New exhibit highlights Janice Major-Tate Story contributed by Michelle Clark

There’s a new exhibit on the second floor, to the right of the elevator and stairs.

Loaned with love by Michelle Clark, it pictures the story of her family in the Sandy area,

focusing on her mother, Janice Major Tate. Exhibit designer Laurie DeFazio artfully

arranged the keepsakes of generations, and Ken Funk hung some of Janice’s hundreds

of paintings on the wall above the display.

All the work was worth it just to see the happy look on Janice’s face when she

viewed the story of her life.

After Janice Major joined the family, two younger brothers, Gary and Ronald,

followed. The family left South Dakota in 1941 for work in the Kaiser shipyards in

Oregon. Michelle’s 5-foot- tall grandmother worked alongside her husband to help weld

the SS Swan Island. They lived in Troutdale at first and then bought a beautiful wooded

property on what is now Highway 211 south of Sandy. Michelle’s grandpa felled trees

and built much of the house himself.

Janice Major attended Sandy schools all the way through high school graduation in

1955, when Elvis Presley was a music king and poodle skirts and bobby socks were all

around. She was a leader active in many groups including pep squad, treasurer of choir,

leader of Future Homemakers of America, and editor of the high school’s Pioneer Press

long before they were known as the Pioneers.

Proud to receive a scholarship to beauty school, Janice walked from the 211

homestead to the bus stop in Sandy and rode the bus to Portland to attend the school.

Later, she worked in her cousin Jerry Major’s beauty shop.

“When we kids came along, we always had a chair and shampoo bowl in some part

of our house,” her daughter remembered.

Janice’s husband-to-be spotted a beautiful brunette across the crowded Sandy High

gymnasium. He entered the gym, looked to the right, and there she was. He asked his

brother Jerry to make the intros. It worked, and John J. Tate of Boring married Janice

Tate at Powell Valley Mission Covenant Church in Gresham September 15, 1956. John

and Janice had Michelle, Lori Stillwell, Brian Tate, and Kendra Maddox. Janice has nine

grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

“Mom was active at church, sold Avon door-to-door, and of course . . . painted. She

dressed us to the nines and gave all of us haircuts and the girls, perms. Mom was an

average cook . . . but had some amazing standouts like her potato salad, pumpkin pie

and bread, and roast beef dinner after church. Mum loved to get away on vacation . . .

especially camping in the Mt. Hood National Forest and the Oregon Coast.”

“Our mom now has six great-grandchildren who have attended or are still attending

school in Sandy at Firwood Elementary, Sandy Grade School, Cedar Ridge Middle

School, and Sandy High School,” Michelle Clark revealed.

[Editor’s note: Please share your stories. We welcome them, and they can help

preserve the history and culture of this area.]