ROBERTA ADELIA (DOTY) KEENEY

Roberta Adelia Doty was born November 2, 1930, in Potlatch, Idaho, daughter of Harold and Dolors Catherine (Bull) Doty. Her Father was employed as a logger in the woods.

    The family first lived on the Paul Anderson place, five miles from Potlatch. A country schoolhouse was two miles away and so Roberta walked to school with her older brother, Willis and her younger sister, Lila Lee. In the winter time, Willis led the way, breaking a trail in the deep snow. Their Grandmother and Grandfather Bull lived on a farm about a half mile from them, and the children walked over to their Grandparent's house, every other day, to carry milk in lid-covered buckets.

    About a year later, they moved td the McMann place, which was about a mile from Potlatch. The children rode the school bus, but if they missed the bus, they could still walk to school. There was a large barn on this farm, which was a favorite place for the children to play. Sometimes, their little brother. Virgil would follow them when they went to play. So, they would send him down by the barn where the geese were and the big gander would chase him back to the house. On weekends, the older children would walk into town to go to the movies or shop for their parents.

    When Roberta was in the 3rd grade, her Father went to work for the Potlatch Mill and Lumber Company, and the family moved to a house at the edge of town. They lived in this company-owned house until Roberta was 16 years old. Then, her Father and older brother Willis were laid off at the mill.

    In 1947, Harold and Dolors, and their seven children, moved to Kinzua, Oregon, where Willis and his Dad had secured employment at the Kinzua Pine Mills. The entire town of Kinzua, including all the buildings and houses, were owned by the Kinzua Pine Mills. Five Doty children entered school and only one remained at home; Cynthia May, who was 10 months old. Roberta, Lila Lee and Wayne were 8th graders; Cedrick was in the 5th grade, and Virgil was a 3rd grader. The 8th grade teacher was Mrs. Lulu Searcy, who had taught in the area more than 30 years. (She was Alice Crall Keeney's 7th grade teacher in 1918, and later taught Ralph and his brothers and sisters in Condon.)

    There was a large hall adjoining the tavern and restaurant where community gatherings were held. Movies were shown here once or twice a week, and the children also roller skated during the week in this big hall. The Doty children loved to walk in the woods and play in Thirty Mile Creek, which ran through the town also.

    In the Spring, Graduation exercises were held in Fossil, where Roberta received her 8th grade diploma. A year later, the Doty family moved to Fossil, although Harold and his son, Willis, continued to work at the Kinzua Mill. Wayne found work at a dairy in Fossil. Roberta worked in a local restaurant and did some domestic work in homes around Fossil. Lila Lee entered high school in Fossil, later graduating. The youngest child, Jerry Allen, was born in 1949 when Harold was laid off at the mill.

    Roberta met Ralph Keeney in the summer of 1949, when he came to Fossil to work on a construction crew building the new high school. Roberta's Father was a carpenter working with Ralph on this job, and invited him home for supper one night. Ralph asked Roberta to go to the movies the next week, and they dated all summer and were married December 29th in Walla Walla, Washington.

    Roberta and Ralph lived, briefly, in Condon and Hermiston before settling, permanently, in The Dalles, where Ralph worked for Mid-State Construction Co. Roberta has worked for Henry Klindt in the onion sheds as a onion buncher; at Stadelman Fruit Co. as a cherry sorter, and at the Tapadera Motor Inn and Oregon Motor Motel as a maid, where she is presently employed.

    Roberta is a member of the American Legion Auxilliary, Post No. 19, but gets her greatest pleasure working in her own home. She is a skilled seamstress and sews for herself, as well as others. She is a tireless quilter, having made many patchwork quilts, and is presently working on an embroidered baby quilt. She, also, shows great dexterity in her crochet work and had created many afghans, pillows and soft animal toys and dolls for children.

    Roberta worked side-by-side with Ralph when they built their two houses in The Dalles. The first on Mill Creek, and the second at 214 East 13th Street, where they now live. Her "green thumb" is evident from all the beautiful flowers growing in her yard.

    Although Ralph and 'Bert have no children of their own, they have been Foster Parents to Frances (McDonald) Schneider, while she attended Beauty School in The Dalles. Now, they enjoy visits from Frances' family, as well as summer visits from their nieces and nephews.