Biographies

Even though these events are now over we would still love to hear from and about you these past years.  To submit a biography, see the details below.  This website and updated biographies will continued to be posted into the future.

Some of our classmates will be unable to attend our reunion in person, for various reasons.  Some may live very far away, others may be unable to travel or have other scheduling commitments.  Unfortunately others have already passed away.  We would love to hear from all of you that would like to share your memories and what you have been up to over the past years.  If you would like to share recollections of your favorite memories of CHS and/or a brief biography of your life after CHS,  please email me at markwasham@gmail.com . If you would like some help in knowing what to write I can send you a brief guide to help you put your thoughts and and memories together to post on this page.  No obligation or pressure to do so, but we would love to hear from as many of you as possible, especially from those unable to attend the reunion.

Mark Washam  1974

After I graduated from Colton I attended Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR.  I ended up majoring in psychology and social studies education, thinking I might like to be a teacher like my favorites from Colton, Mr. Fouts, Mrs. Mansker and Mr. Kee.  My first job was teaching Jr. High at Butte Creek School for one year.  I was then asked to start a private Christian School near Meadowbrook called The Country Christian School. After seven years I returned to CHS to teach social studies along side my former teachers Mrs. Mansker and Mr. Kee for two years.  I married a good friend from college in 1980 and started a family.  In total we had 6 children, three of our own and three through adoption.  After getting my Masters in Teaching from Portland State University we moved our family to Yakima, WA where we have lived for the past 38 years.  Over those years I have been involved in some way or another working with children, families and youth.  Teaching in middle and high school, children's ministry at church and as a director at a Christian camp in the mountains. We even took our family to live and teach in Venezuela for two years.  We love living in central Washington with its four seasons and don't miss the rain of the Willamette Valley at all.  I currently have seven grandchildren, 6 boys and 1 granddaughter.  We spend quite a bit of time visiting and enjoying them.  I have so many great memories from Colton Jr. and Senior High School.  Growing up in a small rural logging town gave me so many opportunities to learn, have fun, make friends, play sports and enjoy the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.  One favorite memory was having a bunch of us recite and act out loud the "Wizard of Oz" movie during a long bus ride back home from a far away game.  Band, "The New Castle Singers", musicals, dances, homecoming bonfires and car bashes, and a very successful senior year in athletics are just a few.  After high school I continued to play softball and basketball and really got into camping, back packing and hiking into our amazing mountains and forests.  Initially after high school, I thought I would become a lawyer, enter into politics and become President of the United States some day.  I am so very glad I took a different path and have enjoyed the variety of settings I have been able to live and work in.  My biggest challenge in the past 50 years was the loss of our oldest adopted son to an overdose of fentanyl at age 26.  Over all the years, my faith has been the biggest anchor in my life through great times and tragic times.  I "retired" in June, 2023 but still find myself doing some substitute teaching and enjoying the flexibility that gives me.  Haven't found a predictable retirement rhythm yet but looking forward to what this season of life has to offer.

Dawn Rogers (Schmaltz) 1975

The highlights of my life since graduating from Colton High School-

I attended Clackamas Community College, OSU for my bachelor’s degree and Portland State for my master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. I have three wonderful daughters and ten just-as-wonderful grandchildren. I taught in the Salem Keizer School District until my retirement in 2017, mostly teaching first and second grades, which I loved. I was on our school’s leadership team and frequently mentored new teachers, which was really rewarding. After retiring I cared for my mom until she passed away in 2022 at the age of 92. Currently my focus is on spending time with my family and friends, doing home improvement projects and enjoying being retired! I live in Keizer, OR. Favorite memories from high school- Two trips to Mexico with Mrs. Mansker and our Spanish classes, working on the school newspaper and yearbook, and the close friendships that I had with other classmates some of which continue to this day.

