Mary Jane Houk McKinnon

Mary Jane Houk McKinnon (aka "Grammy") : Grammy was born in Redmond, 
Oregon in 1920. She went all through school in Redmond, then went on 
to Oregon State University where she graduated in 1941. She was an 
excellent student and very smart. However, she was in college in a 
time that many men thought a woman shouldn't be in school because they 
weren't smart enough. She proved them wrong by graduating at the top 
of her University class! She met George Ellis McKinnon in 1940. He 
was also going to Oregon State University and needed a ride from 
Prineville to Corvallis one winter. Since Jane had a car, he caught a 
ride with her, and it was "love at first sight"! They married in 
1942, just before he went off to World War II. She followed him 
around the country while he was in training to be a pilot in the Army 
AirForce. A few months before he left, Jane & George had their first 
child, Janet Gail (Nana!!). George was a pilot with the 8th Air 
Force, had the rank of Captain and flew C47's over the Burma Hump. 
While George was in the war, Jane & baby Janet lived with her parents, 
Mary & Mack Houk. After the war, Jane & George with baby Janet went 
back to OSU where George finished his education. They then returned 
to Redmond as they bought into the Ford Dealership. Grammy always was 
the office manager, bookeeper & secretary for the entire business. 
She also had 3 more children - Mike, Dick, & Jim. She was very active 
in many of Redmond's organizations, always being the leader. Because 
of all her achievements, in 1970 she was listed in the Who's Who of 
Oregon Women. She was very proud of this award. After George died in 
a plane crash in 1967, she went back to OSU to get her education 
degree, then taught for the next 20 years in Culver, a small town 
between Redmond & Madras. She was THE business department teaching 
typing, shorthand, and bookkeeping. After retirement in 1987, she took 
up traveling around the country in her motor home. This was an 
extraordinary activity for a woman her age since most women her age 
were taught to stay at home. In about 1996 she sold her motor home, 
and for the rest of her life she dreamed of getting another and going 
on the road again! She died in April, 2005.