The founder and editor of the weekly newspaper McKenzie River Reflections has died. KLCC has this remembrance.
“Little firecracker,” “great soul,” and “fun!” These are just a few of the descriptions from friends of Ellen Louise Engelman, a longtime resident of McKenzie Bridge, Ore.
Engelman was born in Sacramento, Calif. on November 20, 1944. In the 1960s, she created a concierge service for emerging Bay Area musical groups like Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead.
She moved to the McKenzie Valley in 1972 and soon met Ken Engelman. They married in 1978 and started the McKenzie River Reflections, known for its colorful local news, gardening tips and columns like Ridin’ the Rapids. Louise Engelman died in her sleep on September 24.
As McKenzie River communities continue to struggle in the aftermath of the Holiday Farm fire, Louise’s friends and neighbors say they will miss her and remember her volunteerism and undeniable green thumb.
The latest edition of McKenzie River Reflections is out Thursday.