Craig Bradley  1974

The fall quarter after graduation in 1974 found me attended Walla Walla College. Part ways through my time at Walla Walla I took a year off and worked at a school in southern Mexico.  I had learned Spanish down there so I pursued course work back at Walla Walla College which ultimately lead to a BA in Modern Languages with emphasis in Spanish. I also had minors in Agriculture, Biology, History, and Religion. I was also secondary teacher certified in a number of subjects. The two most important achievements during this time at Walla Walla College was that I found Jesus and I found and married my wife, Connie, who is also a teacher. We have been together since 1979. Since Walla Walla College, I have worked at a long string of both private and public schools all across the USA. We even taught over in Taiwan as well as in South Korea. While teaching in California I got a Masters of Art in School Administration from Cal State Bakersfield. Along the way I also acquired a Master’s degree in Agriculture, this one from Oregon State University. I majored in Horticulture and minored in Plant Pathology and Crop Science. Essentially I was trained to be a county Extension Agent. About nine years ago we retired from teaching, sort of, and we started a pest control company in Redmond, Oregon…Bugs Plus Pest Solutions. We have specialized in residential pest control like ants and rodents, but we also spray trees and ornamental shrubs as well as trap nuisance animals like skunks, raccoons, marmots, badgers, etc. In the slow season, I return to the classroom as substitute teacher. Currently, I am doing a long term sub job for a social studies class in a local middle school. This is the forth long term sub job I’ve done in 9 years. We have three married daughters. We adopted them all. The oldest was via a private state side adoption who we received at two days old. The youngest two, the twins, were international adoptions from Guatemala who we got at 6 month old. No grandchildren to date which means we have time for hobbies. My wife, who has a Masters in Library Science volunteers at a local church school near Redmond one day a week in the library. I am quite active in my local church teaching and singing. I have been rather busy but I do relax by spending as much time as I can studying foreign languages via Duolingo and YouTube.

Memories from Colton are:

Mrs. Mansker’s Spanish classes and that trip to Mexico. This was by far the most formative thing that set my feet down the  life path that it did. Short story is if she hadn’t tracked me down and insisted that I sign up for Spanish my freshman year, most likely everything in my life would have turned out differently than it did had she not been so persistent. The New Castle singers. Larry Castle showed me music, which has been so very important to me, especially in recent years when I “found my voice” in a most unlikely manner and started singing contemporary praise songs for church programs.

Judy Anderson 1976

Favorite high school memories include New Castle Singers, Vikings for Christ and favorite teachers were Mrs. Mansker, Mr. Key, Mr. Bob Anderson, and Larry Castle. I worked all through high school so didn’t participate in other extra curricular activities. Farm life and working my parent's business occupied my time out of the classroom. The highlight of my senior year was a road trip that Marie Klang and I took across the Western and Midwestern States. Why our parents allowed it is beyond me but what fantasticmemories! Heads, we went North, tails, we went South. Two incredible weeks. Following graduation, while working in my parent’s business, I met my husband and we were married in 1977. His last name happened to be Anderson too so all I had to change was my address! The next year our only child, a daughter was born. She has been the light of our lives ever since. I spent several years in Mary Kay which taught this farm girl to dress up, make up and speak publicly which prepared me for future endeavors. In 1985, a couple of friends and I started the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Molalla and I became the executive director and served in that capacity until 2000. In that time, we also opened another center in Canby. I also served at CareNet, our parent organization in Washington D.C. as a trainer who traveled North America training newly opening center’s directors, boards and volunteer staff members. Those years in full time ministry were such a blessing to me. In 1986, I underwent surgery to remove a life threatening spinal cord tumor that left me a high functioning quad. That event greatly deepened my dependence on Jesus Christ. I am grateful for modern medicine that saved my life and for my power wheelchair that enables me to live a full life. Since 1996 I have greatly enjoyed being a grandma to two grandchildren who are now both Navy Veterans. In the last year, each made me a great grandma. The bonus is they’re back in the Pacific Northwest with their growing families. Additionally, I’ve led Bible Studies and begun a Coaching practice focusing on helping chronic pain sufferers and those feeling stuck or in grief, overcome and live victoriously. In 2022, after 45 wonderful years of marriage to a perfect for me husband, he graduated to heaven. Church activities, meeting regularly with other widows, my Coaching practice and leading a GriefShare group fill my days with purpose and enjoyment. Every chance I get to spend time with my daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren is frosting on my cake. While I’ve traveled extensively for work and public speaking, which I love, I have never lived further than20 miles from home. I now reside in Hubbard in a senior community perfect for me.

