Wallowa County Oregon

This page part of the Wallowa County AGHP Site

Grandma Edna Bork Conrad

(My boys don't have a lot of stories of their relatives. Mike was kind enough to send me this story of Edna. He was also nice enough to allow me to put it on the site so I could share it with others. The music file included on the front page of this section is a sample of the music he talks about. I so love stories. I appreciate it more than Mike will ever know. - Janine)

Grandma Conrad was born in Germany. I'm not sure how many brothers or sisters she had. I do know that one of her brothers was "Fred". She told us a story once about when they were children. They saved their money bit by
bit to come to America by carefully rationing. One evening all they had to eat were potatoes. They had to leave to go somewhere and left a very young Fred to watch the potatoes as they boiled on the fire. He got to playing, forgot, and the potatoes burned. So, they had no dinner at all that night. I remember my Granddad (Eda's son, Vern or "Buss" was his NIC-name) speak up as Great Grandma was telling about coming from Germany and state, "Yeah, Fred got to playin' around and damn near fell off the boat, too!"

I'm not sure where or how Eda Bork became Eda Conrad. I DO know they lived in Flora, OR for many years and they had a Mill. After Great Grandfather Conrad passed away, Grandma moved to Joseph. I remember that house so well. White, single story, I could drive right to it today (if it's still there). It was right on the main drag of Joseph at the upper end heading toward Wallowa Lake, on the right side of the highway.

The first time I ever saw a "Pump-Organ" was at Grandma Conrad's house. I was fascinated with it. It had two big pedals that you pushed and things called "stoppers" that you pulled out or pushed in depending how you wanted it to sound. I always wondered what ever became of that old organ.

I know that Grandma Conrad was a Methodist but when she lived in Joseph somehow she ended up being a Baptist.

I wish I'd been old enough to ask more questions! I remember her to have quite a sense of humor and say some of the funniest things.

I wish I'd been a bit older when Grandma Conrad was alive. She was very elderly by the time I came along. She was the first person in "my" life to pass away. I believe I was about 5... maybe 4. At any rate, my parents thought I was too young to attend the funeral but I was FULL of questions. I was very concerned about Great Grandma's whereabouts. You know, the kid-type questions. I.e. "Why is Grandma Conrad asleep at Bollman's Funeral Home??"

I wish I'd been old enough to ask more questions! I remember her to have quite a sense of humor and say some of the funniest things.

Something the whole family had in common was the love for music. My own Grandmother (Edna Lucille Conrad) or (Edna Lucille Holmes, Morris, Conrad),played for the silent movies back in the Twenties and then for dances at the Grange Hall later on. Then she became a Baptist and played for Church services where more than once it was mentioned that the music had never been so lively at the Baptist Church in Enterprise! (Can't imagine that now!) Grandma Conrad could play, too. At my Grandmothers house in Enterprise I can remember everyone around the piano, listening and singing and Great Grandma Conrad sitting in the red rocker looking on and smiling. I grew up with that music.

Grandma Conrad told me once that maybe someday I would play, too. All three of us kids play now. Have for years. I play at home and in College I was a Church pipe organist (not Baptist). This is the kind of music we cut our teethe on! It's been around awhile!

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