Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/252862
Elwin Roney was born August 11, 1920 to third generation Tehama Coun- ty ranchers Jock and Ulri- ca Roney. They lived on Pine Creek where he attended the one room Live Oak School and graduated from Los Moli- nos High School. Gradu- ating from UC Davis in 1942 with a B.S. in Ani- mal Husbandry. He mar- ried Emily Uhl on Nov. 21, 1943. Roney died Jan. 22 at his ranch home at 93 years. Mother, Bill and I were privileged to attend a wonderful 60th wedding anniversary celebration for Elwin and Emily host- ed by their children Wally & Billie Roney and Cathy &Edgar Oviedo in Chico. "Through the Years" was the theme and each table was named for one of the stops on their cattle drives to Clover Valley, north of Westwood. Travis Meadows, Bennett Springs, Cold Springs, Soda Springs, Colby Meadows, Moody Mead- ows, Chester, Bailey Creek, Tamarack and Clover Valley. The cattle drives were discontinued in the early '70s when it was cheaper to use cattle trucks than to make three trips each spring. Several years they had help from the "dudes" who paid to go on the cat- tle drive. Elwin did eco- tourism before it was pro- moted as the thing to do, and they say he had funny sto- ries of those days. Wally said they could take only about 300 head plus calves on the trail at one time. There- fore, the first group arrived at Eagle Lake on May 15, the cat- tle for Harvey arrived June 1 and then there were the cattle for Clover Val- ley, where the Roney fam- ily spent their summers. Elwin was emcee and told the family history. We have lost another his- torian with his passing. Then Roney introduced the guests at each table and how they were special through the years. There was the close neighbor who helped on the control burns, the trail cooks and riders over the years. The bridesmaids and ushers, friends who play bridge, the feed store owner, the man who grew the almonds for the UCD research, and the Willard- Barton's had shared the Eagle Lake grazing allot- ment for over 50 years. When Earl McKenzie gave up his Forest Service grazing permit on Eagle Lake, my father got the permit in 1952. He didn't have the 500 head of cows to fill the permit so he shared with Elwin and George of the Roney Brothers. We kept sharing until our permit was cut to 70 head, and it wasn't worth the trouble keeping the For- est Service happy in 2005. Then Elwin announced that on the trail sometimes the chuck wagon got lost, and it looked like that was what happened. The caterer had forgotten or had the wrong date. Someone scrambled getting all the barbecue chicken and tri-tip, maca- roni salad, buttered french bread in the grocery stores to serve on paper plates with a can of cola. Delicious wedding cake. A video with pictures of their life was of interest to the guests. The missing chuck-wagon fit into the theme, but I am sure it wasn't planned. *** At the Jim Owens Memorial Ranch Rodeo, two horses were led in with empty saddles. "Sadly from time to time the ranch rodeo committee loses someone that has been a large part of their ranch rodeo family. Unfortunate- ly this year is no excep- tion." Henry Heitman's father Ralph Heitman was remembered with his grandson Kalin Heitman leading the horse. Robin led the horse with empty saddle for her father, Hubert Ostrum of Roscoe, MT, or as many affection- ately referred to him as "Uncle Hubert." "Hubert started coming to California mostly in the winter and spring some 30 years ago. Several years he grazed yearlings on the Carrissa Plains. He bought stocker cattle and on occa- sion some cows out west. "He was drawn to the milder winter climate but most of all he was drawn to the people. When back home in MT he loved to tell stories of the good horses he had seen and the cowboys he had met. "Stories like the time Tom Nonella's black ranch horse bronc hit the cinder- block wall in this very arena. Pitching him over the fence and into the rail on the other side. "Stories about how for two weeks in a row the end of January people volun- teer their time and resources. To produce a ranch rodeo and a bull and gelding sale and never expect anything in return. They just show up year after year to do their respective jobs. "Kind of a nervous sort of guy. He wasn't one to come set in the stands at an event such as this. He would hangout on the north end with Kenneth and the cattle crew. His sorting stick in his hand, spinning circles. Wonder- ing what to do next, and always ready to take over, at which Kenneth would say "Hubert, you are not in MT any more. Just relax." "And so it was on a chilly morning in May, Hubert anxiously got up and