Earl Leroy Hitchman was born 28 Oct 1895 at Monitor, Oregon, the baby of a large family born to immigrant parents who had migrated from the Dakota territory to Oregon.
Earl married on 23 Feb 1917, Minnie Beynor and to this union was born 1 son, Walter Hitchman.
The boys were loggers in the fresh virgin Oregon area and had their own 'gypo' operation on the hill in Silverton, Oregon.
Just 5 short years after Earl's marriage his mother, Matilda (NELSON) died.
Sadness came again to Earl and Minnie when Walter, at the age of 10, fell into the pit of boiling hot water just after the steam donkey had been emptied. It was a trying time for both Minnie and for Earl. Walter was rushed to Portland via ambulance but died en route. He is buried in the Rose City Cemetery in Portland with his parents.
In 1945 Earl's older brother, Elmer, sold Earl his portion of the logging operation and took his family to Roseburg in Southern Oregon. Earl continued to log for a time but saw the opportunity to launch his own business making equipment for sawmill operations. He began humbly at 3455 "D" St in Salem, Oregon, naming his company Salem Equipment. His home was next door to the operation and he continued to live there until his death.
Though the operation was successful and grew to be a multi-million dollar corporation, Earl never assumed the airs of a wealthy man opting to wear plaid workshirts with workpants and suspenders. He was always happiest when he could join 'his men' in work.
As his business increased, he was urged to buy a Cadillac rather than to drive his old Ford. Earl loved Chinese food and there was a Chinese take out restaurant in Salem. He declared that the restaurant had one menu for drivers of Fords and another with higher prices for the drivers of Cadillacs. The Cadillac did not stay long and Earl returned to driving Fords.
He was generous to a fault. He helped finance the education of Delleen, his brother Elmer's granddaughter and many others. One of Delleen's fondest memories is of going to see 'Uncle Earl' who would take her out in the office of the shop where she would sit in the highback chairs pretending to run this operation. Uncle Earl used little squeeze coin purses for advertising and whenever Delleen came to visit he would take a new one from the accountant's office, squeeze it open, take the one from his pocket and empty it into the new one and then give the new one to Delleen.
Earl's brother Elmer was not one for owning the 'new fandangled things' and refused to buy a television set when they came out. Earl solved that problem by sending him a large one for Christmas. Earl thought nothing of putting a $100.00 bill in the mail and sending it to whomever he thought could use it. Never by check or money order but just put it in an envelope. The property across the street from his factory was leased to the school district for 99 years at $1.00 a year and is still the 'bus barn' for the Salem School District.
His home was always maintained in a simple manner with no trappings of wealth other than a baby grand piano in the living room with two vases one on the piano and one beside it. The one beside it was woven with gold threads.
In the 1950s Minnie was diagnosed with cancer and soon passed away. Earl was left alone.
He met a widow named Anna and married her...thus bringing life to his home once more. Though he had no more children, Annie loved chihuahuas and their home was blessed with two of them. In the evenings after the shop was closed and on weekends, the shop phone was forwarded to the house. One of the chihuahuas would always tug on Annie if the home phone rang and after the shop was closed would do the same if the shop phone rang but never 'told her' if the shop phone was ringing while there was someone to answer it in the shop.
Earl loved Smorgasbords and took every opportunity he could to have dinner there. After his marriage to Annie and the adoption of the chihuahuas, they would bring food from the 'smorgie' to their babies.
With Annie also came her collection of antique orientals. Finally Earl's home showed the trappings of his wealth. However, he never left his simple lifestyle behind.
In the early 1970s Earl suffered a stroke which left him partially paralyzed but he still insisted that he be wheeled out to the shop to look over his operation and to be with his men.
Annie's health failed at this time also and she was placed in a nursing home where she passed away in January of 1972. Just seven months later Earl, also, went to his rest. A finer, more fair and honest man would be hard to find. He is missed.
