August 1998 CattleWoman
Fern Wolfe
The Wolfe Ranch in Wallowa County of Northeast Oregon recently celebrated it 100th
birthday. Gathering around a new sign to mark the event were the five children of
Fern Wolfe and the late Bill Wolfe, a nationally recognized cattleman. From left are
Bryan, Dwight, Stephen and Fern Wolfe; Kathy Lewis and Mary Burns.
This photo was featured on the front page of the local Wallowa, OR paper after Wolfe Ranches celebrated its centennial in September of 1997, with scores of friends and neighbors joining in the festivities. The center of attention was Fern Wolfe and her five children, and memories of the late Bill Wolfe.
The Wallowa County ranch was founded in about 1880 by Captain Gideon Wolfe of Tennessee, who made the original land purchase for his family of three sons. Today the ranch includes wheat and grazing land near Pendleton, and irrigated farm land near Hermiston as well as the home place. Sons Stephen and Bryan operate the ranch. Fern (Stein) and Bill married in 1942 and operated a grade A dairy for a number of years. Eventually the 100+ cow dairy herd was sold and they began what would become nationally well-known as a Hereford ranch, winning many honors. Both Fern and Bill have been state presidents in the Oregon cattle industry. Bill Wolfe died in 1992. Today the ranch focuses on Gelbvieh, Polled Herefords and Angus cattle.
"This spot is known as God’s Country to its
residents," Fern wrote in 1976. Its grandeur helps form the challenge of making the
ranch an interesting place for the children of future generations to enjoy. The dream of
each generation is to make life meaningful in this ‘Hidden Valley’ known as the
Switzerland of America." And today she writes, "I still live on the ranch. It
will always be home." The Wolfes are another example of a family practicing
sustainable ranching for well over 100 years. The technology available changes, but the
philosophy and goals of loving and caring for the land and sustaining its richness
continues down through the generations of true Westerners.