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Person of the year
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| Photo courtesy Oregon Institute of Technology Martha Anne Dow attended the Baldwin Hotel Museum Centennial Dinner during the summer of 2006. She wore her grandmother’s ecru dress. The matching hat was found at Gottschalks. |
Martha Anne Dow
By Steve Kadel
H&N Staff Writer
When Martha Anne Dow taught college in Montana, one of her favorite activities was walking in the country with her young children and husband Gary. They’d search for plant and animal specimens that Dow used in her classes. Julie Del Carlo, one of the couple’s three children, recalled, “Some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around family field trips to collect big green grasshoppers, wildflowers, tadpoles and even trilobite fossils.”
Son Kevin Dow also remembers those outings, which were often to a local creek to collect water samples.
“She had bug collections and fossil collections,” he said. “She would take us out to dig up fossils in the badlands near Havre and there were always some rocks or fossils in the garage that would lie around for years.”
The love of science and learning, developed in Martha Anne’s childhood, motivated her throughout an academic career that included nine years as president of Oregon Institute of Technology.
She died Sept. 29, 2007, at age 68, after a six-month battle with breast cancer. But her impact on OIT — and to Oregon — will continue. For her selfless spirit, leadership and motivation to others, the Herald and News honors Dow as its Person of the Year for 2008.
Growing up
Martha Anne Eudy was born Jan. 3, 1939, in Little Rock, Ark. Her mother died giving birth to a stillborn sibling, and Martha Anne was raised by her maternal grandparents until she went to Havre, Mont., at age 14 to live with her father and stepmother.
Her father, who was a dispatcher for the Great Northern Railroad, had a strong work ethic that he instilled in his daughter.
Under the encouragement of her stepmother, whom she called her mother, Martha Anne became a voracious reader.
Despite her facility with language, she worried about fitting in at her new Montana school because of the way she spoke, according to OIT public affairs director Valeree Lane.
“Martha Anne said that she had a strong Southern drawl when she arrived in Montana,” Lane said. “Fearing the teasing of classmates, she worked all summer in front of the mirror to lose the drawl. Her success was assured when she called her uncle in Arkansas. He responded to her, ‘Martha Anne, you sound like a damned old Yankee.’”
Tackling challenges
She was a slight woman in stature, but had a knack for tackling large challenges and succeeding. Construction of the Martha Anne Dow Center for Health Professions on the OIT campus is the most visible testimony to her ability to orchestrate big projects.
“That was a good example of the vision she shared,” said Dick Siemens, immediate past president of the Oregon Tech Foundation. “The Foundation was working with her on that. Knowing where she wanted to go, we could start
fund-raising.
“OIT had never undertaken anything that large. There were some naysayers. They asked, ‘Why are you putting all the effort into that?’ But it’s a natural, and everyone has realized there is a lot of technology in the modern medical world.”
Martha Anne “pushed until it came about,” he said. “She brought people along kicking and screaming.”
‘Remarkable’
George Pernsteiner, chancellor of the Oregon University System, delivered a eulogy at a private memorial service for the Dow family. He called Martha Anne “a truly remarkable person.”
“For all her very public persona, she was a private person, one who was hard to know at a level deeper than she wanted us to see,” Pernsteiner said. “Yet all of us could see the compassion, the inner life of someone who loved deeply, felt deeply, cared deeply, but who was always outward directed to the benefit of others rather than herself.”
He said her grandfather was “a minister of the fire and brimstone persuasion. Martha Anne was brought up to fear God and to take two sugars in her iced tea.”
Sweethearts
Martha Anne met Gary Dow in Havre and the course of her family life was set. They were high school sweethearts, and were married for 47 years. Besides Julie Del Carlo and Kevin Dow, they had another daughter, Jerilyn Hanson. All of the children live in the Portland area, with six grandchildren.
Christmas was a special time for Martha Anne, who decorated the house with her collection of Santas.
“She always enjoyed her Christmas,” Gary said.
“The holidays were anchored by her and we all gathered wherever she was,” Jerilyn said. “She brought the excitement of Christmas by playing Christmas carols and singing along as we decorated the tree.
“I loved watching her in her apron bounce around the kitchen making lutefisk and lefsa and Swedish meatballs, all part of our family’s Norwegian
heritage.”
