Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 1 - 18 of 18
As we wrap up summer, I will review some of the events our Grange was part of. In addition, I will recognize key people who made these events a success. Grays River Grange hosted this year’s salmon dinner at the Finnish American Folk Festival in Naselle. Nearly 200 dinners were purchased. Thanks to all who participated in this fund raiser for the Grange. We have been invited back to prepare the dinner for the 2014 Finn Festival. There were many comments on what an excellent dinner the Grange prepared. The salmon was superb, Scandinavian p...
The annual Grays River Grange Christmas Party is planned for December 13, at our Grange Hall. We will start with a potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m. The traditional Grange Christmas program will follow. Remember to bring a Santa gift for your child and to make sure your child’s name is clearly marked on the gift so Santa can read it. There is also a gift exchange for adults and the price of the gift should not exceed $5. The gift should be clearly marked for either male or female. You do not have to be a Grange member to come and enjoy a good old f...
There’s good news and bad news regarding cleaning up the lot next to the Grange Hall. First off, Grays River Grange would like to give a big thank you to Stan Sorenson and Robinson Brothers Construction for donating time and equipment for clearing the lot. That property was a drain on community morale and the Grange appreciates all of the positive comments about its new condition. But here’s the bad news; as it turned out, it took nine containers to remove the rubble. Stan operated the excavator and he estimates that the debris in the houses th...
The Rayonier Foundation, which is a nonprofit, philanthropic corporation founded in 1952, has designated $500 to the Grays River Grange #124 for the western part of hamlet rehabilitation. On June 8, representatives from Grays River Grange will join all 2011 Grays Harbor grant recipients at the Elks in Aberdeen for a breakfast were they will be presented the grant check. This grant money will be put to good use in the Grange’s rehabilitation efforts. Speaking of the renovation of the hall, the new windows have arrived and will be installed in t...
A work party was held at the Grange on March 27. There was a small but mighty group of Grangers in attendance. Those there scraped paint, cleaned the attic, cleaned the kitchen, de-cluttered the storage room, and had a great lunch and camaraderie. Additional work parties will be planned later this summer for some more indoor and outdoor work. If you would like to help but do not regularly attend Grange, email or call and leave a message expressing your interest and we will be happy to let you know when the next work party is planned. Grays...
Due to ongoing refurbishing of the Grays River Grange hall, the membership celebration scheduled for Saturday, April 30, is being postponed until May. Grangers reaching landmark years of membership from 25 to 75 years will be honored and receive commemorating pins at that time. We’re hoping that the hall will be done so we can show off the restoration! Our hall was built in 1905 and is a survivor of the Pioneer Era. Restoring the Grange to its original splendor is taking many hours of hard work and dedication from the Grange members on the B...
The Grays River Grange has a long standing tradition of putting on an old fashioned family Christmas party. This year’s party will be held on December 14 at Johnson Park with the potluck dinner beginning at 6 p.m. The Grange will furnish the turkey for the dinner. Guests are asked to provide side dishes and desserts. Area residents are encouraged to attend and you do not have to be a Grange member to enjoy the party. If you have never attended, you should be prepared for a wonderful dinner, Christmas carols, and a rendition of The Night b...
Norman Anderson has stepped down from his stewardship of the Grays River Grange Cemetery. Norman, along with Merlin Durrah, have done an incredible job for over twenty four years in maintaining the grounds and keeping accurate cemetery records. With Norman stepping down, the Grange will reorganize the Cemetery Committee and appoint a Granger to assist Merlin in his cemetery sexton duties. Merlin has accumulated a lot of records. During his term he’s kept every obituary from the newspaper regarding individuals buried in Grays River. In the l...
Hans Peter Ahlberg came to Grays River in 1875. Having a green thumb, Mr. Ahlberg planted many European and Midwestern trees on his own land and around the valley. Hardwoods like Elm were useful for creating milking stools and other durable farm tools. In 1902, Mr. Ahlberg was the force behind starting the Grays River Grange. Not only is this institution going strong, many of Ahlberg's trees still stand. There are mature elms next to our hall and at the Grange maintained Meserve Park. Unfortunately, in 2008 one of the grand elms succumbed to...