Rhonda Lai (Dettling) 1974

Following graduation I began a 2 ½ year program at Portland Community College and trained in conjunction with Portland Adventist Hospital to become a radiology technologist. During that time (much like now), healthcare was in a huge growth period and I elected to continue my education. Attending night school at Portland State took almost 10 years, but I finally completed a bachelor’s degree in business that allowed me greater opportunities. Ultimately I worked in various jobs in healthcare for 25 years.

Later in my working life I started my own business as a personal chef. It had struck me all through my hectic working years that it is really difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle/nutrition when there isn’t enough time to cook at the end of the day. I loved my connections with clients over the 15 years I provided meal services in people’s homes. Unfortunately the pandemic made it impossible to continue that so I retired.

Looking back, I consider myself to have been very fortunate to meet and marry a most wonderful man – Mack. We’ve just enjoyed our 46th wedding anniversary and he still makes me laugh! We were blessed with 2 sons and joke that we have our own ‘Law and Order’ series – one is a lawyer and one is a police officer.  We couldn’t be more proud. One year ago we welcomed our first granddaughter and now we understand the joy of grandparents. I’ll be happy to share pictures!

I am so looking forward to catching up with as many Colton friends and acquaintances as possible. See you soon!

Debby Lowe (Griffin)  1974

The day after graduation I found out I had won a journalism scholarship to Clackamas Community College. After completing the basics at CCC, I transferred to Willamette University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1980.

I went to work for The Oregonian in 1981. Not as a reporter. I worked in the Circulation Department and after a few years became the Newspaper in Education Coordinator, working with educators on the many ways to use the newspaper in the classroom besides current events. My favorite memories are working with other newspaper’s NIE personnel, the Trail Blazers, and Joyce Linder, an Oregon Teacher of the Year, to develop teacher guides.  I also spent 5 years in the Advertising department; I was at The Oregonian for 17 years. After leaving, I spent  5 years working for tech firms, one that was spun off and then acquired, before joining CH2M Hill which was acquired by Jacobs in 2017. I was with CH2M/Jacobs for almost 17 years, starting as a Project Administrator, then a Commissioning Technician, and finally as a Services During Construction Project Coordinator when I retired last March 2023.

My ex-husband and I were married in 1987 and had two children – Andrew and Leo – and divorced in 1993. Tony (Anthony Lowe is a criminal defense attorney in Clark County, WA) and I were successful co-parents long before celebrities started touting their lifestyles as such. We attended and celebrated our children’s activities and accomplishments as a family. Every Sunday, we had dinner together as a family. Every summer we camped for a week at Kelly Forks (Clearwater River) in northern Idaho where I spent my days reading at the campground while the boys went fly fishing. My oldest, Andrew, served as a Petty Officer in the Navy and is currently a linguistic technician (he’s a polyglot) for the U.S. DOD and lives in Maryland. Leo, the youngest, attended PCC, OSU (undergrad) and Central Washington University (where he received his Master’s), and is a professional mental health counselor in Yakima, Washington. I am not a grandparent.

Memories from Colton:

Attending away games with my journalism teacher, Patty Skaggs, to take pictures for the school newspaper and yearbook. Being co-editor of The Galloping Swedes. Learning how to play pinochle at the Orengo home (Joyce and Jennifer). Playing Tillie in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds. 

Roma Boyer (Kauffman) 1974

Hello Everyone:

I have many wonderful memories of living in Colton, Oregon on the little 10-acre farm on Harper Road, (off of Dhooghe Road) where we moved when I was five years old. So many memories of Colton Grade School and High School. It was a huge chunk of my childhood and growing up years.

