Wolf Creek Grange provides annual Thanksgiving dinner

Nov. 21—NORTH POWDER — North Powder has a generous community, one that sometimes is a bit too generous — at least for some. That's something Cecilia Lovely, the head cook for North Powder's Wolf Creek Grange's annual community Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday, Nov. 20, knows firsthand.

One of the donated turkeys Lovely cooked for the dinner weighed a cumbersome 50 pounds.

"It was so huge we had to cut it in half," Lovely said, because the big bird would not fit into Wolf Creek Grange Hall's ovens.

Handling the large turkey was one of the challenges the cooks for the grange's dinner, which has been conducted almost every year for at least 60 years, confronted while preparing the annual feast, which was free and open to the public.

The cooks lost more than a few hours of sleep preparing the meal in the days leading up to it, but not their sense of humor. This was apparent on Nov. 20 as the cooks made last-minute preparations for the meal.

"We have so many things going on that I'm not sure where I'm at," Lovely said with a laugh.

Bringing the community together

Despite a few speed bumps, the Wolf Creek Grange Hall opened for its Thanksgiving dinner 20 minutes early with a bountiful selection that included turkey, ham, rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy and, of course, pies.

Barry Princevalle, of North Powder, was among the more than 40 people who came.

"It is so fun to get together and see old friends," he said.

Jeff Nielsen, who came to the dinner with his wife, Wynn, said the annual Thanksgiving dinner is symbolic of what Wolf Creek Grange does.

"It brings the community together," he said.

Nielsen noted that the annual Thanksgiving meal has enormous historical significance for the Wolf Creek Grange, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021. He said it is believed the grange has been conducting its Thanksgiving dinners since it moved in 1957 to its present location, a building that previously housed many businesses including a meat market and mercantile store. He said the site is a far cry from its original location near Wolf Creek, 8 miles northwest of North Powder, that was destroyed by a fire in the early 1940s.

Liz Robinson, a volunteer who helped prepare the dinner, said one of the best things about it is that it gives all people the chance to enjoy a good Thanksgiving meal.

"Not everybody is able to cook," she said.

Robinson said the Wolf Creek Grange members and the other community members who assist with the Thanksgiving dinner program share a common trait.

"We are all community oriented," she said. "We will do whatever we can to help people in the community. That is what we are here for."

Fauna Ferenbach, the program director and lecturer for Wolf Creek Grange, said the annual Thanksgiving dinner is symbolic of what makes North Powder special. Ferenbach moved to North Powder six years ago from Portland.

"I found a sense of community I had never felt in my life," she said.

A job well done

Lovely said one of her favorite things about being part of the community Thanksgiving meal is seeing its effects.

"Watching everyone enjoy the meal makes us feel appreciated," she said.

Lovely is the head cook for all Wolf Creek Grange's meals.

"She always does an amazing job," said Linda Dixon, a member of the grange.

Dixon said Lovely's knowledge of cooking is second to none.

"She absorbs knowledge and then shares it," she said.

Lovely noted that many of those helping to prepare the meal are of an age in which they no longer have big families to cook for.

"It is nice to be able to cook a big meal and then go home and put your feet up," she said.

Dick Mason is a reporter with The Observer. Contact him at 541-624-6016 or dmason@lagrandeobserver.com.