Life, Love & the Pursuit of Dreams

By Ruth Lovegren

Life, Love and the Pursuit of Dreams is about a young couple with 4 small children that risked all they had to purchase a fledgling resort and 203 acres in central Oregon.

This true story, chronicles 36 years of hard work and sacrifices of their family, but also their love, joy and successes of developing Blue Lake Resort.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514427132

Book preview

BLUE LAKE RESORT

The story of

The Crater Lake of the Central Cascades

By Ruth L. Lovegren

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the love of my life,

Ken W. Lovegren.

Copyright © 2015 by Ruth Lovegren. 728311

ISBN:   Softcover     978-1-5144-2714-9

             Hardcover   978-1-5144-2715-6

             EBook         978-1-5144-2713-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 12/11/2015

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

Contents

PROLOGUE – HOW IT ALL STARTED 1953-1959

CHAPTER 1 – BLUE LAKE, IN THE BEGINNING 1500 BC - 1959

CHAPTER 2 – A SERENDIPTY RESULTS IN A STEP OF FAITH 1958-1960

CHAPTER 3 – THE LOVEGRENS’ EARLY YEARS 1960-1970

CHAPTER 4 – SUMMERS AT THE LAKE 1970-1978

CHAPTER 5 – MOVING TO BLUE LAKE YEAR ROUND 1975-1979

CHAPTER 6 – FINALLY, A HOUSE! 1979-1989

CHAPTER 7 – THE BEGINNING OF THE END 1990-1996

EPILOGUE – 1996-2014

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

APPENDIX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A huge thank you goes to Carol Lovegren Miller for her hardwork and encouragement while editing. An additional thank you to Rebeccah Lovegren DeKeyser (our English teacher) for the final edit. I appreciate you both so very much.

PREFACE

To many people owning a resort seems like a dream life, but what is it really like? Is owning a resort all fun and games?

Mom, write down the whole story, My brother, sisters and I entreated. We know bits and pieces, but how did dad and you come to own Blue Lake Resort? What was it like? Where did the idea of owning Blue Lake Resort come from? Why did you purchase it? We know that dad and you are extraordinary people, true pioneers, but what is your story?

It took great courage to accomplish all you and Dad did. We watched the years of unrelenting hard work and stress. We watched Dad sweat bullets trying to make the mortgage payments; borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. We saw your faith in God sustain you. We struggled, worked, and laughed with you. Your story is our story. Thank you for the many hours of hard work that went into writing this book.

- Carol Lovegren Miller

Though I was only six years old when we sold the resort, some of my sweetest and happiest childhood memories revolve around it. Reading this book brought them back to me, and more importantly, refreshed the memories of Grandpa. I can see him clearly in my mind’s eye again, all dressed in green with a Blue Lake Resort cap shielding his eyes from the sun. His voice and yours echo in this book so clearly that I almost hear it audibly. Thank you for trusting me with the final edit. This book is precious to me, and I am beyond privileged to have been a small part of this story. I love Blue Lake and I always will. After the fire, I felt like I lost it a little. Thank you for giving it back to me. I love you.

- Rebeccah Lovegren DeKeyser

PROLOGUE

HOW IT ALL STARTED 1953-1959

In the beginning, I was introduced to Ken Lovegren by my twin brother Reuben Prinzing in July of 1953. I was asked to join him along with several young people on a hike. Neither Ken nor I realized where that mountain hike would take us in the path of life, a path that would lead to the purchase and development of Blue Lake Resort.

When I met Ken, he was president of Lovegren Lumber Company, a wholesale lumber company which bought and sold trainloads of lumber. He and his brother Ed inherited the company from his father.

Before taking on that responsibility Ken joined the Navy immediately after graduating from Cottage Grove High School at the age of 17. At this time, World War II was raging, and all eligible young men were being drafted as soon as they turned eighteen. Knowing this, Ken joined the Navy, before receiving his draft notice in order to choose which branch of service he entered.

Ken liked girls and dated a lot. He became engaged at age 18- which he later broke off. One day after we were married, I mentioned that I needed a recipe box, he offered, I have a wooden file you can have. When I opened it, I discovered several index cards with comments about the different girls he dated. On one of the cards was a cousin of mine. That file was an interesting read.