Gary said Martha Anne had considered doing some lab research at the University of Washington’s branch campus in Vancouver, Wash., in retirement. The school is near their home in Brush Prairie, Wash.
Both she and Gary graduated from high school in Havre. He was three years older than her, and stayed behind to work the family’s wheat farm when she left to study at Montana State University in Bozeman. When Gary was injured in a car accident, she left Montana State at the end of her first term and returned to help with his recovery.
She transferred to Montana State University-Northern in Havre, and began teaching there after graduation.
At that time, it was unusual for women to pursue science. Martha Anne wanted to become an engineer, but was told that was not an appropriate career for a woman. Instead, she became a microbiologist, finding a particular passion for the subject.
She helped build Montana-Northern’s academic program in wastewater treatment. Martha Anne also was instrumental in founding the Montana Environmental Training Center, where people from throughout the West studied wastewater treatment.
Jerilyn recalled that, when she was a child, they took “stinky trips” to wastewater sites so Martha Anne could get her samples.
Spreading her wings
By STEVE KADEL
H&N Staff Writer
Julie Del Carlo and her mother shared a special adventure when they studied together at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.
Martha Anne Dow was there for her doctorate in microbiology, which she received at age 50, and Julie was pursuing her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.
“Not every mom and wife just decides one day to go after a Ph.D. in microbiology and packs up her two daughters and a friend of one of the daughters, tells her husband to take care of himself and her son, that he can visit when he is done plowing and planting the spring wheat,” Julie said. “It’s a good thing that this husband ... understood and loved my mom enough to allow her to spread her wings and fly.”
Coming to OIT
The flight pattern included Klamath Falls. Martha Anne joined the administration at Oregon Institute of Technology in 1992, after serving from 1990-92 as vice president of academic affairs at Montana-Northern.
She began as OIT’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, positions she held for six years. In 1998, she became OIT’s fifth president.
Doug Yates was OIT’s vice president for finance and administration for part of Martha Anne’s tenure, and was husband Gary Dow’s golfing buddy. Yates remembers Martha Anne as someone who thoughtfully listened to what others had to say.
“She didn’t take people’s issues lightly,” he said. “I think she was effective because she regarded everyone’s work as important. She expected everyone in administration to do their job, and in return she trusted you.”
Yates called her a wonderful public speaker.
“You looked around the room and everyone was warming to her,” he said. “She was very articulate, and always had the right thing to say.”
Martha Anne weathered a period of severe cutbacks in higher education funding. Yates said Martha Anne did the best job possible with declining
revenues.
“Enrollment gradually went up and we’ve added programs,” Yates said. “The school has never been more robust. It’s a tribute to her that she began to put everything back together and add programs.”
Enrollment at OIT grew by about 1,000 students during Martha Anne’s presidency. Some current students are among those who appreciated her low-key approach to a demanding job.
OIT student body president Chris Frazier recalled a dinner that student body officers attended at the home of Martha Anne and Gary.
“I remember her greeting us all at the door and hanging up our coats,” Frazier said. “To me, that small act of service showed just how humble she really was.”
Another OIT student, communication major Paul Titus, said Martha Anne was extremely approachable.
“She would always have time to talk to you,” he said.
Titus mentioned the time Martha Anne returned early from a meeting in Portland so she could attend his photography exhibition on the OIT campus.
Fellow administrators have high praise, too.
Enthusiasm
Interim President David Woodall said Martha Anne always radiated enthusiasm for OIT and its impact statewide.
“In terms of economic development, in workforce development, in manufacturing, in health care, and in renewable energy we have a big impact,” he said. “Martha Anne saw that. She had great vision for what OIT could be and what its role was.”
Woodall credited her for bringing statewide recognition to the looming health care workforce issue.
“That was a major activity that nobody else in the state put effort into, thought about or wanted to focus on,” he said. “And she did that.”
Joe Holliday, OIT vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, described Martha Anne as “driven, tireless, selfless, ornery, compassionate, student-centered, a supportive supervisor, beloved friend, loved by many — respected by all.”
School champion
He added that her legacy includes being OIT’s unrivaled champion when dealing with the governor, federal officials and state legislators as well as the State Board of Higher Education.
“I’m sure many of those people would agree that Martha Anne was like a train headed your way — you either got on board or got out of her way,” Holliday said.
He recalled another characteristic, too.
