Linda and Floyd Dixon embrace community service in North Powder

Jul. 31—NORTH POWDER — Linda and Floyd Dixon received the ride of a lifetime at the North Powder Huckleberry Festival this past weekend.

The North Powder couple, the festival's grand marshals, helped lead its parade on Saturday, July 30, while riding in a 1926 REO Roadster, a vehicle that had to be started by a hand crank.

"It was a great experience," said Linda Dixon, who said she appreciated being in a vehicle with a roof because it protected her from the harsh sun.

The Dixons, who moved to North Powder seven years ago from Huntington, were selected as grand marshals because of their commitment to community service.

"They are just the people you want to go to if you want anything done," said Dotty Miles, who served as grand marshal of the 2021 Huckleberry Festival with her husband, Myron.

Miles credits the Dixons with keeping North Powder's food bank and fresh food Alliance programs afloat. Miles noted that Linda and Floyd Dixon travel to La Grande each week to the Northeast Oregon Regional Food Bank to get items for stocking pantries in North Powder and Haines.

"Sometimes they make two trips to La Grande," Miles said.

The food bank the Dixons stock in North Powder is located at the United Methodist Church. Miles credits the Dixons with making the church an easy place for people to get what they need.

The Dixons are members of North Powder's United Methodist Church, which Miles said is one the oldest operating Methodist churches in Oregon. Miles said that the support the Dixons provide the church is instrumental in keeping the church operating.

Linda and Floyd Dixon are also members of North Powder's Wolf Creek Grange, which is involved in many community service projects, including a Christmas program through which children from low-income families receive coupons they can use to obtain gifts for their families. The gifts are available at the grange hall each December.

Linda Dixon is also closely involved in a pillowcase project involving a sewing group she belongs to. The group takes donated pillowcases sent to it and sews them into dresses for girls in need in Africa. The group has made more than 200 dresses from at least 600 donated pillow cases since September of 2021. Linda Dixon said her husband shuns the spotlight but plays a key role in the community service projects they are involved in.

"He works behind the scenes and keeps the wheels rolling," she said.

Prior to coming to North Powder, the Dixons lived in Huntington where Linda Dixon worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation through 2015. The Dixons, who have been married 53 years, moved to North Powder in 2015 to be closer to family, which includes their three sons who live there, Lance, Eric and Kyle.

Linda said she has found that the people of North Powder are exceptionally responsive to those who need assistance.

"If you tell someone you need help, suddenly you have all the help you need," she said.

Dick Mason is a reporter with The Observer. Contact him at {span data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-userformat="{"}541-624-6016{/span} or dmason@lagrandeobserver.com.