Myrtle Mace (Culp) Christy, a daughter of Harney County, departed for the great hereafter on June 2, 2024. Myrtle’s family history includes ancestors who fought in the civil war, ranchers, teachers, outlaws, lawmen; all pioneers that helped tame the frontier and high desert of eastern Oregon. Her family invites you to take a moment and remember her life and legacy. No matter how old we are, losing a mother is one of the deepest sorrows a heart can know.
Myrtle was born on Nov. 29,1924 to Charles W. Culp and Hazel L. Mace Culp a few miles south of Burns, on Hanley Lane, on their home place, better known as the Culp, Quarter Circle YJ ranch, where whitefaced Hereford cattle, horses, and a few sheep were raised. Also born to this family were two older brothers, Patrick Pershing Culp (1918-2006), and Frederick (Bud or Fritz) William Culp (1919-2004), and a sister, Verda Valentine (Culp) Tiller (1926-2019), all who proceeded Myrtle in death.
Myrtle was married to John Ray Christy on April 18, 1948, who passed away in 1993. Together they had four children, Mark, of Burns, Gary, who proceeded her in death on April 8, 2019, Alan, of Pendleton, and Marvin of Redmond.
Myrtle’s pioneer heritage dates back to the foundation of Harney County and the west’s amazing saga. Myrtle knew the cold of high desert winters, the mud of spring, the long shadows and far reaching horizons along with the warmth of the high desert sun. Myrtle came from a long line of pioneers. Her great-great grandparents, Samantha P. Henderson, married to George William Mace, her great grandparents Lydia Parker married to James M. Parker, her grandparents Adeline Isabel (Parker) Mace married to Frederick L. Mace.
In 1940 Myrtle was the Harney County Fair Court Queen. Myrtle attended many dances with friends and soldiers at Lawen, Drewsey, Diamond, Hines and the Poison Creek Grange Hall staying out to the wee hours of the morning. She loved going to movies with her sister Verda, her brothers Pat and Bud and many friends.
Myrtle graduated from Burns High School in 1943. Myrtle remembered helping her Dad, Pat and Bud irrigate in the spring, haying in the summer, and trailing cattle to the stockyards in Burns in preparation to turn out in the hills for the summer. Myrtle had lots of fond memories of growing up. She said, ‘I was my Dad’s constant helper’. As a little girl, she learned to ride on her Welsh pony, named ‘Lucky’. Later she had a couple other favorite horses, named ‘Mabel’, the other, ‘Pal’. While growing up, Myrtle said there were 40 sets of harnesses on the ranch to be kept in repair, at least 40 head of horses, four hay wagons, seven five-foot-long sickle bar mowers, two horse drawn bunchers, and other machinery. Myrtle’s first summer haying job was driving a team of horses to rake hay. A few years later she was promoted to driving a John Deere ‘popping Johnny’ hooked to a modern six-foot mower, and then later to a tractor buncher.
After graduating in 1943, Myrtle’s first job away from the home ranch was at the Ration office in Burns, during WW II, followed by her second, up town job at the Bank on a posting machine, but every summer she always returned home to help with the haying.
In the summer of 1947 John (Johnny) Ray Christy arrived in Harney County. He brought a hay baler with him and started baling hay for several ranches in the area. After haying season was over, he went to work for the Edward Hines mill. While attending a dance at the Poison Creek Grange Hall, John was introduced to Myrtle by Mary Ann (Richardson) Culp, Fritz’s wife. On April 18, 1948 Johnny and Myrtle were married in Reno. Their first home was a two-room cabin in Burns, heated only by the wood fire cook stove and a small oil heater. During the winter, Myrtle said not only the water pipes froze, but the water in the toilet would freeze.
In about 1954 they bought the Chuck Wagon sandwich shop in Burns where they sold “desert rats” and “curly fries”. Myrtle explained that a desert rat was two hamburger patties on a French bun, which was a customer favorite. Later, John and Myrtle bought into the Kelly new and recapped tire shop in Burns.
Johnny and Myrtle decided that the grass looked greener on the other side of the fence, sold everything and moved to Seattle, where Johnny got a job at Boeing. A short time later their wanderings found them in Beaverton, where, in partnership with Johnny’s sister, Mary Alma (Christy) Sablich, and Mary’s husband, Bernard Sablich, they built and operated the first Dairy Queen in Beaverton. It is still a working Dairy Queen. It has been enlarged and remolded several times; but it is still there serving ice-cream.
Myrtle, unable to feel at home anywhere other than on the high desert near family and friends, with the smell of juniper and sage on the breeze they moved back to Harney County. They built a home on the east fork of the Silvies River, on a portion of the Culp home place, on Hanley Lane (Hwy. 205). Across the meadow from her Mom and Dad, and just across the river from her sister, Verda and her husband Earl Tiller. It was here the Christy’s raised their growing family.
Johnny and Myrtle later bought into the Phillips 66 fuel bulk plant. Myrtle remembered Johnny hauling all sorts of needed supplies for the ranchers while delivering fuel to them all over Harney County. Inside the truck Johnny would pile groceries, fencing materials, medicine and anything else that had been requested. It was not unusual to see almost anything strapped on the tailgate or the top of the fuel tank of the truck, bailing wire, spools, ladders, lumber or extra barrels, all tied on. Myrtle liked to tell the story about, when a rancher or a rancher’s wife needed something from town, with just a phone call, Johnny could be depended on delivering it to them. Myrtle explained, Johnny did all his business by a handshake and trust in his fellow man. ‘He was rarely let down.’
Johnny had a heart attack, so Myrtle went to work at the Edward Hines Lumber mill while Johnny recovered. In 1977 after Johnny had recovered from his heart attack, they bought Rusty’s restaurant. They remodeled Rusty’s, putting in a game room for young people and upgraded the dining room to include a round fireplace. Myrtle says it was a popular place for both young and old and years later she still missed seeing and visiting with all the people.
For several years, John and Myrtle were volunteer drivers for the Harney County Senior Center helping people get to doctors appointments in Bend, Portland, and Boise. Johnny passed away on July 10, 1993. Myrtle continued to live in their home, doing what she enjoyed most; being outside, working in her yard. Even during the winter months driving by people weren’t surprised to see Myrtle out shoveling snow. Since Johnny’s passing Myrtle attended the Harney Senior Center regularly. Myrtle enjoyed sitting out in her back porch that Johnny built for her, eating lunch or just watching for the deer trespassing in her yard, snagging a few morsels. She would look out her windows watching the desert and Steens Mountain, remembering days of long ago. Myrtle’s son Gary was able to move back to Burns in April of 2016 and it wasn’t unusual to see them out eating or shopping or just spending time together on the porch. Myrtle’s passing leaves an emptiness in her families and friends’ lives and hearts that can’t be replaced.
Myrtle is survived by her three sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Robin Christy of Burns, Alan and Brenda Christy of Pendleton, Marvin and Kathy Christy of Redmond; five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter.
A graveside service will be held Friday, June 7, at 10 a.m. at the Burns cemetery. In remembrance of Myrtle, her family asks that you take a moment to reminisce about old times, your memories of Myrtle and all of your friends. If you wish in lieu of flowers graciously donate, in Myrtle’s name, to the Harney County Historical Museum, 18 West ‘D’ Street, Burns, OR 97720.
LaFollette’s Chapel in Burns is in charge of arrangements.
