Norma and Raymond French in 1946

Norma and Raymond French recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with friends and family during a reception for them at Sun Ridge Retirement Community in Pendleton, Oregon, on October 23.

Raymond enlisted in the United States Navy following his high school graduation in Heppner. He was released from service at the end of World War II and returned home to marry his high school sweetheart, Norma Denton, on October 26, 1946, in Condon, Oregon. Attending were bridesmaids Garnett Bums, Louise Maddock, and Norma’s sister Sharon Denton. Best man was Raymond’s brother, Joe French.

Their courtship was a long-distance one since Raymond lived in Heppner and Norma lived in Condon. Raymond did not own a car. This was during the days of rationing due to the war when coupons were needed for almost everything including gasoline and tires. One coupon was worth four gallons of gas. Raymond’s mother would occasionally be able to give Raymond a coupon and the Catholic priest, Father McCormick, would sympathize with him and furnish him one or two. Then Raymond would find someone with a car and offer the coupons for a ride to Condon. Another challenge to the journey was the tires. In those days, tires had tubes and everyone remembers the tubes had “patches on patches” as tires were hard to obtain. The road between Heppner and Condon was still partly gravel. Raymond remembers helping to change many flat tires. When Norma wanted to get to Heppner, she caught a ride with Bill Cox on the creamery truck as it made its regular route from Heppner to Fossil. No one needed to be in a hurry since the speed limit was 35 miles per hour. They still laugh about the fact it had to have been true love between them to overcome the distance and travel obstacles they faced to be able to see one another.

Following a honeymoon trip to Portland, Oregon, Norma and Raymond lived at Vinson for a year and then moved to the ranch home on Big Butter Creek with the nearest town, Heppner, 25 miles away. At the beginning in their new home, they had a 1941 Ford pickup for transportation, no electricity, no running water in the home, and work horses with which to do all the work.

During their years on the ranch they raised three daughters: Karen of Tigard, Ore., Verina of Austin, Texas, and Susan of Heppner.