Image347.tif

While in the Navy, Ken attended college in whatever state he was stationed. He received most of his college education during the four years he was in the Navy. He graduated after taking the remainder of his classes at the University of Oregon. Knowing he would be managing a business, he took classes in accounting and law. After Ken got out of the Navy, his father began training him in the different aspects of Lovegren Lumber Company. Ken worked closely with his dad for the next three years. His father was also partners with a cousin, Grant Lovegren, in a small sawmill called Walters Bushong. This mill was moved from Cottage Grove to Eugene across the street from Lovegren Lumber Co., and then sold not too long after we were married.

Ken’s father was ill with leukemia and passed away in 1949 at the age of 49. I did not have the privilege of meeting him, I would have liked to.

At age 24, Ken assumed responsibility for the care of his mother and his brother Ed, age 18, who would be attending college. He had a house built for his mother and they moved from Cottage Grove to Eugene. The home included an apartment and carport in the back with a private entrance that he rented from his mother. He had the apartment built with the idea in mind that when he got married his mother could continue to rent it out for additional income. Her home was built on 10th & Madison Street, in an area within walking distance to downtown and the church, since his mother did not drive. At age 28, still single, owning his own business and driving a classy new Oldsmobile, he was considered a very eligible bachelor.

Image355.tif

In the meantime, I lived in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where I worked as a pay and receive teller at the 1st National Bank of Idaho. Prior to that job I worked at Van’s Creamery as a fountain girl/waitress. We served delicious ice cream, sodas, milkshakes and sundaes, as well as breakfast and lunch. I admit that when my brothers or dad came in for a milkshake they got the biggest, thickest shakes I could make. Because I did not have a car, I didn’t have to worry about getting enough exercise, as I walked two miles to and from work – rain, snow or shine.

For my vacation, I decided to visit my two brothers Reuben and Reuel and my sister Harriet who were living in Eugene Oregon. I booked a flight from Spokane Washington to Eugene. It was my first airplane ride. I became very airsick– which is why they have paper bags available, right?

A couple days after I arrived, my brother Reuben mentioned, There is this guy that has invited me along with several others to go on a hike this Saturday. Why don’t I phone him and ask if it is okay for you to come along? When Reuben called, Ken replied, Sure, have her bring some tuna sandwiches. Little did I realize they were one of his favorite sandwiches, and I would be making tuna sandwiches for him for the next 41 years! They were always made on buttered white bread, preferably Williams’s bread, with tuna, chopped dill pickle and miracle whip. If the crusts were cut off, that was a plus, which was probably why he always ate two sandwiches.

While we hiked up the trail, Ken dropped back to visit and get acquainted with me. As the hike progressed, we found ourselves lingering at the back of the group. I didn’t think too much about it at the time, but I later realized that Ken always led the hikes; he never lagged along at the rear.

We met again at church on Sunday where we had a brief conversation. I met new friends, enjoyed a trip to the coast, shopping and etc., but alas! Vacation time was fast running out, and I had to fly back to Idaho.

After returning home, I began thinking about Eugene, and yes, Ken too! Prior to this trip, I had already decided I wanted to make a change in my life. I had been looking at other options, including having my own apartment, but now, Oregon was starting to look pretty good.

One afternoon, I took my younger sister Rosemary out for a soda at the Rexall Drug Store. While sitting at the fountain and talking with her, a thought dropped into my mind and I blurted out, I may have met the man I will one day marry. Even so, it was not love at first sight; we were good friends for months before our relationship became serious. Rosemary told me not long ago that I so shocked her with my statement that she still remembers it vividly to this day.

Right then and there, while drinking a strawberry soda, I decided to resign my job as a pay and receive teller at the 1st National Bank of Idaho. Arriving at work the next day I talked to my boss and gave the required two weeks’ notice. While eating dinner that evening, I told my parents what I had done. My dad said You can’t quit your job! I answered, Yes I can; I just did.

I then proceeded to call my older sister Harriet and asked if it would be possible to stay with them until I could get my own apartment. They had just moved to a house on City View Street that had two extra bedrooms upstairs. Harriet & Merl were already letting my brother Reuel stay there, and they graciously let me have the other bedroom. They only charged us a very modest fee for room and board. I loved my older sister. Since she was seven years older, she helped raise us kids. I could always go to her for advice, and Merl was like an older brother.

God certainly takes good care of us. He blessed me even then with guardian angels as well as wonderful caring brothers and sisters. My youngest brother Eddie helped me move. He did most of the driving, because he didn’t trust me. I scared the wits out of both of us when I fell asleep and crossed onto the wrong side of the highway. That ended my driving turn. The reason I was so tired that day was because the night before leaving for Eugene I had gone on a date with Norman. We