The Columbian from Vancouver, Washington • 57

12 THE COLUMBIAN WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 14 2007 New home Birthday milestone By Mary Rick of The Columbian By Mary Ricks of The Columbian Alta sheepskin ifiploma with her graduation date of May 29 1917 burned into the hide TALES TO TELL North Hsartfewood: The Simon family Keith and Maria and their children Stephanie 12 Stuart 10 and Eric 13 found the perfect pet at the Humane Society for Southwest Washington Maria said Stuart had been asking for a dog for about two years Recently an acquaintance had some chow-mix puppies to give away and parents promised him he could have one But those plans fell through After the Simons visited the Humane Society looking for a similar puppy they were introduced to Bear a 4-year-old Chihuahua The entire famify fell in love with the dog They have added to his name and now call him Black Bear Maria was laughing when die said this: When die practices singing opera arias at home Black Bearjoins in So for the time being she is singing in her car to aroid the piercing howls At 109 Alta Moore is likely Clark oldest living resident 7 adopt a pet call the Humane Society or Southwest Washington at 360-693-4746 the Eskimos gave her family Her father also had the first car in the area thought that just because they lived in theboonies they should still have Alta Moon As she appeared hi her late 90s 66 When our agent listed our house In the Homebook we thought we'd get a nibble or twoLjnaybe 99 nice things" Barbara said When the family decided to return to the Portland area Aha and her mother and brother came first Her father was due to come a week later but his ship hit an iceberg and sank southeast Portland worked there many many years" Barbara said During a vacation in California when Aha was in her early 60s she met up with Edgar Moore an old friend of the family who had moved to Pacific Grove Calif Despite some initial resistance he convinced her to marry him after telling her that she could indulge in her love of gardening all year long because of the nice weather She moved to California with him eqjoying 20 years of marriage and prizewinning gardens Walking the walk Aha also enjoyed taking brisk walks and after moving back to the Northwest in her 90s would often walk Tas far as her feet would take her" Barbara said One time she went out for ice cream and got lost so her family bought her a pedometer so they could keep track of how flu she would go often racking up four miles She lost the ability to walk when she was 106 and a series of strokes has stopped her speech She lived in a retirement community in Beaverton Ore for several years before moving to a home care facility in the Central Park neighbor hood where she celebrated her 109th birthday By KIM JARVIS Columbian staff writer When Alta Helen Moore graduated from high school in 1917 she received a sheepskin Not the typical Bhrep-skin coveted by most high school grads This was a real sheepskin with her name and graduation date burned into the hide Alta 19 years old at the time was one of four graduates from the high school in Fairbanks Alaska Now Alta is most likely the oldest resident of Clark County She celebrated her 109th birthday on Jan 29 think she wants to get to said her last remaining child Barbara McClincy age 78 and a resident of Brush Prairie Alta was born in Oregon City Ore the youngest of John and Susan Porter's three children Porter a blacksmith moved his family to Alaska in the midst of the gold rush when Alta was just 11 months old The family remained in Alaska until Alfa was 21 One story she often told her family about her time up north was what happened when her father installed die area's first bathtub Eskimo families were fascinated by the tub and soon started asking her mother if they could give birth to their babies in it As a thank you for this service Aha still has a pair of baby moccasins one of It was sold 23 days later only survivor was a dog they found on an ice floe" Barbara said The Columbian's Homobook Is Southwast Washington's bast sourca of Information for homebuyers In 1922 Aha met and married Vance Thomas They had three children Blanche Barbara and John Thomas who is described by his daughter Barbara as the love of life died in a diving accident in 1934 while at die family's vacation home in Long Beach With three kids to support Aha started selling Avon products so she could keep her schedule flexible FREQ Look for our bright blue boxes throughout Clark County was a natural Barbara said Eventually she ended up working as a secretary at Grout Elementary School in Donlimfl thingTSubscribe todavlHome Delivery 360 694 2312.