribes went looking for them in early spring, an activity that involved the entire village. When the blossoms withered, the women dug out the bulbs and twisted the roots from the ground with willow digging sticks. The bulbs were eaten raw, roasted or pulverized into flour and made into cakes that were then boiled. In pressed form, camas kept for a year or more. Camas bulbs were also often baked in pits lined with flat stones. A fire was made in the bottom, and after the stones got hot, the ashes were removed, and the pit lined with green leaves and then partially filled with bulbs that were covered with more leaves and earth. After about thirty-six hours, a kind of sweet taste and became the focus of many community feasts and festivals. The gathering and preparation of camas continued to link groups like the Nez Perce to their traditional food ways long after they were relocated to a reservation."

Berzok, Linda Murray. 2005. American Indian Food. Food in American History. Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut

Camas - 1928

Camas - Plant Description - 1928

Buttercups and Camus - May 2009

We have a small stand of camas, in the shady meadow near our mailbox.  There is a much larger stand of camas and buttercups in a sunny meadow about 1/2 a mile from our house. 

Margaret Waning - Summer 1953

Margaret Waning with Debbie Lundhom

Posting this photo just because! 

I think it is a super picture of Grams!

Montana Schoolboys - 1923

Ellery Bright on left - James Waning and Tommy (the horse) on right

21st century parents worry about their young children's safety riding bicycles to school.  In rural Montana in 1923, a couple of eight year old boys rode their horses to Porcupine Creek School - in the winter - without adult supervision.  Perhaps they were more adventurous and responsible given the independence and freedom they were allowed.   

The Prom

Barbara and Charles - May 1956

Sandie and Jack - May 1962

Connie - May 1966

 

Edward - May 1980

Kierstyn - May 2010

Botanical Specimens - Cat's Ears - 1928

I've always called this wildflower Cat's Ears, because that's what Gramps called them.  They "hide" really well before they bloom - a narrow grass-like stem - very fine - blends in well with the other grasses. 

Cat's Ears - 1928

Cat's Ears - Plant Description - 1928

We have a small sunny meadow at Clos du Bois with "Calochortus tolmiei".  That's the botanical name for Cat's Ears!  They are so lovely - something that the closer you look, the more details you see - the more delighted you are.

The Bulb Society says "Calochortus tolmiei is one of the Star tulips (also called Cats ears or Pussy ears) from section Calochortus. It is found on dry open grassy slopes and woodlands, often in poor soil, throughout the Coast Ranges of California to Santa Cruz County, extending into Washington and Idaho. It grows 4 to 15 inches high and has white to pale purple flowers that are bearded inside with purple hairs. 

Cat's Ears - May 2010

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing ALL the Waning Clan Mothers the Happiest of Days!

James Waning and Janet McAdam Waning

July 1912

Elsie Greenwell Upton with V'Ona and Margaret Upton

About 1919

Barbara, Eddie, and Beth

1964

Stacie, Sandie, Mike, and Kevin

Summer 1968

Kristi, Connie, and Cam

Thanksgiving 1970

Happy Day Stacie!

Wishing you the Happiest and Sunniest of Days Stacie!

Kevin, Beth,Stacie (green dress & red tights), Ed, and Cam

Christmas 1967

Stacie, Mike, and Kevin - 1969

Stacie

Stacie and Carlos - Wedding

Stacie and Carlos

Matt's Day

Grandpa Chuck, Matt, and Grandma Barbara

Well, Grandmother Mary decorated the outside of Matt's home with this sign and lots of balloons.  Matt took everything down before we arrived, so we made him pose - multiple times - with the sign, and balloons, and his family members as punishment!  Note the pin Grandma Barbara has on - she got it at Sacred Heart Hospital 18 years ago. 

Will, Cathy, Matt, and Ed

Matt, Grandma Barbara, and Will

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with dinner at Chapala's - and boy was that place hoppin' - before driving over to have cake and ice cream at Matt's.

Cinco de Mayo - Matthew's Day

Matthew 1996

Matthew and Lexa

Grams, Matthew, and Gramps - Feb 1996

Beth and Matthew - Feb 1996

Connie, Kierstyn, and Matthew

Will and Matthew

Will and Matthew

Matthew - 2009