COTTAGE GROVE – Former mayor Bill Whiteman, a good friend, community leader, and successful businessman in South Lane County, passed away on Dec. 13, 2024.
I first met Bill in the late 1970s when my family and I moved from Everett, Wash. Bill was involved with Beeper, Shop and Swap, and some sports broadcasting at the local radio station then owned by Mary and Dave Pfleger and located in the Oddfellows building on Main Street. During my morning commute, I would listen to Bill’s show.
As I became more familiar with the community, part of my job was to inform the public about changes at Weyerhaeuser Co. I met local leaders at Koffee Cup near McCoy’s Pharmacy and discussed the financial and business needs of the community.
In 1979, I was asked to head Bohemia Mining Days. Bill Whiteman offered guidance and encouragement, as he had served as president a short time before. From then on, a friendship that lasted over 40 years was formed.
Throughout those years, Bill encouraged and gave sound advice to my late wife, Mary Jean, as she raised funds for the United Way of Lane County. I also became involved with the Chamber Board of Directors and learned how the Cottage Grove business community operated.
I received a call from Bill, who was either in his first term as mayor or serving on the city council. He asked Mary Jean and me to meet him and his wife at North Regional Park to discuss his dream of a mini-Disneyland-type park — a permanent frontier town that would be a tourist attraction for Bohemia Mining Days (BMD). Unfortunately, that dream never came to fruition.
It was not uncommon to see Bill on a Sunday afternoon with Jean Odeski on Main Street, cleaning up dandelions and weeds growing in the cracks of the sidewalks and curbs.
Some residents may recall the barn across from the Koffee Kup on North 99. It was a picturesque landmark, one of the most photographed buildings in Lane County, often with sheep in the field where the barn stood alongside the advertisement for Dr. Pierce’s Pleasant Pellets.
In 1989, when a committee was formed to save the Dr. Pierce barn from collapse, we secured a 20-year lease with the historical society for the barn. It was in danger of collapse and needed significant repairs, including foundation work, rafters, and wall studs. The project was considerable, yet funding was scarce. All materials were donated except for the labor and the split-shingle roof.
Through our efforts, we saved the barn from destruction for 21½ years. Larry Wilson was the contractor, assisted by Lloyd Strickland, who patiently awaited their payment. One day, Bill Whiteman called to inquire what we owed the contractors for the barn. I provided a figure, and he suggested organizing a spaghetti fundraising dinner at the Elks. He offered to cover all expenses while donating the profits to the barn fund.
This exemplifies Bill’s unwavering support for countless organizations, which earned him recognition from the citizens of Cottage Grove through their service clubs.
In 1971, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award at the Chamber Banquet.
After Bill retired from the business community, discussions began about rebuilding the carousel. I spoke with community members about the project’s potential success, and once again, Bill was encouraging. I formed a committee and organized efforts. Ultimately, the carousel was completed — a unique project made possible by the volunteer efforts of the business community and the dedicated work of carvers, painters, and engineers.
After the Coquille carousel project disbanded, I was fortunate to receive a large lion from its donors. Although in rough shape, I gladly accepted the piece for our own carousel. While the lion was being worked on, Bill visited the carousel and generously donated to help buy it in his name.
One of Bill’s ventures was the Vintage Inn restaurant. In the late 1980s, he opened a bakery on Main Street, serving fresh-baked goods and dinners, including meatloaf, turkey dinners, and prime rib on weekends. Bill’s prime rib was among the best I’ve ever tasted, and his lemon meringue pie was a true work of art, rivaled only by one prepared in my youth by an elderly Norwegian woman.
Don Williams has been a longtime Cottage Grove volunteer, a retired longtime employee of Weyerhaeuser Company, and an occasional columnist for The Chronicle.
