Early Life and Family Move to Oregon
Donnie Wessel was born in 1934 in Karo, Iowa. In the oral history interview, he describes leaving Iowa for Oregon in 1947 when he was 13 years old, following a family tragedy. The newspaper coverage from Carroll, Iowa provides contemporaneous context for that moment in the Wessel family story.
View the Carroll, Iowa newspaper source | Download the PDF scan
Settling in Bly
The Wessels moved to Bly after arriving in Oregon. Donnie recalled that relatives were already in the area, including his Uncle John Dillavou. His mother, Pauline Waters Wessel, ran the restaurant at the Logger's Club bar for several years. Donnie attended school in Bly, where he remembers teachers, classmates, and the close-knit community of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Work, Family, and Logging Camp Life
Donnie joined the Navy after high school and returned to Bly in 1955. He worked on a ranch, then began a long career in logging. He married Sharon Melsness in 1957 and spent three decades with Weyerhaeuser, often living in logging camps during the winter. His interview includes vivid memories of camp routines, storm-era logging work, and the changing rhythm of the mills and sort yard in Bly.
Oral History Interview
Donnie Wessel's oral history interview, recorded on May 10, 2000, captures stories about school life, ranching, logging camps, community traditions, and the transformation of Bly over the decades. Read the interview transcript.
Sources
- Oral History Interview: Interview with Donnie and Sharon Wessel (May 10, 2000)
- Newspaper source: Carroll, Iowa Daily Times Herald (August 18, 1947) and PDF scan