After I left Colton, my family and I moved to Canby, Oregon. Sometime later I got married to a young man I met at the Molalla Church of the Nazarene when I was 6 years old! I thought he was pretty cool and it turns out I was right! He was and is the best man I have ever known. We bought a little home in Molalla Oregon and had two beautiful daughters, Amber and Laura. My husband was a tool design engineer for a company in Clackamas Oregon. He soon felt a call into pastoral ministries and when the time was right, we sold our little home, packed up everything and moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado to attend Nazarene Bible College. He graduated with an Associate Degree in Biblical Studies and I pursued music graduating with a certificate in piano, voice and chorale. We accepted our first pastorate in of all places Drumheller, Alberta Canada. I am ashamed to say I wasn’t even sure where Canada was and had to study up on it. We were there six years – and what an adventure it was. Unfortunately, my husband got very ill; spent two months in the hospital, and six months later made the decision to take a sabbatical year so he could recover. We moved back to Molalla Oregon for a year staying with family and recuperating.

The next adventure took us back to Canada, a beautiful town called Chilliwack in British Columbia on the Pacific Coast, just north of Washington state. Four years later a Nazarene Church in Palmer Alaska asked us to be their pastor family and north to Alaska we went. We were at that church for 17 years. Micky (my husband) finished his bachelor’s degree and then a Master’s degree in Spiritual Formation. During our time in Palmer, I developed my own business in medical transcription and had several employees, and we transcribed for most of the doctors in the area. I also attended University of Alaska at Anchorage earning a 2-year Associate Degree in Medical Assisting and soon closed my medical transcription business. Being self-employed has its benefits but also its downside. I wanted to be able to take time off without having to worry about the business. I found my dream job as a medical assistant in a medical clinic Capstone Family Medicine, where I have been employed now for 18 years. After my husband retired from pastoral ministries when he turned 60, he also worked for the same company in administration and for several years was the COO. During the Covid years our company was in the forefront of setting up mobile clinics across the state, including the airports, for testing and treating covid patients. We kept our regular clinics open and functioning well without exposing patients to Covid. It was an amazing, busy time helping people in the Covid crises. Two years ago, my husband retired from the company and is now working privately for the doctor I work for, helping to manage his finances and investments.

We purchased a gorgeous piece of property just outside of Palmer Alaska; five acres that border on State land. We remodeled an existing cabin into a lovely little home for us. We also gave an acre to each of our daughters enticing them to make Alaska their home. They built beautiful homes on their acres and we now lovingly call our place “Forest Glen Compound”, (after the Alaskan artist – Forest, we bought it from and the definition of Glen – a secluded lush valley). Our daughters married amazing men; and each couple gave us a grandson and granddaughter. I can truly say our four grandchildren have enriched and blessed our lives almost more than we can contain. They are all grown and have become stellar human beings, and productive members of society. Our oldest two grandchildren are living in Salem, Oregon. Cole is a sheet-metal journeyman, with amazing mechanical aptitude and can do anything he sets his mind to. Caley, a hair stylist, works in a hair salon and is extraordinarily talented with hair cutting, styling, color and extensions. Alexia, just graduated with a bachelors in Nursing from Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa Idaho and is working at a hospital in Nampa. Payton is a Marine, stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He got married a couple of years ago to a beautiful young woman, Madelyn, and they made us great grandparents with little Waylon born last December. He is of course the cutest baby on the face of the earth. (I can’t let my daughters and sons-in-law read this because I dedicate so many words raving about my grandchildren and not them. They are also extraordinary people without a doubt and are shining lights and blessings in this world and to us!)

