Wasco County Pioneer Association pioneers of the year named

Olheiser came to The Dalles in 1984; his first job was at Spooky’s. His grandparents were German, whose ancestors fled to Odessa, Russia long before they emigrated from Odessa to the United States. Both sets of his grandparents arrived in Mott, North Dakota in about 1900 where they established homesteads. His parents met and married in North Dakota migrated to Oregon and lived near Mt. Angel where Jim was born, the youngest of 8 boys and 2 girls. When he was 4 or 5 the family moved to Prineville where his dad had a dairy farm. His first job away from the farm was at age 14 working in a restaurant. Jim attended grade school in Prineville and graduated from Crook County High School 1982.  

In The Dalles he met and married his wife of 36 years, Lee Ann Gilmore in 1988; they have two daughters. In 1990 Jim took over managing the family business, Gilmore Fish House in Dallesport, selling salmon smoked and fresh. He started a catering business to put his daughters through college and veterinary school. His wife works for a veterinarian and daughter Hailee is a veterinarian; second daughter Hannah is married to a veterinarian and also works in the business. 

Jim has kept providing the great lunches for the Pioneers’ annual gathering the first Saturday of May each year since 2000 when Alvie retired. He is the proud “PopPop” to three grandsons.

Ruth Ann Rondeau Cutler

Our pioneer woman this year is Ruth Ann Rondeau Cutler, born to Ester Rita Anthony and Oliver Joseph Rondeau of Dufur. Her folks met when her mother was helping cook for the harvest crew and Oliver was working for the Rondeau family ranch.

Ruth is a fifth generation Oregonian. Her great-great grandmother, Mary Pigget, came to America from Ireland and then traveled around Cape Horn by ship to Oregon. Her great-great grandfather, Milo Cushing, came to The Dalles with U.S. Grant’s troops on horseback to Fort Dalles. They met here and married, then homesteaded near Cushing Falls south of Seufert Park on Fifteenmile Creek. Their son William married Josephine Kneble and enlarged the Cushing Ranch. Ruth’s grandfather Eble J. Anthony married Elizabeth Cushing; he helped on the farm and worked for the railroad and telegraph office.

Her mother Rita Anthony married Oliver Rondeau who became a farm equipment mechanic for the Muller Case Equipment Dealer. Her family lived on Old Dufur Road near her cousins, among the 10th Street Kids who played ball in the street with neighbors Mary Bursley Davis, Les Cochenour and cousin Anita Anthony Ordway. Ruth attended St. Mary’s, then The Dalles Junior High and graduated from TDHS in 1961. She attended Marylhurst College, where she majored in art and business. In 1967, she married Glen Cutler and move to Mosier. An artist, he created many fine stained-glass pieces. They had two sons, Mike and David, also artists. Ruth has been a long time Pioneer and Wasco Co Historical Society member, serving as secretary for many years.