Joe and Rosella McKay Service Award
In 2023, the St. Paul Mission Historical Society established the Joe and Rosella McKay award for service to the Society as a way to honor individuals who have performed outstanding service to the Society.
The awardee(s) will have their name inscribed on a plaque in the Murphy House and will receive and award certificate at the October annual meeting.
Any dues paying or Life member of the Society may make a nomination, and the awardee will be selected from the nominations by a majority vote of the Board of Directors
Gertrude Jette spent her life cherishing the historical significance of the Willamette Valley. She served as treasurer for the St. Paul Historical Society for many years, finally retiring in 2015. Born in Plainfield ,Iowa, she and her family moved to Oregon in 1938, settling in the Bald Mt. area of McMinnville. They served as lookouts for Japanese bomber planes in Yamhill and Tillamook counties. She attended Linfield College in McMinnville from 1945 until 1947, when she married Bob Jette. She returned to Linfield in 1984 and got her degree in Home Economics. During her lifetime of dedication to Oregon history, she was a member of The Daughters of the American Revolution. She served on the Building and Grounds Committee for the Newell house, owned by the D.A.R. Living right next to Champoeg, she was a member of the Champoeg Historical Society, the St. Paul Mission Historical Society, and the Daughters of Union Vets of the Civil War. History was her passion, and family was her love. She and Bob had 4 boys, Norm, David, George, and Dan, and 1 daughter, Lorene. She was known for her apple cake, peach cobbler, popcorn balls, and her famous egg noodles. She and Bob were known for their love of dancing and socializing in the community. She is buried in the St. Paul Cemetery.