Richard Rise, President of OCHS, presents Claire Rise with the Pioneer of the Year award as Mary Louise Loe, president of the Molson Museum looks on.

OKANOGAN – At the annual membership meeting of the Okanogan County Historical Society, Oct. 24, Claire Rowton Rise of Oroville was awarded the Pioneer of the Year plaque.

The plaque was presented by Richard Ries, Okanogan, President of the Society. The Pioneer of the Year is awarded to long-time residents of the county who have worked at keeping the history of the area alive and have devoted countless hours to the society by volunteering their time, energy and expertise.

Mary Louise Loe of the Molson Museum described Rise as “active in 4-H as a leader and as a volunteer at the Molson Museum ‘practically forever.'”

Loe added, “Now Rise continues to work in Old Molson, the outdoor building portion of the museum, planting, weeding and keeping the place beautiful. She brings floral arrangements for the museum, so that we have flowers all the time. And she’s still going strong after just celebrating her 91st birthday.”