“Martha Anne loved to laugh,” Holliday said. “For some reason, I knew where her funny bone was. I think she looked forward to my weekly meetings with her because — even if we didn’t accomplish anything major in an hour — she knew there’d be a laugh or two in there to lighten both of our loads and ease the stress of the daily work battle.”
Remembering a woman of
enthusiasm and dedication
State and national officials offered remembrances after Martha Anne Dow’s death Sept. 29, 2007. Among them:
Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Oregon — “I was always impressed with her intelligence, enthusiasm and vision for OIT. Her leadership transformed the institute, expanding the engineering, computer science and renewable energy
programs.
“As she battled breast cancer, President Dow would often ask medical technicians providing her treatment where they had received their training. She was very proud to hear that many had been trained at OIT, in the very programs she helped to expand.
“Those professionals, and countless more to follow, are Martha Anne Dow’s legacy. And I am proud to say her legacy will truly affect eternity.”
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon — “She had the rare ability to translate her vision of the future for OIT into meaningful action. In her calm, quiet, no-nonsense way, she took action and made things happen. Never theatrical, never self-serving, never a bad word about others, Martha Anne just kept a positive attitude and made forward progress.”
Gov. Ted Kulongoski — “Dr. Dow’s dedication to raising the aspirations of Oregon students to attend college reflected her unwavering belief in every person’s ability to grow, learn, and give back to their communities. She will remain for us always a heroine of educational advancement and a true Oregon treasure.”
George Pernsteiner, chancellor of the Oregon University System — “Martha Anne’s friends will tell you that she was generous, loyal, intelligent, and determined. She would do anything in her power to help someone and expect nothing in return. I know she wanted to make sure that others were recognized for their life’s achievements, making sure they were honored and that her own accomplishments were not highlighted.
“Martha Anne Dow had the strength of will that is found only in those who have had to overcome challenges themselves. She fought for the underdog and was known to make decisions based on her heart’s response as much or more than the careful calculation that made her such an effective leader.”
Joseph W. Cox, chancellor emeritus of the Oregon University System — “In this deceptively soft-spoken, mild-mannered, demure, diminutive package was a fiercely determined dynamo whose love for OIT was at the core of her being. OIT weathered the storms of financial ups and downs, and throughout it all she never allowed the campus to see anything but a resolute leader who would get them through it.”
Henry Lorenzen, president of the State Board of Higher Education — “Martha Anne was not only a highly talented and innovative educator, she was also an incredibly kind, thoughtful and genuine friend and colleague for all of us who had the honor of working with her. Martha Anne has left an indelible mark on OIT, Klamath Falls, the state, and on the thousands of students she has taught, mentored and guided to a college degree in Oregon.”
On and off task
One member of the OIT family who knew Martha Anne Dow best is Paula Cloud, executive secretary to the president for eight and a half years.
“She was a task master,” Cloud said. “She had extremely high expectations and a strong work ethic, but she didn’t expect any more of you than she did of herself.”
Martha Anne was an Elvis fan, Cloud recalled, although the music was never played at work. Cloud said Elvis does figure in one of her memories of Martha Anne, though.
Cloud said she and OIT public affairs director Valeree Lane purchased an MP3 player for Martha Anne after her illness began. They downloaded lots of gospel and religious songs before giving her the present. Although appreciating their effort, Cloud said, Martha Anne asked for some Elvis tunes — a request that was quickly filled.
Martha Anne’s informal side also was on display years ago when Cloud and others tried to schedule a portrait of her to hang in the college union next to those of previous presidents.
“I cannot tell you how many times we had appointments scheduled and they were canceled,” Cloud said. “She was so humble.”
To encourage Martha Anne to do the portrait, Cloud and other staff members found a Halloween photo of her in a poodle skirt, letterman’s sweater, funny wig and glasses. They enlarged and framed a copy, and hung it in a College Union room where Martha Anne was about to arrive.
“She was so business-oriented that she didn’t even look at it,” Cloud said. “We had to show it to her.”
Near the end of Martha Anne’s life, Cloud spent lots of time with her and they often prayed together. Cloud said she was very close to the woman who was her boss.
“I was blessed to work with her,” she said.
Taking time to relax
After moving to Klamath Falls, the Dows became friends with OIT staff photographer Mary Smothers and her husband Leo. The Smothers had a four-seat airplane and both were pilots.
