Liz Writes Life 2-11-2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Liz Writes Life

OK, I know I am getting older and realize my memory is not as good as it once was. Sometimes, I think I remember how something happened and then find out that is not what someone else recalls. It is pretty frustrating – especially when they are right!

Several years ago, I found a three-page story I had written about my dad, Hearst Dillman, and documented with photos how he barbecued 40-pound beef roasts in a pit. The story, with photos, was finished on Dec. 22, 1995 and given to a few family members. Dad died earlier in March of 1995 and supervised his last barbecue in October 1994, when Dan and Lyn Hayden married and held a reception. Soon-to-be brother-in-law, Dave Grassman, volunteered to help, along with my husband, Jack, and I and son, Branden. In the photos we can also see Rob Ritola.

The past few years, I have been thinking that I need to share my photos with family and friends and write stories to go with them. I hoped this set of photos would be a nice Christmas gift and a way to start organizing my many photos. (Oh, but some good intentions turn into big projects. Ugh!)

So, last November, I re-found the barbecue story with photos and decided to re-write it, because it was mostly about the step-by-step process of building a huge fire in a pit, season and wrap the huge beef roasts, when to put them in the pit, seal it up and when to take the meat out.

It was in the 1950s, when my grandpa, George Dillman, and Pleasure Park rodeo friends began cooking the beef roasts in a pit for big events. The Pleasure Park Association was organized in 1948 as a non-profit for recreation and featured rodeos. Gymkhana horse playdays were organized, as well, and the community seemed to enjoy a barbecue picnic before the event, which was usually held in the fall. (When I was a kid, I wanted to win a ribbon so bad, hum, but that is another story.)

Soon, Hearst and his brother, Charley Dillman, were helping George. Grandpa died in 1960, and the brothers took over the project and were also barbecuing for other events. They typically cooked for 200 to 300 people.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Etna Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was always holding bake sales, dinners and doing catering to raise funds to enlarge their church building. Known for their good food, the church members were asked to cater a luncheon for Governor Ronald Reagan, who was travelling up to Siskiyou County. Dad said he would cook the meat in the pit, but here is where my memory became fuzzy. I do remember that dad was quite proud to be asked to cook for Gov. Reagan.

Needless to say, this project did not get finished for Christmas gifts to my sons or family, because I realized I needed to talk to other people and get more information.

I was a teenager and helped serve. I could remember Gov. Reagan and other dignitaries were seated on risers in the Flower Building at the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds. I felt the Winema Hall was used for cooking. And, I thought the event must have been held for Reagan’s campaign for his second term. I was right on the Flower Building, but the campaign part was wrong.

I called Betty Seaver, who now lives in Utah and asked what she remembered. Most of the women made 10 pies – each. She thought they planned for 450 people. French dip sandwiches were featured along with beans and salads. Betty was in charge of making sure there were enough beans.

Then, I called Libby Dudley Sears, because I remembered talking to her at the event and she was very pregnant. Libby had agreed to attend the event, because her husband, Stan, parents, Clarence and Arde Dudley, and Dr. Meamber were all there. Yes, she thought the Republican Committee must have sponsored the event, but her first child was born Oct. 6, 1971. This was after the campaign as Reagan was elected to his second term in Nov. 1970.

(As a side note, I looked up the election results in Siskiyou County and Reagan won by 172 votes! Wow, that was a squeaker. He won the state with 52.83 percent.)

Now, I was really curious. So, I went to the county library in Yreka and looked through microfilm of Siskiyou Daily News and found two articles. The event was hosted by the Republican Central Committee on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 23, 1971. Mary Chancey was the chairman of the committee and her husband, Harold Chancey, was Master of Ceremonies. The event must have been a fundraiser for the Republican committee, but I don’t know for sure. And, yes, the governor spoke.

When chatting with my brother, Steve Dillman, about dad and the pit beef barbecues, he recalled that this event was the only time someone tried to sabotage the pit fire. It takes a cord of wood burning for 12 hours to create the deep coals needed to cook the meat. While dad had went back home, someone took the hose and watered down the fire. Dad was able to add a bunch more wood and stoke up the fire. He worried if the beef would cook enough and, luckily, it did. I remembered the sabotage, but did not recall that it was during the Gov. Reagan event.

The dinner was a success, but exhausting for the cooks. Elsie Thackeray was food chairman and also pregnant!

Well, these are just a few facts from my re-written story. It took nearly all of January and a bunch of phone calls to finally piece a pretty accurate story together, which turned-out to be 10 pages and 3,500 words! I added several photos of my Grandpa Dillman and Uncle Charley Dillman to the photo section.

So, why am I sharing this story? I believe it is extremely important to tell our stories and our ancestors’ stories. For many folks, it is hard to get started. We worry that we may get something wrong. Yep, I did on several things. Yes, it was important to me to take more time to ask other people their memories and discern as much accuracy as possible. And, it was fun. But, you don’t have to.

Just know that these stories bring our ancestors to life. A story need only be a few paragraphs about an event or activity or someone. You don’t have to end up with 3,500 words! I encourage you to give it a try. Take an old photo and write about it. There will be relatives, grandchildren and friends who will thank you!

Scott Valley Protect Our Water will meet Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 at the Fort Jones Community Center at 7 p.m.

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past year can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.

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