A Night of Tradition and Vision

— by Margie Doyle —

Lisa Byers, Rollie Rueb and Jan Koltun share stories of Orcas Island at the Aug. 30 “130 Years and Counting” Auction

Jan Koltun addressed “An Orcas Family: 130 Years and Counting” auction attendees, saying the gathering seemed like a cross between “High Mass and a summer camp gathering.”

Hours later,  several  bidders chortled that they’d gotten items they’d coveted from seeing in the catalog, but never dreamed they’d be the highest bidder at the Saturday night auction.

Others waited patiently in line as the auction purchasing activity overloaded the computer, to take their newly-acquired treasures into the balmy summer evening.

Lance Evans orchestrates the bidders for the auction of items from the Donohue, Gibson, Ferris and Koltun families of Orcas Island.

The purpose of the auction of the goods of Orcas’ pioneer families is to fund a future senior living community, as envisioned by Jan Koltun. In planning the fund, she said, “I’ve wanted for a long time for Orcas to get good senior housing, and there needs to be consensus on what that is — it may be purchasing property for future development. And it may also create some year-round jobs.” Jan was inspired by the book of Dr. William Thomas, What Are Old People For?”  and his work in establishing “a strong vision for a future in which old age becomes a healing force in our society.”

The Parish Hall was teeming with islanders who enjoyed browsing the live auction items, and bidding competitively on the silent auction items (the hottest silent auction item was the “Birds of Washington,” a two-volume set with vivid color illustrations).

Millie Vaccarella and Susan Mustard kibbitz over island paintings and the Gibson rolltop desk

The guests sat at tables for eight while a fresh and tasty salmon dinner prepared by Christina Orchid was served. There was notable jumping up from the tables as silent auction bids heated up in anticipation of the 7 p.m. silent auction deadline and live auction bidding.

Then as dessert  — dreamy strawberry shortcake — was served, Lance Evans began the live auction, assisted by his wife, Janet Brownell, and Abby Rueb and Kathy Youngren. Evans and Brownell challenged the group to complete bidding on the live auction’s 35 items within an hour. Their reward would be to contribute $500 towards the Koltun Senior Fund and though the lively bidding extended until 8:30, still Evans and Brownell honored their challenge.

Jan Koltun, at right, eagerly follows the auction bidding.

The five-foot tall Talking Stick from Ucluelet on Vancouver Island was a top-selling item. A historic and culturally-significant item of the First Nations’ people, the Talking stick would traditionally be held by the chief’s speaker to announce the chief’s wishes, then passed to any other speakers present.

Jan’s beloved stone-carved “Bear,” rescued by her father for $100 when its former owner was in the process of throwing it overboard his sailing vessel, was purchased by Orcas Islanders — “so it will stay on the island!” Jan said happily.

Furniture crafted on Orcas Island by Michael Donohue were also passed on to new owners at historically low prices.  Dinnerware by Orcas Islander Jerry Weatherman, dishes from Mexico, plates and platters from the Matson Steamship lines, Coalport China dishes from England in the early 1800s were also  purchased at record “good” prices in the live auction.

from right, Anne and Harlan Pedersen chat with Joyce Burghardt at the Emmanuel Parish Hall auction..

Jan Koltun, Marian O’Brien and Abby Rueb enhanced the bidding by telling anecdotes of the island characters who made or purchased many of the items. Jan even added her gold earrings, made by Haida Nation artist Jaalen Edenshaw to accompany his “Contended Raven” serigraph.

In both the live and silent auction, islanders and visitors purchased artwork that will now be displayed across the island — oil and watercolor works by Mother Benson, wife of the pastor for whom Benson Hall is named, and watercolors by Orcas teacher EthelynHead; more recent works by artists Andrea Hendrick, Susan Bliss, Joe Floren, Fred Enge, Jean Putnam, Helen Loggie, Jan Wells, Mardi Lister, Jeannine Rodenberger, Jane Kempe and James Kenney.

Some purchased items, such as the Matsonia lifeboat compass, purchased by Ed and Judy Zimmerman, the “Bringing in the Sheaves” collage, which Margot Shaw purchased, and the Gibson inkwells, purchased by Sara Jane Johnson, were immediately donated to the Orcas Historical Museum.

From left, Dick, Louise and Katie Boone help organize the “Orcas Family: 130 Years and Counting” auction with their cousin, Jan Koltun.

Marian O’Brien and Keith Whitaker worked tirelessly, as they have all summer long, to display the items, answer questions, process the bidding and payment, and send the partygoers home with their purchases.

Andrea Cohen and Candace Bodenhamer “womanned” the back office, wrapping up purchases and facilitating payment until the computer system crashed due to slow internet processing.

It was a party, it was an investment opportunity, it was a gathering, it was a historic event, and the spirit of community and tradition will live on, even as Jan Koltun moves across country to Boston to be a full-time grandma, as plans proceed for a senior living community where we’d all like to reside in our Golden Years.