The Polson Museum has chosen lifelong Harborite Vern Heikkila as the 45th Pioneer of the Year.
A reception is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6 at the museum.
Born in 1941 in Aberdeen, Vern was raised with open water and the outdoors running through his veins. The son of a commercial fisherman and seasonal boat builder at the Pakkonen shipyard, Vern grew up in South Aberdeen’s Finn town playing in sloughs and on the log rafts so common then. Following his graduations from Aberdeen High School, Grays Harbor College and Western Washington University, Vern taught six years at Ocosta High School before fully embracing his calling to the water, pivoting to a decades long career as a commercial fisherman.
Even prior to his retirement in 2008, but especially since, Vern has proven a model volunteer for a myriad of causes around the Harbor. Over the years Vern has served with Grays Harbor College’s carpentry classes and the YMCA’s water safety program. He has also assisted Camp Bishop, the Polson Museum, the Aberdeen Museum, Westport-South Beach Fire Commission and the Ocosta School Board.
He has been an avid bicyclist, runner and paddler with the Harbor Harriers and has for many years organized the annual Elk River Challenge paddle race.
The public is invited to attend this celebration, which will be held in the Railroad Camp Locomotive Shop at the museum grounds, located at 1611 Riverside Ave., Hoquiam.
“Please join us in celebrating Vern and his years of service to our community,” said museum Director John Larson.
Past Polson Pioneers
Charles Clemons — 1980
Ruth Birks & Frances Rosenberg — 1981
Ed Van Syckle — 1982
Bus Fairbairn — 1983
George Lamb—1984
Orlo Higley — 1985
Capt. Charles Baker — 1986
Ed Bowers — 1987
Jerome Heermans — 1988
Roy Knack — 1989
Asa Fishel — 1990
Myra Shelley — 1991
William Jones — 1992
Douglas Osborn — 1993
Rudy Anderson — 1994
Harold Schmidtke — 1995
Helge Erickson — 1996
Doris West — 1997
Dewey Wilson — 1998
Mary Goodin — 1999
Gile Mead — 2000
Howard and Betty Wilson — 2001
Joel Wolff — 2002
Omar Parker — 2003
Florence Abrahamson — 2004
Marian Abel Weatherwax — 2005
Cecil Herrington — 2006
Alice Esses — 2007
Gordon Love and Vicki Fenton — 2008
Don Stubb — 2009
Anthony Cemelich — 2010
Ray Ryan — 2011
Jack Shrauger — 2012
Oscar Rosenkrantz — 2013
Rudy Spanich — 2014
Isabelle Lamb — 2015
Gene Stensager and Lou Messmer — 2016
Irma Loomis — 2017
Dave Seymour — 2018
Larry Wyrick — 2019
Jerry Erickson — 2020
Patricia Clemons — 2021
Lee Thomasson — 2022
Bill Wieland — 2023
Vern Heikkila
