By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

Pioneer Day 2008 is almost here. This year, the honorees include Pete Williams as the Pioneer President and Virginia Coble as the Queen Mother. The big day, Saturday, June 14, will start with pioneer registration (for those who have lived in Harney County for 30 or more years) beginning at 9 a.m. at the Senior and Community Services Center, 17 S. Alder. A potluck lunch will be served at noon and the program will begin at 1:30 p.m. One of the organizers, Mildred Fine, said everyone is welcome.

Both of this year’s Pioneer Day honorees were born and raised in Harney County and have called the high desert home for more than 80 years.

Pete Williams

Birthdays are often a time for reflection. Pioneer President A.D. (Pete) Williams turns 83 this Sunday, June 15, and has a lifetime of rich memories from growing up and living in Harney County.

Born the youngest of four boys to Bert and Sadie Williams, he grew up in Princeton on his uncle George’s original homestead.
Williams’ father was employed as a World Progressive Administration trapper. He then became a government trapper and was also a supervisor at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge.

Williams likely inherited his father’s knack for trapping. As a youth, he took up snaring and shooting jack rabbits to make a little money. He received $.05 for each pair of ears. One time, he brought in 1,265 pairs. He made more money hunting jack rabbits that year than his brothers did working in the hay fields. Williams got to be such a good shot that out of a box of 50 shells, he could almost guarantee a bounty of 48 rabbits.

Williams attended first through fourth grades in Princeton and then moved on to schooling in Crane where he attended fifth through eighth grades and then lived in the dormitory attending high school in Crane as well.

Williams tried playing basketball and football, but decided neither sport was for him. However, he excelled at boxing. The Crane principal also happened to be the boxing instructor.

At the age of 16, Williams graduated from Crane Union High School and went to work for Pete Obeago during lambing season. He then hayed for Charlie Beckley and cleared ground for Earl Sitz.

Some of the sites that he prepped for construction included the old Harney District Hospital, the Presbyterian Church and the old One-Stop Shop.

Williams did a lot of haying at the Bell A and the P Ranch. In 1945, the crew was haying a field at the Bell A in the afternoon when a plane flew over with a large banner that read, “The War Is Over.” Haying, at that point, stopped for the day as everybody celebrated.

In 1953, Williams began working for Jim Poteet, who leased the Bell A. Williams was in charge of feeding the cattle during the winter.

In June 1955, Williams married Argetta Stedham, who was originally from Wyoming. The two met at the Bell A. Argetta worked in the kitchen, cooking for the hay crews and buckaroos. The couple spent a lot of time in the saddle trailing steers from field to field.

The couple had two children, Mike and Letha. Williams continued to work and live on the ranch with his family. A lot of time was spent in Catlow Valley and on the desert near Wagontire and Glass Butte.

The Williams now live on a ranch just outside of Burns. Their son, Mike, an electrician, lives in a nearby house on the ranch with his family. Daughter Letha is a vet technician and lives in Sisters.

When Williams found out he had been selected as the Pioneer President for 2008, he almost passed up the honor. “They called and at first, he was going to refuse,” his wife, Argetta, said. “But our daughter, Letha, called and talked him into it.”

This Saturday, Williams will be surrounded by friends and family who will honor him as a true Harney County pioneer.

Virginia Coble

“I’ve lived in Harney County all my life,” said Queen Mother Virginia Coble.

Her parents were homesteaders who settled in the high desert. Coble was born in 1922. Her mother died when she was just 6 years old. She and her sister were raised by their aunt Myrtle Caldwell in the Sodhouse area and attended grade school there.

Coble went to Crane Union High School and eventually married Jess Gibson. The couple lived on a ranch in Riley for about 30 years.

They had three daughters, Edna, Evelyn and Elizabeth. When her eldest daughter Edna started high school, Coble started driving the school bus to and from Riley. She had intended to do the job just while her girls were in school. “Then I was going to quit,” she said. “But they wouldn’t let me.” Coble ended up driving the bus to and from Riley for 27 years.

Coble said driving the bus was a good experience for the most part. She enjoyed helping kids with their homework and chatting with them during the drive. The ranch kids were well-behaved. “I had some city kids one time who thought they were going to raise heck,” she said. “But when I got through with them, they were pretty good kids.”

Throughout the years, Coble has been involved with a number of groups and projects. She helped raise funds to build the grade school in Riley. She has also been involved with the Cattlewomen, 4-H and the Pioneer Association.

Coble said she essentially raised her girls on her own because her husband traveled in the summers. She ended up doing ranch work for a neighbor for seven years during World War II to make ends meet for her family. “I did a man’s work,” she said.

Coble and her husband eventually separated and he went to live in Prineville. He passed away eight years ago. She now lives at the Aspens in Hines.

Coble’s daughter Evelyn died of Hodgkin’s disease about 10 years ago. Edna lives in Harney County, and Elizabeth lives in New Mexico.

Coble looks forward to Pioneer Day at the Senior Center when she will get to see her daughters as well as other family members who will come into town for the big event. She tries to get her family together every summer for a family reunion. “I think people should make an effort to do that when they get older,” she said.