Paul and Vera Jean Mortimer
Paul and Vera Jean Mortimer were Tieton fruit growers for more than 50 years.
Paul was born in 1919, the youngest of six. Growing up in the 1930s meant that life was not lavish, but the farm ensured that there was plenty to eat. The family subscribed to periodicals and news magazines, which helped Paul develop a lifelong interest in history and current affairs.
WWII broke out while he was at Linfield College and Paul served three years as a lead bombardier in the Army Air Corps, completing 68 combat missions and earning the Army Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross. He had great affection and respect for the men with whom he served.
Paul would have made a wonderful journalist, judge or historian. But he chose to farm because he loved working outdoors and because farming allowed him to be his own boss. He managed packing crews for Cubberly Fruit for nearly 20 years. Later he served as a longtime board member for Cowiche Growers.
Vera Jean was born in 1926. An only child, for years her parents worked as migrant farm workers and Jean travelled the west coast in the back seat of their car with her colored pencils, paper dolls and little dog, Trixie. As they bounced from town to town, Jean would enroll herself in one school after another, sometimes for just one day. Life improved considerably when her father became a fruit broker, bought orchards and built a warehouse, a legacy that was lost when he died in a plane crash.
After declining an opportunity to attend the University of California, Berkeley, Jean spent nearly 40 years working in fruit packing warehouses, striving to be the top packer and nearly always succeeding. She was energetic, hardworking and competitive. It wasn’t enough for her to win one top prize for apple pie at the state fair; she had to win it four years in a row.
Mainly, Jean was an artist, most alive when gardening or painting. A high school drop-out, she obtained her GED and went on to teach painting classes at Yakima Valley Community College. If you could imagine it, her eyes and hands could make it come to life.
Married for 54 years, Paul and Vera Jean’s notes to each other were signed “Madly”.
About this scholarship
The scholarship established in memory of Paul and Vera Jean assists graduates of Highland High School attend college or technical school. Students receiving the scholarship will share values associated with the Mortimer family, such as hard work, thrift, integrity and concern for their community.