“One thing she loved to do was fly somewhere for breakfast,” Mary Smothers said. “Her favorite was to fly up to Sunriver, or sometimes to Cal Pines west of Alturas.”
Rides in the small plane didn’t affect Martha Anne’s appetite, although one accommodation was necessary.
“I had to give her a booster seat because she was so short,” Mary Smothers said.
— By Steve Kadel
Son Kevin Dow also remembers those outings, which were often to a local creek to collect water samples.
“She had bug collections and fossil collections,” he said. “She would take us out to dig up fossils in the badlands near Havre and there were always some rocks or fossils in the garage that would lie around for years.”
The love of science and learning, developed in Martha Anne’s childhood, motivated her throughout an academic career that included nine years as president of Oregon Institute of Technology.
She died Sept. 29, 2007, at age 68, after a six-month battle with breast cancer. But her impact on OIT — and to Oregon — will continue. For her selfless spirit, leadership and motivation to others, the Herald and News honors Dow as its Person of the Year for 2008.
Growing up
Martha Anne Eudy was born Jan. 3, 1939, in Little Rock, Ark. Her mother died giving birth to a stillborn sibling, and Martha Anne was raised by her maternal grandparents until she went to Havre, Mont., at age 14 to live with her father and stepmother.
Her father, who was a dispatcher for the Great Northern Railroad, had a strong work ethic that he instilled in his daughter.
Under the encouragement of her stepmother, whom she called her mother, Martha Anne became a voracious reader.
Despite her facility with language, she worried about fitting in at her new Montana school because of the way she spoke, according to OIT public affairs director Valeree Lane.
“Martha Anne said that she had a strong Southern drawl when she arrived in Montana,” Lane said. “Fearing the teasing of classmates, she worked all summer in front of the mirror to lose the drawl. Her success was assured when she called her uncle in Arkansas. He responded to her, ‘Martha Anne, you sound like a damned old Yankee.’”
Tackling challenges
She was a slight woman in stature, but had a knack for tackling large challenges and succeeding. Construction of the Martha Anne Dow Center for Health Professions on the OIT campus is the most visible testimony to her ability to orchestrate big projects.
“That was a good example of the vision she shared,” said Dick Siemens, immediate past president of the Oregon Tech Foundation. “The Foundation was working with her on that. Knowing where she wanted to go, we could start
fund-raising.
“OIT had never undertaken anything that large. There were some naysayers. They asked, ‘Why are you putting all the effort into that?’ But it’s a natural, and everyone has realized there is a lot of technology in the modern medical world.”
Martha Anne “pushed until it came about,” he said. “She brought people along kicking and screaming.”
‘Remarkable’
George Pernsteiner, chancellor of the Oregon University System, delivered a eulogy at a private memorial service for the Dow family. He called Martha Anne “a truly remarkable person.”
“For all her very public persona, she was a private person, one who was hard to know at a level deeper than she wanted us to see,” Pernsteiner said. “Yet all of us could see the compassion, the inner life of someone who loved deeply, felt deeply, cared deeply, but who was always outward directed to the benefit of others rather than herself.”
He said her grandfather was “a minister of the fire and brimstone persuasion. Martha Anne was brought up to fear God and to take two sugars in her iced tea.”
Sweethearts
Martha Anne met Gary Dow in Havre and the course of her family life was set. They were high school sweethearts, and were married for 47 years. Besides Julie Del Carlo and Kevin Dow, they had another daughter, Jerilyn Hanson. All of the children live in the Portland area, with six grandchildren.
Christmas was a special time for Martha Anne, who decorated the house with her collection of Santas.
“She always enjoyed her Christmas,” Gary said.
“The holidays were anchored by her and we all gathered wherever she was,” Jerilyn said. “She brought the excitement of Christmas by playing Christmas carols and singing along as we decorated the tree.
“I loved watching her in her apron bounce around the kitchen making lutefisk and lefsa and Swedish meatballs, all part of our family’s Norwegian
heritage.”
Gary said Martha Anne had considered doing some lab research at the University of Washington’s branch campus in Vancouver, Wash., in retirement. The school is near their home in Brush Prairie, Wash.
Both she and Gary graduated from high school in Havre. He was three years older than her, and stayed behind to work the family’s wheat farm when she left to study at Montana State University in Bozeman. When Gary was injured in a car accident, she left Montana State at the end of her first term and returned to help with his recovery.
