The women of Blaine County's fifth annual Heritage Court, Margaret Barton Murdock, Anna Faye O'Donnell, Lois Heagle and Mary Lou Mickelson, are a force to be reckoned with.
Murdock, of Carey, raised eight children before teaching first and second grade for 20 years. O'Donnell kept the city of Bellevue running while she served as city clerk for 30 years. Heagle moved back to Hailey to care for her aging parents and now sits on the board of Blaine Manor, while Mickelson, of Ketchum and Sun Valley, has worked diligently to preserve the history and beauty of the Wood River Valley.
Board members of the Ketchum/Sun Valley Ski & Heritage Museum held a tea party Saturday to celebrate the new honorees and their Heritage Court predecessors at the Inn at the Ellsworth Estate, in Hailey.
"The goal is to get to know one another and to welcome the new ladies of the court before the flurry of the coronation and parades," said Laura Hall, director of the Blaine County Heritage Court.
Men and women, young and younger, came to the tea to meet the ladies. They sipped tea, ate delicious scones with cream and celebrated with a beautiful white and pink raspberry sheet cake.
The Blaine County Heritage Court first began in 2004.
Hall said she came up with the idea on a street corner in Hailey.
"I was talking to Teddie Daley of the Blaine County Historical Museum," Hall said. "And I asked, 'Have you ever thought of honoring the historic people in this town?' Teddie said, 'Sounds great. When can you do it?'"
According to Hall, the idea for the court came out of a desire to draw attention to the local museums and what is the fast disappearing history of this valley.
"History is more than the artifacts, documents and pictures that we have in our museums," Hall said. "History is made by people, and often in our own lives we forget our own history lives among us. These women here have worked hard to preserve history."
In the last five years, the Heritage Court has honored 21 women ranging from ages 72 to 103. Lady Crystal holds the title of eldest member of the Court at age 103.
Despite the older nature of the court, the group has lost only three women since 2004: Lady Marge Brass Heiss of 2004, Lady Gladys Smith McAtee of 2005, and, just last week, Lady Orpha Mecham of 2005.
All of the ladies of the Heritage Court were selected by various local organizations to represent the four main cities of Blaine County: Carey, Bellevue, Hailey and Sun Valley/Ketchum. The women must have lived in Blaine County for more than 30 years and have lived in and/or contributed to the Wood River Valley's history.
And these women have done just about everything.
Some have reared a dozen children. Others are descendents of some of Ketchum's first settlers. Still others have worked side-by-side with their husbands in the field. One even worked as a camp cook at Silver Creek for actor Gary Cooper and writer Ernest Hemingway.
The diversity of the women is a testament to Hall and her vision. She wanted to create a group that focused on the women who made this valley and not just the more socially visible women who lived a more comfortable life in Sun Valley.
To accomplish this, Hall changes the organizations that select the women to the court each year.
"One year it may be the libraries, the next a realty company, and the next year a masonry group," Hall said. "History knows no boundaries."
"I love these ladies," Daley said. "They're just such an inspiration to us—what they have done and what they have lived through."
The ladies, on the other hand, seem more awestruck by honors given to them.
"The women are so humble." Daley said. "They are surprised that everyone is here at the tea."
"It's an honor," Heagle said.
Murdock was more practical in her assessment.
"I'm excited, but also nervous," she said. "I thinks it is a lot of work."
There is some truth to Murdock's sentiments.
Shortly after the Coronation Ceremony on June 22, the four ladies of the 2008 Court will hit the ground running as they ride in the Hailey Fourth of July Parade, Carey's Pioneer Days Parade, Wagon Days in Ketchum and the Labor Day Parade in Bellevue.
This year, Ketchum/Sun Valley's Lady Petra of last year's Court will also ride in the Wagon Days Parade, which was canceled last year due to the Castle Rock Fire. She plans to wear a fire hat with her tiara on top.
To meet the ladies, watch them become official members of the Blaine County Heritage Court, complete with a sash and tiara, at the Coronation Ceremony June 22 in Hailey.
The women of the 2008 Blaine County Heritage Court cut cake at a tea party Saturday in their honor. They are, from left to right, Lois Heagle, Mary Lou Mickelson, Anna Fay O’Donnell and Margaret Barton Murdock. Photo by Della Sentilles
