Beverly 'Bev' Ann Wheelhouse
Bev Wheelhouse was born Beverly Ann Mattson Jan. 8, 1934 in The Dalles, Oregon, the second daughter of Ed and Grace (Davenport) Mattson of Sundale. She was raised and lived most of her life on a wheat and cattle ranch in Sundale, where she took an active role.
She was the last student to enter Roosevelt High School as a freshman. Afterwards students were bussed to Arlington, Ore. In high School she participated on the drill team and newspaper staff and in ’48 was part of the Arlington rodeo court. Her strong alto voice won her a coveted spot in the sextet choir and she played coronet in the high school band.
Her love of music began much earlier. Bev played drums in a band her sister Denise put together when Bev was in junior high. The band played locally for Cleveland, Bickleton, Roosevelt and The Dot grange hall dances. You could hand Bev any musical instrument and she would soon make a tune emerge. Her love of music lasted her entire life, these last years serenading friends and family with rousing harmonica melodies. And you never knew when she would hum, sing or whistle an old cowboy air or show tune.
It was in high school that she met and fell in love with her husband Dick Wheelhouse. They married in Yakima and lived on the ranch she grew up on, forming a partner ship with her father, brother-in-law and sister, Ed and Denise Morris. They had three children; Rich, Rhonda, Russ. They lived and worked on the ranch until they retired in 1996. Upon retiring she moved to town for the first time, building a beautiful home on the outskirts of Goldendale.
Volunteerism was a big part of Bev’s adult life, contributing time to the Cattlewomen’s Assoc., Maryhill Museum, the Discovery Center in The Dalles, East Klickitat County Historical Society and the Klickitat County Republican Women’s club. She served as interim president of this club for one year and was a delegate at the State Republican Convention for a few years.
She was also a volunteer member of the Klickitat County Historical Society, working as the archivist there for 25 years. Bev decorated the Presby Mansion Christmas tree for most of those years and helped with the booth at the fair. She was president of the society in 1990, the first woman to be president in 20 years. Her last project was heading a committee that was tracing the Old Military Road across the Klickitat Valley. This is one of her lasting legacies. The work finding the road is done, soon historical markers will show future generations where their history lay This project remained near and dear to her heart until her dying day.
Bev’s love of the Arts was not restricted to music. In the 60’s, she took oil painting classes.
Bev was also a prolific writer of histories, stories and journals. She wrote stories of her youth and family as well as some fiction. Her opus was the journals that she kept for 46 years, rarely missing a day. These journals are the real treasure of the Wheelhouse Family. A natural born historian, she tracked the family’s past and kept a detailed record of its current history not just through her journals, but through meticulously kept scrapbooks and annotated photo albums.
Bev was an avid “rooter” at local sporting events. First for her sons, Rich and Russ, then for her grandchildren, Chad, Chelsy and Mitch. Bev’s other interests included collecting antiques, entertaining (her parties were legendary) and playing video poker at the casinos. She was also an enthusiastic naturalist tracking both flora and fauna. She made several books of pressed flowers she had collected.
Bev summed it up best herself saying: “My career was my family, friends, community and country. I feel I served them well.”
She is survived by her husband Dick, sons Rich and Russ and their wives, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Contributions may be made to the Klickitat County Historical Society in Goldendale, or the Klickitat Valley Hospice.