She transferred to Montana State University-Northern in Havre, and began teaching there after graduation.
At that time, it was unusual for women to pursue science. Martha Anne wanted to become an engineer, but was told that was not an appropriate career for a woman. Instead, she became a microbiologist, finding a particular passion for the subject.
She helped build Montana-Northern’s academic program in wastewater treatment. Martha Anne also was instrumental in founding the Montana Environmental Training Center, where people from throughout the West studied wastewater treatment.
Jerilyn recalled that, when she was a child, they took “stinky trips” to wastewater sites so Martha Anne could get her samples.
Spreading her wings
By STEVE KADEL
H&N Staff Writer
Julie Del Carlo and her mother shared a special adventure when they studied together at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.
Martha Anne Dow was there for her doctorate in microbiology, which she received at age 50, and Julie was pursuing her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.
“Not every mom and wife just decides one day to go after a Ph.D. in microbiology and packs up her two daughters and a friend of one of the daughters, tells her husband to take care of himself and her son, that he can visit when he is done plowing and planting the spring wheat,” Julie said. “It’s a good thing that this husband ... understood and loved my mom enough to allow her to spread her wings and fly.”
Coming to OIT
The flight pattern included Klamath Falls. Martha Anne joined the administration at Oregon Institute of Technology in 1992, after serving from 1990-92 as vice president of academic affairs at Montana-Northern.
She began as OIT’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, positions she held for six years. In 1998, she became OIT’s fifth president.
Doug Yates was OIT’s vice president for finance and administration for part of Martha Anne’s tenure, and was husband Gary Dow’s golfing buddy. Yates remembers Martha Anne as someone who thoughtfully listened to what others had to say.
“She didn’t take people’s issues lightly,” he said. “I think she was effective because she regarded everyone’s work as important. She expected everyone in administration to do their job, and in return she trusted you.”
Yates called her a wonderful public speaker.
“You looked around the room and everyone was warming to her,” he said. “She was very articulate, and always had the right thing to say.”
Martha Anne weathered a period of severe cutbacks in higher education funding. Yates said Martha Anne did the best job possible with declining
revenues.
“Enrollment gradually went up and we’ve added programs,” Yates said. “The school has never been more robust. It’s a tribute to her that she began to put everything back together and add programs.”
Enrollment at OIT grew by about 1,000 students during Martha Anne’s presidency. Some current students are among those who appreciated her low-key approach to a demanding job.
OIT student body president Chris Frazier recalled a dinner that student body officers attended at the home of Martha Anne and Gary.
“I remember her greeting us all at the door and hanging up our coats,” Frazier said. “To me, that small act of service showed just how humble she really was.”
Another OIT student, communication major Paul Titus, said Martha Anne was extremely approachable.
“She would always have time to talk to you,” he said.
Titus mentioned the time Martha Anne returned early from a meeting in Portland so she could attend his photography exhibition on the OIT campus.
Fellow administrators have high praise, too.
Enthusiasm
Interim President David Woodall said Martha Anne always radiated enthusiasm for OIT and its impact statewide.
“In terms of economic development, in workforce development, in manufacturing, in health care, and in renewable energy we have a big impact,” he said. “Martha Anne saw that. She had great vision for what OIT could be and what its role was.”
Woodall credited her for bringing statewide recognition to the looming health care workforce issue.
“That was a major activity that nobody else in the state put effort into, thought about or wanted to focus on,” he said. “And she did that.”
Joe Holliday, OIT vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, described Martha Anne as “driven, tireless, selfless, ornery, compassionate, student-centered, a supportive supervisor, beloved friend, loved by many — respected by all.”
School champion
He added that her legacy includes being OIT’s unrivaled champion when dealing with the governor, federal officials and state legislators as well as the State Board of Higher Education.
“I’m sure many of those people would agree that Martha Anne was like a train headed your way — you either got on board or got out of her way,” Holliday said.
He recalled another characteristic, too.
“Martha Anne loved to laugh,” Holliday said. “For some reason, I knew where her funny bone was. I think she looked forward to my weekly meetings with her because — even if we didn’t accomplish anything major in an hour — she knew there’d be a laugh or two in there to lighten both of our loads and ease the stress of the daily work battle.”
