>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

ENTERPRISE

Local and visiting cowboy poets and western entertainers are on the line-up for the Max Walker Memorial Cowboy Gathering on Friday night starting at 6:30 at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds.

You can sit and listen to cowboy yarns and also enjoy some toe-tapping tunes. Well known cowboy poet, reciter and storyteller, Smoke Wade — A Legend In His Own Mind — from Lewiston, Idaho, will head up the evening show with his poetry and western nostalgia.

HCMD Vice President Allen Schnetzky has organized this year's Cowboy Gathering and is guaranteeing an evening that is fun for the whole family. No admission is charged for attending the Gathering, but donations will be accepted to support the Max Walker Memorial Scholarship Fund. Look for the big five-gallon cowboy hats and dig deep into your pockets to support this cause.

Max Walker was one who wore many hats during his 20 years of involvement with the Hells Canyon Mule Days. He, along with Bob Casey, Jerry Winegar, Jerry Perren and a handful of other locals, were the founding fathers and mothers of this annual event.

Walker was the driving force behind the scenes as well as main stage each year. He was the first chairman of Hells Canyon Mule Days and acted in that capacity for many years. He also provided initial financing.

Besides being a contestant in the events, he and his wife, Marcel, and their mules were the official escort for many Hells Canyon Mule Days Grand Marshals over the years. The Walkers were honored as grand marshals of Mule Days in 1992.

He, an an avid sportsman, loved to hunt, fish, hike and camp. But telling his famous hunting stories was his favorite pastime. The Snake River and the Wallowa Mountains were among his favorite places. An expert at shoeing horses and mules, he was sought out by many livestock owners for his services.

Walker was an honest hard worker, even in play. He told his sons to first, always tell the truth, second, never tell on anybody and third, always leave a gate the way you found it.

The Max Walker Memorial Fund was established in 2005 by Hells Canyon Mule Days, Inc. in the memory and honor of the late Max Walker. The scholarship grant is funded through the Hells Canyon Mule Days event, the Max Walker family and donations from individuals who want to remember Max Walker and contribute to a the education of Wallowa County students .