The City of Wasco is honored to have long-time residents Jim and Betty Manning as the Grand Marshals of this year's Memorial Day Celebration. Jim was born in Oregon City, and from his high school days at West Linn High School until he joined the Navy, he worked at the Crown-Zellerbach paper mill in West Linn.  In the Navy, Jim served as an engineman on a sea-going tug that traveled to Japan and Panama. After the Navy, Jim went back to the paper mill, where he worked his way through all of the positions to the top of the paper-making trade.

Betty was born in Farmington, New Mexico. Her family moved to Portland, Oregon when she was young. Betty went to Franklin High School and then to Portland State University to study to be a teacher. Betty is of Choctaw and Wyandotte ancestry, is a self-taught basket maker, and has dabbled in blanket weaving.

Jim and Betty met while Betty was in college.  Jim's sister, Shirley, was a classmate of Betty's. Shirley invited Jim to a swimming party that Betty was attending. Jim and Betty hit it off, and the rest is history!  They have been married for 56 years, have 2 sons, 2 daughters, 7 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren!

While raising their family, Jim continued to work at the paper mill and Betty did community work. When Jim retired from the paper mill, they searched for an affordable place to live. Jim and Betty were taken by the old-fashioned hospitality of the residents of Wasco, and moved here in June 1994. Jim has served on the Wasco City Council, the boards of directors of the North Sherman County Rural Fire Protection District and the Sherman County Historical Museum. Jim and Betty look forward to spending time with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and hope to travel to the Southwest, where they have taken memorable vacations in the past.