My husband is an extraordinary fisherman and hunter. I am no match for his skills, but also love the great fishing in Alaska especially the King Salmon. The fishing unfortunately has tapered off a lot in the past few years, fish count very low on all species. We love all that the Alaskan outdoors has to offer; hiking, 4-wheeling, snowmachining, cross-country skiing, hunting, fishing – even engaged in ice fishing, bird watching, photography. It is truly a beautiful state – I often say it is like living in a virtual postcard. Last August was a dream come true for me when I was able to go on a fly-in caribou hunt in the Brooks Range northern Alaska. I successfully got a big caribou. What an experience; my first big game animal.

I use a lot of positive adjectives in this bio, but lest you think my life has been a rosy trouble-free existence, we have had our share of heartaches and tragedies, as all of you have, I’m sure. Through it all, it has been our faith that has sustained my family and me. At this time in my life, I am feeling extraordinarily blessed.

We try to visit Oregon at least once a year, to see family. I have toured Colton with a friend of mine, Vicky Bryant, when I visit. We stopped at my old home and the owners graciously gave us a tour. Also, the two homes Vicky used to live in. We visited the Colton Grade School and High School; walked around the Church there on the corner. And also drove around the familiar streets and roads.

See you soon!

Roma (Kauffman) Boyer

 Cynthia Therrien, (Enderlin) 1975

As you all have experienced, by now, many peaks and valleys in your life, and mine also has been chocked full. I will try and hit some important ones here.

Married in "75"" what was I thinking" divorced two years later.

Moved to Washington State and decided to travel to Chicago and back to see my Aunt in my Cousins Semi Truck, again what was I thinking. Grueling! Glad to visit but man we should have alot more respect for our Truckers! 

Met and married my second husband in "77" moved back to Oregon and had our daughter. Started playing on a womans softball league which I really loved, had my son and a week later was back out on the softball field.

Moved to Hawaii for two years came back and started my career at Safeway in receiving. Spent the next eighteen years doing mostly file maintenance and receiving really hated being in the checkstand, so anything else was better! Put myself through night school to become a Massage Therapist  and after I got my License worked both jobs for a year and decided that was just to much so quit the big (S). So for the next eighteen years I worked between offices, salons, and my house doing massage. That, as you all were effected too, came to a screeching halt in 2021, business dropped off and I no longer was in to it. So I decided to retire...

 Through it all my best rewards were having my children and raising them, I loved being a mom. I excelled at softball and played with a great bunch of girls. We were so good together! UNTIL the last game I played, im in the outfield and am going for the ball and see another girl right under my arm going for the same ball and to prevent us from colliding I twisted away from her and landed wrong and broke my ACL in half. End of career and on to surgery, which took all of two years to heal. 

My ex and I moved to Aumsville and built a house and lived there for about 20 years, in 2009 I went to Thailand to do Thai massage was there for a month had the worst bout of Thai Flu ever, ohhhh that was awful! Came back the day before Thanksgiving and found that my soon to be EX had a GF, soooo I decided he needed a divorce! That bit big time, cuz we were together for 32 years and I wanted to be married for 50+   Yep highs and lows!

This is just a fast skim over of life as my life was busy and full. I lost my sister Holly and my brother Cliff and yet we all feel fortunate that most of us are still here. My parents are gone now to so if you still have yours praise God, I miss them every day! 

I am going to give a shout out here to my sister Anita who bless her, twice quit her job and everything she had going in her life to care for our parents at the end of theirs. She has been my rock and has turned into quite the caretaker and then making home healthcare her field for employment, I admire her so much!

I am still in Oregon and have a partner but will never marry again, I feel I am just not good at it.

One more thing in the late ninety's before FB I started writing a blog to all who were on my e-mail list and called it "Sunday's with Cynthia". I would get up around 4 or 5 am and start typing, always including a quote of some kind , which I will include at the end of this as I too have not perfected it yet. I did this most Sunday mornings from 1998 to 2011 it was a long haul and I got tired. So here is my favorite quote:  EVERY THOUGHT, WORD, OR DEED, LEAVES AN IMPRINT ON SOMEONES SOUL FOR ETERNITY"  I do not know the author and only dream of being so thought provoking.

