I believe that when a person passes from this life they leave a void that can never be filled by any other person. Those voids vary in magnitude depending on the impact the departed folks have had on our lives. I will attempt to pay homage to some of the people that helped shape my life, and who left the largest voids when they moved on.

My mother, maternal and paternal grandmothers filled and left large voids in my life. However, the men that I was blessed to have associated with throughout life are the subject of this writing.

My father, Verne Russell, had the largest impact on me. We played and worked side by side my whole life until his death. My dad left a huge void.

Throughout my school years (I was a horrible student) two educators helped me. Mrs. Alford in first grade was wonderful. I am blessed to have been one of her Happy Town kids. The person I credit most for keeping me in school was Mr. Williams. (It took me years after graduation to call him Bill.) Had it not been for him I may not have finished high school. He left a very large void.

After two years of college and four years of Navy I came home. Another phase of my life began to take shape. After cussing the winters for several years I took up skiing with my then 2-year-old son Sam and my wife. I met a whole new group of men that began to shape my life even more. The men of the Eagle Cap Ski Club – what an eclectic and wonderful group.

From the ski club group emerged nine brave men (and me) that bought the land and moved the ski club to what is now Fergi. All members of the 10-280 contributed so much to my life. Sadly two of them are missing from the rolls.

Harold Klages was the 10-280 master inventor, machinist and overall deep thinker. If it could be built he could build it out of melted-down aluminum beer cans (we had a bunch of those). Harold is gone now. He left a very large void.

We lost Gardner Locke recently. Among his other accomplishments, he was also the driving force behind the concept that became Ferguson Ridge Ski Area, Fergi.

From the purchase of the property to the design, engineering and installation of the lift equipment Gardner was there every step of the way. Gardner led his willing, if not totally competent crew of farmers, ranchers, business owners, mill workers, etc., until Fergi became a reality.

Wallowa County owes Gardner Locke a huge thank you. Gardner wanted to build a ski area that would be inexpensive and accessible to all of the countys youth. He did that and much more. Gardner Locke left a huge void that will definitely not be filled.

The world would be a better place if there were more people like the ones mentioned in this humble tribute. I can only hope that when I depart this life that I will have earned a fraction of the respect that I have for the aforementioned folks.

Jim Russell, the longtime owner of 1917 Lumber in Joseph, grew up in Wallowa County. He attended Joseph schools.