| |
 |
| |
|
|
Never missing a White Bird Rodeo for the past 17 years, LaVern and Edith Keeler are honored to be this
years Grand Marshalls, especially for the first rodeo held in the new permanent White Bird Arena.
Both LaVern and Edith were raised in north central Idaho and never found any place they liked better.
LaVern's great-grandfather homesteaded in Grangeville and helped start that city. Edith's ancestors all
homesteaded around the White Bird, Banner Ridge, Skookumchuck and Free Use area. Edith
went to school from Kooskia to Deer Creek School, where she was taught by Bonnie Lindsey, and then
attended Grangeville High School. LaVern went to the Fairview School on the Camas Prarie and Tolo Lake
School, where he was taught by Thelma Sherwin, then also went on to Grangeville High School. Edith and
LaVern met in 1954 and married a year later, May 17,1955 in McCall and this year celebrated their 51st
wedding anniversary. Together they raised seven children: Delvin, Lonnie, Kathy, Jerry, Donnie, Rick
and Darlene, who all, except for Kathy, live in the Grangeville area. They are blessed with 11 grandkids,
4 step-kids, 3 great-grandkids and 5 step-great-grandkids.
They attended the rodeos in Riggins, Doumecq and Grangeville as much as possible. LaVern's favorite
rodeo event is bull doggin and Edith's is bull riding and wild cow milking. In 1953, Edith was crowned Riggins
Rodeo Queen, and her father, Jim Paul, was the White Bird Grand Marshall in 1985. She has been a big
help with the White Bird Rodeo's annual Fundraiser, now known as the ˜Fun Trail Ride through the
White Bird Battlegrounds.
LaVern worked for the H & H Ranch, mined for Daryl Turner and Gerald Lindsey. At one point, he and Edith
built a house on the Harry & Anita Robinson Ranch. LaVern has farmed and ranched all of his life; in fact
he moved in to the Keeler ranch in the Tolo Lake area in 1934 and has lived there ever since. He was born
July 29, 1927 in Grangeville, the son of Dell & Sadie (Schmadeka) Keeler. Today, LaVern and Edith still
reside in this area.
Edith Paul was born on July 2, 1936 to Jim and Lanoma (New) Paul. She was the second of five children. She
and her siblings, Wilma, Jimmy, Floria and Gary, were raised in the Salmon River area and lived on the
Claar-Sherwin Ranch, which is now the Heckman ranch. All the kids attended grade school up Deer Creek.
While raising children, along with pigs, horses, cattle, sheep, chickens, gees, ducks, wheat, barley,
peas, alfalfa, Edith also waitressed and cooked for various restaurants throughout the years, and of
course helped with the ranch.
|
|
|
|
|