headed out. Just 25 miles away in a neighbor- ing town he met the crew at a growyard where he had purchased a string of grass yearlings. "They weighed the cat- tle, sorted the cuts, and ran the finances. As in true "Uncle Hubert" fashion, he said "Boys, lets go. I'm buying breakfast." He ordered breakfast, took his first sip of coffee, and his cowboy hat still on his head, and his boots on his feet he leaned back and passed on to that cowboy heaven in the sky. "A place where the grass is always plentiful and green, the water runs clear, and a yearling steer gains 300 lbs each and every season. "He loved Red Bluff and the cowboy life." This eulogy was deliv- ered by his son, Terrill Ostrum, a member of the committee during the grand entry. Jean Barton can be reached at jbarton2013@gmail.com. 2B Daily News – Saturday, February 1, 2014 … And that does not Count all the ads offering percentage discounts, two-for-ones and Free-with-Purchase offers! Don't miss a Day of it! Subscribe Today 527-2151 It pays for itself. N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY $ 16,890 54 in Discount Coupons were published last week in the *approx. value Saigon Bistro NEW BUFFET Lunch Express American & International Food Lunch Buffet Wed-Sat 11 - 2:30 DINNER BUFFET Fri-Sat 5pm-8pm Biscuits & Gravy, Meatloaf, Salad Bar, Sushi, Gumbo, Cajun Shrimp, Sandwiches, Fruit Salad and more Wine & Beer - Catering available 723 Walnut St. Red Bluff • 528-9670 Agriculture farm&ranch Remembering Elwin Roney Courtesy photo Enjoying the Bill and Peggy Wilbanks 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 9, 2013, were 93-year-old Elwin Roney and Mickie Williams. In the 1960s and 1970s Mickie and daughters had a string of horses, and led trail rides at Papoose Meadow, Eagle Lake while Roney Land & Livestock furnished the necessary permits and insurance for this recreation project. Jean Barton Registration open for professional compost training workshop SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly's Center for Sustainability in the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences will hold a five-day pro- fessional training program on composting March 24-28 at the Cal Poly Compost Unit. The training will be comprised of two segments: a four-day certificate-training program on large- scale composting followed by a one-day workshop. Participants may sign up for one of the two ses- sions, or both at a reduced cost. The four-day workshop is designed to teach par- ticipants about the entire composting process, from site selection and management techniques to com- post utilization and marketing strategies. Regulato- ry considerations and current trends in composting will be addressed. A combination of classroom, lab- oratory and hands-on exercises will provide partic- ipants with practice in siting, recipe development, chemical analysis and maturity testing. Participants will also tour regional composting operations, farms and municipalities that have incorporated composting. A certificate of technical ability will be conferred upon completion of the course. The one-day workshop on March 28 will provide information and cutting-edge research for the effec- tive assessment and use of compost for growers at all scales of production. Special emphasis will be placed on the benefits of compost for nutrient man- agement and soil health. Information on novel com- posting methods and product applications will be provided, and a trade show-style exhibit will pro- vide a forum for compost producers, growers and educators to network. Education offered at the sym- posium will build upon information given at the preceding four-day training. The training and symposium are open to the public and will be geared toward agricultural pro- fessionals and farmers, conservation and waste management professionals, community members and students. Cost for the four-day course is $450, which includes instructional materials, lunch and breaks. The one-day workshop is $150. Full regis- tration for both courses is $500. Sponsorship oppor- tunities are available. The workshops are a compo- nent of the Cal Poly Compost Project, funded by the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust. To register, contact the Center for Sustainability at 805-756-5086 or cfs@calpoly.edu. To learn more about the Cal Poly Compost Project, visit www.cfs.calpoly.edu/compost_training.html. The Cal Poly Compost Unit is one of the nation's largest university composting facilities. It produces high-quality compost that has received the Seal of Testing Assurance from the U.S. Composting Council. Have a news tip? Call 527-2151, Ext. 112