So 2 ½ years ago I got my first Grandbaby, that I never thought I would get. So I am Grandma and sole babysitter so I have him alot and am sooooo happy! He is my joy and my reason for living, and I wear this hat proudly!

Jim Hargie 1974

  “What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been” by Jim Hargie

  I’m going to tell you about myself because there is a lot that you don’t know about me. On the second day of my life my mother (biological) gave me to a couple who could not have any children. James Hargie (adoptive) and Dinorah (adoptive). He was a Marine Corp drill instructor and she a homemaker. We spent a lot of time on base housing east and west coast. I remember a wetlands behind our base house, the jungle and swamp our back yard. I saw a few snakes but no gators. Mom took me to Guantanamo Cuba in 1959 to visit with her family. I remember a papier-mache mask shop and a street carnival with drums beating and voodoo dancing going on. We once went to the Washington DC zoo where I saw “Smokey the Bear”. I was sad for him as he was behind “jail bars” and had no stimulus. I went to first grade at a base school across the street from the FBI academy in Quantico Virginia. A couple of years later we moved to Oceanside California. I saw my dad get on a ship headed towards Vietnam. I cried at seeing him leave. A year later he came back in one piece but my parents decided to get a divorce. So Mom and I came to Oregon looking for a new life. I have three sisters DeeAnn Johnson (Benthin), Celia Zazueta (Newton), and Josie Zazueta (Sargent). My sisters graduated from Colton High and are fine intelligent women with their own families. We moved to Colton in 71’. Before this I lived in Nogales Mexico for a year so we could get Jose (step-father) his papers to live in the U.S. Through my life I have been to 11 or 12 schools. I was at Colton High School and spent 3 1/2 years there, my longest time at any school. I have a lot of good memories about people and my time there. Towards the end of high school I got very depressed as Jose told me I could not live at home anymore. So I got a job and a year later I got another job at Birds Eye Frozen Foods and I stuck with it. I did every job on the production line and then joined the “Turd Herders” out at the “Maggot Farm”. (agricultural waste) I became an Oregon licensed wastewater operator and I wore many hats on the job including plumber, mechanic, waste water lab analyst (thank you Mr. Anderson), member of the hazardous materials team, and  licensed back flow tester. A long time ago I had many self created problems. I was doing drugs, drinking and partying. I was a terrible father who ignored my children. I thank God (for opening doors) my Mom and my two kids for encouragement and support while I went into rehab to make many needed changes in myself. The power of love! It has been a long and painful process for which I am grateful for. I have over 36 years of clean time! My children, Kristina and Jacob have done very well for themselves. My daughter, Kristina has a bachelors and two master degrees. She works as a Washington state licensed family therapist. (Kristina Hargie LMFT)  My son Jacob committed to four years in the Navy. Now he is an engineer at a data center. Today I am happy, have a good wife. We own our home, vehicles, and have pensions coming in. Vacation time we drive to such places as Utah, California, Colorado, and Rachel Arizona. Five years ago my wife gave me an ancestry test for Christmas. I discovered I have blood family in Milpitas California. I have five brothers! I met them and my stepmom. I never knew! My biological parents (mother and father) had already passed on. The Hunters, they could have been anyone but they are very good people. They are part of the Hunter Clan. My ancestors are Scottish and go back a long ways with some very interesting people from history. One of them being Eleanor Rosevelt. My thoughts on God. I got to tell you about my experience in the Catholic Church. When I was seven or eight years old I took my first communion. A few months later I made my confession to a priest. Was He pissed! He started shouting at me, angry. Wow, what a sinner I was!  I departed the confession box a confused kid, crying and so dizzy I almost passed out. Last time I ever attended confession. What I can tell you about God. God is a pool shark. God cues up, calling all the balls to each pocket, in order, and in eleven? dimensions and precisely on time and to every pocket. The balls are still falling in. And one more note. I found out recently that I am neurologically divergent. Go figure! 

