Lower Pine Creek School built in 1916 first school teacher was Jennie Fleming. 

Lower picture Gary & Lynn Wiese.

Pictures and Copy Courtesy of Larry Fleming;  

Pictures are from Lynn Wiese's book.

Prt 1 of 2 of Delbert Winterfeld’s speech at the 208 Swan Valley Old Timers Reunion.

Life Sketch of Doward Kopp

Life Sketch of Doward Kopp

Given by J. A. Fisher - Old Timers Day 7-27-91

Doward Kopp was born Oct. 8, 1917, at Annis, ID.  This was located between Lorenzo and Menan.  It was in the home of Mrs. Brown (a mid-wife).  She was the mother of Joan and John Fisher of Swan Valley.  Doward said he was "blessed with a good healthy birth, warm meals. but no clothes".  This was in the fall of the year and harvest time so he and his mother went home to the ranch in Swan Valley.   He grew up on the Kopp Ranch on Pine Creek Bench.  He said, "Dad gave me a straw hat, new pants, a pair of button shoes, handed me a milk pail and said 'Get busy, boy, we got lots of work to do', and it seems to me that's the way my life started."

He attended school at Pine Creek School.  One teacher taught all eight grades.  He had scars on his right thumb nail from the hot marble games he had at school playing with Bill Campbell and Joe Fisher.  He was a lover of the outdoors.  He loved camping, fishing, skiing, and working in the garden.He also liked to cook and he made especially good sourdough pancakes and biscuits.

He married Mary Osmond, who was his sister's seventh grade teacher.  This lends some credibility to his claim that he had to marry her to get out of the eight grade. 

He was a World War II veteran and Korean War veteran.  He was a charter member of the Swan Valley American Legion Post, and also of the Ammon American Legion Post.  He served as Commanders-- Seventh District Commander and Department Commander.  He helped with the building of the Legion Hall here in Swan Valley and was active in the Boy Scouts of America organization.  

Sponsored by the Legion, during the middle 1960's, Doward organized the project of putting and lighting and evergreen tree where the highways divide in the center of Swan Valley.  On a planned cold evening before Christmas, carolers traveled by cars, or a school bus, as far as Palisades -- stopping to sing along the way, then back to the Legion Hall for hot chili, drinks, and doughnuts.  The youth remembers this activity as an introduction to "caroling" -- something they had only heard about, but had never experienced.  

Doward and Harry Zitlau organized the Swan Valley Old Timers Reunion in October of 1963.  There were fifty (50) in attendance.  It was decided that it would be a yearly activity to be held on the last Saturday of July of each year.  Doward was Chairman of the first and President of the second Old Timer Community Reunion.  He was elected and served as President for several other terms.  The schedule he used is still being followed: sending fliers to remind former residents of time and place, potluck dinner at noon, business meeting for elelction of officers, and honoring guests, etc, passing the hat for donations to pay the expenses, and using an old timers orchestra for entertainment and dancing.  

Doward could see the need of a "Memorial Roll" honoring those that had passed away.  He built a cabinet with a glass door for the roll.  He also built the stand that now holds the guest book.  This year his name was added to the list {1991}.
 

The 7th Annual Old Timers Reunion and Meeting

                                          1969

The seventh Old Timers Party was held at the American Legion Hall with 110 in attendance.  Pot luck dinner was enjoyed by the group.

The meeting was called to order by the pres., Lew Daniels.  The Lords Prayer was recited in unison _ a moment of silent prayer followed.  Mrs. Harriet Kopp led the group singing "God Bless America", and then sang of yester-years, "Brandy Wine".
The minutes of the 1968 meeting were read and approved.  The election of the new officers resulted in the retaining of the present officers for 1970 year.  Lew Daniels, pres., Mrs. Tom Weeks and Mrs. Lorin Nickerson as vice-presidents, Mrs. Albert Harden, secretary-treasurer.

Lew Daniels suggested the early history and settlement of the valley be compiled and the group was in agreement.  Mrs Betty Clayton agreed, previous to the meeting, to write the history in story form.  Old timers were advised to check their family records for dates and happenings to be given to Mrs. Clayton.



Prizes were presented to Mrs. BerthaVanDorn, the oldest lady; Ed Daniels, the oldest man; Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Weeks, the couple married the longest; Mr. and Mrs. Banner Linville, the couple traveling the greatest distance; and Cy Yeaman, the oldest settler in attendance.  Each adult present was given a coffee mug as a remembrance of the 1969 party. 


Many old timers revived their dancing and singing abilities to the music presented by members and Idaho fiddlers, who entertained throughout the day.  Those playing included Hassel Vargasen, Ida. Fiddlers Pres.; John Kinkle; Ezra Weeks; Bill Butler; Jim Thompson; Norbert Brickman; Gard Bowman; d.J. McIvers; and Lew Daniels.
The groups spent a very enjoyable afternoon visiting.

Transcribed by Audi Sutheimer, Sec./Treas., OTR 2018

The 6th Old Timers Reunion

I love it when there are newspaper clippings in the book of records.  

Dancin'

Okay from left to right back row, Vickie Weeks, Martha Vollman, Karen Lundquist, Jeannette Weeks, Melvin and Joan Weeks, dance instructors, Kathy Weeks, Glenna Lee Weeks, Michele Jacobsen, Linda Campbell. Front row Mark Frisby, Randy Weeks, Denis Stoltenburg, Dusty Hincks, Quinn Jacobsen, Greg Bitton, Nathan Jacobsen, and Boyd Brown. I think I got them right. 

Photo and Caption Courtesy of Vickie Turnblom

the LDS Church

Here's an article from the newspaper, nearly 70 years ago.  Photo courtesy - Annette Lundquist