Remembering a woman of
enthusiasm and dedication
State and national officials offered remembrances after Martha Anne Dow’s death Sept. 29, 2007. Among them:
Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Oregon — “I was always impressed with her intelligence, enthusiasm and vision for OIT. Her leadership transformed the institute, expanding the engineering, computer science and renewable energy
programs.
“As she battled breast cancer, President Dow would often ask medical technicians providing her treatment where they had received their training. She was very proud to hear that many had been trained at OIT, in the very programs she helped to expand.
“Those professionals, and countless more to follow, are Martha Anne Dow’s legacy. And I am proud to say her legacy will truly affect eternity.”
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon — “She had the rare ability to translate her vision of the future for OIT into meaningful action. In her calm, quiet, no-nonsense way, she took action and made things happen. Never theatrical, never self-serving, never a bad word about others, Martha Anne just kept a positive attitude and made forward progress.”
Gov. Ted Kulongoski — “Dr. Dow’s dedication to raising the aspirations of Oregon students to attend college reflected her unwavering belief in every person’s ability to grow, learn, and give back to their communities. She will remain for us always a heroine of educational advancement and a true Oregon treasure.”
George Pernsteiner, chancellor of the Oregon University System — “Martha Anne’s friends will tell you that she was generous, loyal, intelligent, and determined. She would do anything in her power to help someone and expect nothing in return. I know she wanted to make sure that others were recognized for their life’s achievements, making sure they were honored and that her own accomplishments were not highlighted.
“Martha Anne Dow had the strength of will that is found only in those who have had to overcome challenges themselves. She fought for the underdog and was known to make decisions based on her heart’s response as much or more than the careful calculation that made her such an effective leader.”
Joseph W. Cox, chancellor emeritus of the Oregon University System — “In this deceptively soft-spoken, mild-mannered, demure, diminutive package was a fiercely determined dynamo whose love for OIT was at the core of her being. OIT weathered the storms of financial ups and downs, and throughout it all she never allowed the campus to see anything but a resolute leader who would get them through it.”
Henry Lorenzen, president of the State Board of Higher Education — “Martha Anne was not only a highly talented and innovative educator, she was also an incredibly kind, thoughtful and genuine friend and colleague for all of us who had the honor of working with her. Martha Anne has left an indelible mark on OIT, Klamath Falls, the state, and on the thousands of students she has taught, mentored and guided to a college degree in Oregon.”
On and off task
One member of the OIT family who knew Martha Anne Dow best is Paula Cloud, executive secretary to the president for eight and a half years.
“She was a task master,” Cloud said. “She had extremely high expectations and a strong work ethic, but she didn’t expect any more of you than she did of herself.”
Martha Anne was an Elvis fan, Cloud recalled, although the music was never played at work. Cloud said Elvis does figure in one of her memories of Martha Anne, though.
Cloud said she and OIT public affairs director Valeree Lane purchased an MP3 player for Martha Anne after her illness began. They downloaded lots of gospel and religious songs before giving her the present. Although appreciating their effort, Cloud said, Martha Anne asked for some Elvis tunes — a request that was quickly filled.
Martha Anne’s informal side also was on display years ago when Cloud and others tried to schedule a portrait of her to hang in the college union next to those of previous presidents.
“I cannot tell you how many times we had appointments scheduled and they were canceled,” Cloud said. “She was so humble.”
To encourage Martha Anne to do the portrait, Cloud and other staff members found a Halloween photo of her in a poodle skirt, letterman’s sweater, funny wig and glasses. They enlarged and framed a copy, and hung it in a College Union room where Martha Anne was about to arrive.
“She was so business-oriented that she didn’t even look at it,” Cloud said. “We had to show it to her.”
Near the end of Martha Anne’s life, Cloud spent lots of time with her and they often prayed together. Cloud said she was very close to the woman who was her boss.
“I was blessed to work with her,” she said.
Taking time to relax
After moving to Klamath Falls, the Dows became friends with OIT staff photographer Mary Smothers and her husband Leo. The Smothers had a four-seat airplane and both were pilots.
“One thing she loved to do was fly somewhere for breakfast,” Mary Smothers said. “Her favorite was to fly up to Sunriver, or sometimes to Cal Pines west of Alturas.”
Rides in the small plane didn’t affect Martha Anne’s appetite, although one accommodation was necessary.
“I had to give her a booster seat because she was so short,” Mary Smothers said.
— By Steve Kadel
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Greg Regan wrote on Jan 2, 2008 9:11 PM: