John and Ida Hillock of rural Enterprise, seen sitting in their 1905 Stanley Steamer, will be grand marshals of Chief Joseph Days. Photo by Rocky Wilson

As if being named grand marshals of Chief Joseph Days is not honor enough, John and Ida Hillock of rural Enterprise are basking in pride because they were named to the honor the same year that their youngest granddaughter, Celeste Hillock, was selected as a Chief Joseph Days princess.

All will be riding in style in the 2003 Chief Joseph Days parade Saturday morning, July 26, though Princess Celeste will be riding on horseback with her royal court.

“Big John” Hillock, as contrasted with “Little John” Hillock, the son who took over the reins of Enterprise Electric three years ago when “Big John” retired, has been an active volunteer at Chief Joseph Days for the past 33 years. “Just about everything that has been done electrically at Chief Joseph Days in the past 30 years, I’ve done it,” says Big John. The standard mode of operation has been that Chief Joseph Days pays for the materials at cost and Hillock donates the time. He professes to have done all kinds of wiring at the Thunder Room.

The Hillocks moved to Wallowa County 34 years ago when Little John was a junior and daughter Grace Sandlin was just starting high school. They moved from Redwood City, Calif., where Ida had grown up.

“We lived in a nice community but, though our kids were not involved, drugs were becoming a problem,” said Big John, 68, about the move to northeast Oregon where friends had moved and bought a farm. The younger Hillocks were actively involved in 4-H and wanted space to raise animals, something difficult to do in the San Francisco Bay area.

The move was precipitated by the purchase of 16 pigs housed on the friends’ property. By the time the Hillocks moved to the valley, Big John had expanded the land and operation to 90 pigs and utilized his electrical background to automate their feeding. Unfortunately the bottom fell out of the pork market and Hillock returned to what he knew best, electrical work.

In 1969 he purchased Enterprise Electric at a site which later became known as Stockman’s Tavern and more recently as Lear’s Pub & Grill. Enterprise Electric now sits near the base of Hurricane Creek Road where it leaves Highway 82 within the city of Enterprise.

Originally from Iowa, Hillock moved to California at age 14 to live with a sister. Always interested in electrical things, he joined the U.S. Navy where he earned his GED and specialized in becoming a jet electrician. After the Navy he graduated from an inside wiring apprenticeship program offered through San Mateo College. He worked in construction electrical work for 16 years before making the move to Oregon.

Ida Hillock, 67, staunchly denies any credentials for being named as a grand marshal of Chief Joseph Days. “There must be people who are more qualified,” she says. “I’m included on his (Big John’s) shirttails as far as Chief Joseph Days goes,” she says.

Ida is most known for her prowess in the kitchen. She has twice been named as Homemaker of the Wallowa County Fair and routinely pulls in 10 to 15 blue and championship ribbons every year.

Volunteering for Chief Joseph Days is not a year-round proposition, says Big John. The crunch always comes in the final two to three weeks before the July event. One time-consuming project, in addition to the usual electrical work, comes in the placement of outlets on poles for the use of vendors.

Parades are not new to the 2003 CJD grand marshals. On many occasions Hillock, an old car buff, has driven vehicles for parade participants. Ida used to participate in parades as a young girl in Redwood City.

As grand marshals the couple will be featured in the parade, ride in on a stagecoach during the opening ceremonies of the first PCRA rodeo Thursday night and be guests of honor at both a dinner and a barbecue. Ida expresses relief that the honor does not include any public speaking.