Come and help the Grays River and Skamokawa Granges at the Wahkiakum County Fair. The Grange food booth will be open all day August 19 – 21. We need volunteers. This is the biggest fund raiser of the year for Grays River Grange. Cooks, prep workers, and counter people are needed. Just stop by the food booth and volunteer, we will be happy to put you to work. Food booth is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Along with workers, we need hungry people so stop by and have a bite to eat. The primary candidates forum held on July 27 at Johnson Park...
Recently, while in Washington DC Grays River Grange Master Krist Novoselic attended the 50th Anniversary of the Grange’s landmark building in Washington D.C. Grangers from across the country were in attendance to celebrate the occasion. Grangers were able to tour the building and attend a re-dedication ceremony held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is across the street from the Grange building. Along the tour, various items of Grange memorabilia dating back to the 1870s, including William Saunder's original ritual notebook, original r...
Local Issues: Wahkiakum County Commissioner Blair Brady attended the May 25 Grays River Grange meeting. Commissioner Brady wished to let members know of his intentions to vote no on the proposal to create a Columbia Pacific National Heritage Area (NHA) in Wahkiakum County. Even though Commissioner Brady states he can find no downside to the proposal, he says he’s voting the will of his constituents. There seems to be some concern regarding how many constituents were actually contacted. For example, I am someone whose view on the matter was not...
The Wahkiakum County Pomona Spring Contest was held on May 8, at the Skamokawa Grange. Overall, entries were down from last year. State CWA Chair Donna Moody, stated the same thing is happening all over the state. Those who did enter items and received a purple ribbon will have their entries brought to the State Convention in Bellingham at the end of June. Carlton Appelo celebrated his 88th birthday on May 12. At Tuesday’s meeting in honor of Carlton’s birthday, Grange members sang a heartfelt Happy Birthday. Next year Carlton will cel...
Grays River Grange member Norman Anderson received his 75 Year Membership Pin at Grange Booster Night. After receiving his pin, Norm recalled how he and three other high school seniors joined the Grays River Grange in 1933 so they could play in the Grange Band. The band soon went by the wayside but not Norm. Norm has also served as Grange Master. Congratulations to Norm and the others who received membership pins. Visit the Grays River Grange website for pictures and more information. http://gra...
April has been proclaimed as Grange Month. “Now is the time for Granges to welcome new members, share benefits and advantages that Grange membership offers to everyone” states National Grange President, Ed Luttrell. In honor of Grange Month, Grays River Grange will host Grange Booster Night on April 27, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at the Grange Hall. Members having 25, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, and 75 years of Grange membership will be recognized. This is also a time to come and learn about the Grange and what Grays River Grange members have done thr...
Norman Anderson prepared his traditional oyster stew for the March 23 Grange meeting. Side dishes and desserts were provided by Grange members in attendance. For those of you who were not there, you missed another great meal. Following the potluck was the annual Pies for Charity auction. Grangers were asked to bring pies to be auctioned. Monies raised will be donated to the Skamokawa Grange to go towards a new sound system for their hall. Pies for Charity has a long standing tradition with the Grange. It goes back to the days of Franklin D....
If you haven’t already done so, take the time to visit Redmen Hall where Grangers, Tom and Cora Irving’s, beautiful handmade quilts are on display. Redmen Hall is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. A photo of the quilt display can be found on the Grays River Grange website http://graysriver.grange.wahkiakum.info. Quilts will be on exhibit through April. Grays River Grangers will move forward with restoration work at the Grange Hall. The ceiling tiles have already been removed opening up the original high ceiling. With the ceiling...
Grays River Grange #124 had a very busy 2009. The year began with a flood. Thankfully, the Grange survived with minimal water in the entry but the water left with a muddy mess outside in the parking areas. 2009 brought some much needed upgrades to the Grange. Work began with the bathrooms being remodeled. The ceiling tiles have also been removed revealing the original grand high ceilings. The Elochoman Grange closed its doors in January. Members from the Elochoman Grange merged with Grays River Grange. Currently, the State Grange is working...
