The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-11-20
PIONEER PAYS TRIBUTE
TO INDIAN NELLIE

Indian Nellie, aged Is years, died
Friday. Nov. II, at the home OF Joe
Aleck, two miles cast of Hood River.
She was buried from the Bartmess un-
dertaking parlors. Rev. Parsons con-
ducted the service, which was simple,
yet very impressive. Nellie was de-
voted member of the United Brethern
church and a regular attendant when
she was we'll
About 30 years ago, when the writer
first came TO Hood River, we lived on
what was then known as the "Luckey"
place, one and one half miles west OF
town on the State road, now owned by
II. W. Waite. Mrs. Luckey had been
q very good friend to the Indians and
whatever | may have since done for
the Indians has been because OF her
mantle falling on me. Having been
accustomed to going there with their
troubles and needs, they continued TO
do so. One Sunday morning as sat
reading became conscious OF someone
looking through the window, and look
ing up ! saw two clean and beautifully
bedecked young Indians, which proved
to be Nellie, or Indian Nellie, as she
was always called. and her daughter,
Mollie. then a girl about twelve years
old. In talking with them they told
me how very good Mrs. Luckey had
been to them and how sorry they all
were when she died. That was the
summer preceding the winter of our
big snow. During that winter ! had
plenty of opportunities to see how
much they needed her. That was a
hard winter for man and beast.
Indian Nellie was woman OF rare
attainments, being very refined ana
clean, one of the few of her race who
looked forward and made preparations
for "cold winter time.
She did washing and ironing among
the pioneers many time as she lroned
some of the children's clothes she did
so in memory of her own little ones,
three of whom had passed on in in
fancy. She seemed to feel in some
way that the children of the whites
were as her own and they in turn loved
her and have hallowed place in their
memory of her.
Mollie, the daughter. would go with
her and play with the white children.
Many one she taught to model in
clay. She could take up piece OF clay
and il seemed to grow COW, deer, pig
or other animal in her hands. How
she would laugh at the other children
when they failed to make anything
that resembled an animal. They would
bake their little models in the oven and
have veritable Noah's ark by the
time the mother was through with her
work. How very proud the mother was
of her child.
When Mollie was sixteen years old
she married Peter, but only lived a
year after, dying with her first child.
Nellie grieved for her as few do among
their people. She went into deep
mourning for several years. She would
go among the white people for comfort
and when their children were kind and
good to her she would say, "All the
same as sisters children to Nellie. !"
Mollie was buried on Memaloose Is
land, which was then used as an Indian
burying ground. But after the high
water of 1885, so much of the island
was washed away that many of the
bodies were left exposed or only with a
shallow covering of sand, that the
whites began going there for beads and
trinkets that had been buried with the
Indians. All the bodies that could be
found we're moved away and Mema-
loose Island was abandoned as bury
ing place for the Indians. Nellie had
Mollie's remains brought down TO Hood
River and placed in the little cemetery
on the corner of DR.. Adams farm neal
the Lyman Smith place, one of the first
hurying grounds IN Hood River. This
land is now owned by A. G. Staten
This cemetery was abandoned and most
of the bodies moved away in 1898, st
again Nellie had her daughters re
mains moved, this time to the Knights
of Pythias cemetery,t two miles south o,
town, and there we placed her mothe
beside her.
Nellie so loved to have things lik,
the whites and she asked for a team O
white horses to bring her daughter:
body from the boat landing as it wa
being brought from Memaloose Island
1t is a coincident that the same'man
Mr.. 0lnger, should have driven tina
team, who drove the team that con
veyed her own body to its last resting
place.
Nellie lived in the Indian camp, theI
located in the woods below DIR. Adams
place, with her second husband, Jim
until he saw fit to take unto himsel
another Klutchman, named Caroline
who liked whskey as he did. Nelli
was soon turned out with her daughter
and she moved into little cabin up Of
the Adams hill, which is now -Four
teenth street, and about a block abov
State street. She lived there for man
years, keeping her little home so nea
and clean.
About ii years ago she becam
afflicted with rheumatism and becam
helpless invalid, as we'll as grea
sufferer. Her kind neighbors an
friends helped her and tried to max
her comfortable. Children would go i
and do for her and were so glad to d
it, as Nellie was always pleasant an
thankful in spite of her pain. At on
time several of US met and cleane
and papered her little living room. A
we lifted her back into the house j
the evening she raised her hand an
said, Tank you, tank you, ladies.
We instinctively bowed our heads a
for a benediction, as indeed it was.
| asked her one day what she SAT-
when she said Grace, as she always di,
in her own language before eating
She answered, "Nelle asks God t,
bless the foodsand the hands that CAV,
it to her." Some way, | always fel
as if had been to church when wen
to see her. She lived so near the Grea
Spirit of Light that she could not hell
shedding forth its glory.
About seven years ago the boundary
line was shifted between the Adam!
and Coe tracts and it brought tn,
street through Nellie's little home
She was ordered to vacate. as the
street was to be opened. was sent