Ancestors
My paternal grandfather, T. Finley Whipps and his family migrated to Oregon from Minnesota by train in the early 20th Century. They bought a farm near Cottage Grove, Oregon. He and my grandmother, Florence had four children — Charles, Nelson (my father), Vern, and Gladys. The boys all stayed in Oregon throughout their lives. My aunt Gladys moved to California.
My maternal grandmother was Henrietta Brewer. I don’t know anything about her history, but I have some wonderful memories of her.
She lived in Veneta, Oregon about 14 miles from Eugene. Even though electricity was available, she didn’t have it in her house. She cooked on a wood stove and used kerosene lamps for light.
My fondest memory is when she would read Zane Grey books to me by lantern. I once tried riding my tricycle from Eugene to visit her. I was stopped and lost the use of my tricycle for a long time.