Greg Nolz - Class of 1975

     After graduating from Colton High School in 1975, I attended Oregon College of Education (OCE, now Western Oregon

University) in Monmouth.  My goal was to become a Physical Education/Health teacher as well as a coach at the high

school level.  While at OCE I played two years of basketball and then also coached for two years there, one as the women's 

freshman coach and one as the men's freshman coach (yes, in those days they HAD freshmen teams).  These two years as

coaching at the college level helped me later in attaining my first high school coaching/teaching job.  Also, during my senior

year at OCE I met my future wife, Valerie (Val).  Yes, blind dates do work out!  We've now been married over 43 years.

     My first teaching job was in Riddle, OR teaching PE and health at the Junior High and High School.  After four years at 

Riddle, I applied for and received, a Fulbright Teacher Exchange position in Luton, England at Rotheram High School. We exchanged teaching positions and accommodations with a British teacher.  The teaching was very a tough and challenging

position, but Val and I enjoyed the travel opportunities as we explored the U.K. and Europe on several trips she planned for us.

The year at Rotheram helped me to  "grow up" as a teacher and gave me confidence in future teaching positions.

     After my teaching exchange year, I taught a year at Philomath Elem. and coached Freshman basketball (Philomath, OR).  Then, I moved on to the Salem-Keizer School District in 1985 where I taught elementary PE for over 25 years and coached basketball for several of those years at Sprague High School.   I have been retired since 2010.

     Val and I have two grown, married daughters with six grandchildren total.  Our oldest grandchild is 12 and the youngest is 1.   Lauren, our oldest daughter, is a high school English teacher in Salem and Kinsey, our youngest daughter, lives in Bend where she is an ER nurse and owns an online boutique.  Val and I love watching all the sporting activities and school events of the grandkids.  Over the last few years, we have been fortunate to travel in the U.S. and also Europe.  Val does an amazing job in researching and planning all of our travels.  We hope to do more in the future.  I have become an avid bicyclist and have ridden the REACH THE BEACH and SEATTLE TO PORTLAND rides several times, as well as numerous other rides.  Walking and hiking are also high on our list of activities that we do together, also.

     This December 2024 we will be celebrating 44 years of marriage. 

Patty Barnes - Class of 1975

I graduated from Colton in 1975 after moving there the summer before my 7th grade year.   

Accepted Christ and was baptised in May 1975.  

Attended Clackamas Community College and received my Associates degree in Early Childhood Education in June 1977.  

Married in August 1977, son born August 1978 and daughter August 1980.

As family needs changed so did the jobs I held.  Teaching pre-school/Day Care, In charge of the womans dorm for Christian College in Washington, Journeyman checker-grocery, 5 years self employed(Farmers Produce and Care), Certified Medical Assistant(back to college, chemekata Community College at age 45 for this, graduating in 2003).

Retired from working with Clackamas Community Health in December 2023 after 12 1/2 years.

I have enjoyed over the years a trip to Isreal/Jordan, cruise to Alaska, crossing the States with family in camper, Victotoria X 2, Florida and experiencing some travels on horseback into wilderness areas.

Presently I live outside Sandy, Oregon on 2 acres with a variety of rescue animals. I kayak having 2-10 foot ride upons that I enjoy May-October on the local lakes. I grow garden, I am training my pony to cart(I took hitching and driving lessons this year), can and dry foods, make cheese and other products from a goat I milk, sew, quilt, bake and am volunteering 1 day weekly at a local community store/food/clothing closet as a cashier.  

I am also an active member of my church helping run the video, assist with meals, on the financial committee and setting up the Sharing Tree ministry(an open give and take for those in need).  

I hope to take square dance lessons this fall at a local grange and have many projects on my house and land including, flooring to lay, deck repair, and pruning.  I have a wood splitter and wood waiting to be split/stacked on my place as well as wood from  my neighbors to the North.  Neighbors have had trees taken down which have my name on them since they don't use wood to keep warm!  With a wood burning insert it is nice and toasty at my house in the colder months.

Life is busy and God gives me many opportunities to learn and grow.