Growing Up in the Orchards, and then the Almeda Fire | Marilu Medina
Channel: Stories of Southern Oregon
Date: 2023-03-22

Marilu Medina tells of growing up running through the pear orchards and of three generations of her family going to Phoenix/Talent High School: her mother, she herself and her two boys. Her parents worked in Southern Oregon's orchards and for a time so did Marilu's husband. She recalls an idyllic childhood, free to run through Ron Meyer's orchards, racing a motorbike through the pear trees with her sister. Everywhere was lush and green, the canals were filled with water. 

Medina's June 17, 2022 oral history tells of an earlier time, and then she talks about the the Almeda Fire when her family lost their home, her husband's business and so much more. Listening to Medina's words, you understand that what she lost, what her family lost, was more than a house and a neighborhood but a feeling of safety and the firmness of belonging. Despite the devastation, Marilu Medina's family has never lost hope, never lost sight that they have each other and a heritage of perseverance. Medina's spirit shines bright in her eyes and in her words and her gratitude is profound. 

This year Marilu's family qualified for a Habitat for Humanity home. They all work on the build, well maybe not the 2 year old twins, but everyone else does. Her husbands' skilled hands shape a new home and his work teaches their boys how to build with wood and metal and stone. Their home will be finished three years almost to the day of the Almeda Fire. 

This Stories of Southern Oregon oral history project has been funded by the Oregon Heritage Commission, a Library Services and Technology Act grant through the State Library of Oregon, the National Endowment for the Humanities and others. This video has been produced with the support of Southern Oregon University and SOU's Hannon Library. For more Stories of Southern Oregon, stop in on the Stories YouTube channel, visit the Southern Oregon Digital Archives and checkout the Internet Archives.