PART SEVEN Oral Histories and Family Memoirs - Mountain Light ...

May 17, 1912 and concluded, “This is the first instance of an explosion of this kind and is being
investigated closely.”
II. Eva Litzenberger, Medford, Oregon, letter to Richard Scheuerman,
St. John, Washington, May 18, 1996
“Cousin Eva” Litzenberger O‟Neill Baldaree (1907-2009) served as a
public school teacher at Reed Point, Montana (1929-31), teacher and
principal in Oregon (1931-64), and professor of education at Oregon State
University (1964-72). She was an intrepid globetrotter who wrote, “It‟s our
Arabian blood—I‟m never happier that when seeing the world.” A partial list of
her far flung travels includes Africa (1965), Australia and the South Pacific
(1967), Europe (1969, 1988, 1990), Panama to Africa via tramp steamer and by
air to Southeast Asia—the first of many such expeditions by freighter (1970-
71), Russia (1973, 1977, 1988, 1992, 1993 and 1994 with me), South America
(1973-74), around the world on the Norwegian freighter Traviata (1975),
Mediterranean and Black Sea (1977, 1989), Italy (1979), China (1984),
Southeast Asia (1990), African Safaris (1991, 1993), Antarctica (1993-94),
Mexico (1995), Hawaii (1995), and Central Asia and China (1996).
In the fall of 2008 our family stopped to see eva at her retirement
center in Medford, Oregon where at age 101 she was the oldest resident. We
visited about the trips we took together to Germany and Russia beneath her
display of family mementoes. One she has cherished for years is the colorful
wood bowl painted in gold, red, and black brought to America from Russia by
her Litzenberger grandparents in 1876. At her memorial service in the
Endicott Cemetery on May 26, 2009, I read Psalm 121, the so-called
“Traveler‟s Psalm.” We gathered afterward with our Litzenberger relatives
from Oregon to reminisce about her remarkable life.
At an early age I was allowed to cross the street [in Endicott] past the Ochs and Repp homes to
Grandpa [Henry B.] Scheuerman‟s. He was usually reading a paper (in German from Portland, I think).
He was a friendly, kind, handsome gentleman with a full, well-kept attractive beard. His swollen hand and
leg were puzzling to a small child and apparently an inquiry was made. As I recall he told me he had met
with a group of doctors at one time. Also I do not remember what the diagnosis was. He had had this a
long time and it appeared to remain the same. It looked like what I‟ve read about elephantiasis.
I saw him angry once. Grandma Scheuerman 1 was telling me something he apparently thought
was inappropriate for a child. He asked her to discontinue which she did. One time later in grade school, I
stayed with them for several days while my other grandparents were off somewhere. At supper Grandma
served tea with preserved cherries (very Russian). It was a special treat. We also had Suesspleena. The
hemline of Grandma Scheuerman‟s dresses looked a little different. The skirts touched the sidewalk and
“swished” as she walked—similar to those worn by women in a poster I brought back from Russia. I
think Grandpa married his brother‟s widow and they came via South America.
In later years when I returned to Endicott, I always called on Grandpa and Grandma Scheuerman.
He and I usually went to the cellar for a glass of some berry wine which he had made. I‟ll bet there were
some treasures found in that cellar!
Uncle Karl [Scheuerman] called me “Buster.” I don‟t know why—unless it was my dark skin.
One time when Uncle Karl and Aunt Lena were living on the farm, I went out for a visit for a few days.
(My Grandmother Litzenberger should be given credit for keeping me in touch with my Mother‟s
family.) 2 The men were out harvesting. Aunt Lena and I went to see the [John] Repp family and spent the
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