She Saw It All

                                                                                                         Marilyn Bruner

 Marilyn Bruner is among a small group of current voyagers who came aboard the good ship Russellville Park circa 2005 when everything was new and masks were something you wore for New Years and Halloween. Like current residents, Betty Quimby,  Ray Niehaus, and Val Pryor, Marilyn remembers the east building with its beautiful stucco-covered walls. Oops.  The stucco did not cure correctly (what, rain in Oregon?) and required the entire five-story building to be wrapped in plastic while workers repaired the walls. Residents called it the "Ice Cube" and the rehab took a year to complete.  Kind of like the Covid except the building wore the mask. 

In her other life Marilyn was a professional secretary (in the 1940s high schools prepared males to take  leadership roles in corporate America while females were taught shorthand for their future as secretaries to their male classmates)  She worked as a secretary for school Principal Donald Bruner and they would later marry.  Marilyn shared Donald's interest in the history of native American tribes and in particular the Multnomah band of Chinook Indians who lived along the Columbia river.  They shared authorship of a book about Multnomah Chief Cassino: The Legend of Wappato.  Donald Bruner passed away in 2005 which led Marilyn to move to Russellville Park.  Now she is a living archival treasure for her fellow Russellville residents who care about the history of this place they call home. 

In the beginning the Overton dining room was just one big open space with a dance floor in the corner. Residents would sit around the fireplace and eat soft ice cream from a machine left out for them to self-serve..Of course that ended when a few miscreants filled buckets to take to their room  There were no servers for meals so residents would line up and go through the kitchen for a buffet pick up. They were allowed one free meal a day.

 Marilyn was a witness to the cast of characters who performed in the human comedy of those 16 years. She remembers one attractive lady (we'll call her Foxy) who claimed to have been a Playmate in Hugh Hefner's infamous Chicago mansion.  According to Marilyn, Foxy did contribute to the drama of life in Russellville with her occasional high kicks that entertained everyone.

 Then there was the resident (let's call him Rufus) who discovered the stairs that gave access to the roof  and insisted on using it as his solarium.  Management solved the issue, to the dismay of Rufus, by putting a padlock on the access door.

One fellow everyone called Bingo  (because he was always searching for that elusive winning letter?) who would sometimes come down to dinner wearing his pajamas.  When told that was unacceptable, Bingo  would impatiently respond that this was his home and if he wanted to dine in his PJs that was his right (but blue flannel tops and bottoms with circus clowns and bunny rabbits?).

There is no doubt in Marilyn's mind  that the most compelling feature of Russellville Park is that mysterious broth flavored by the diverse spirits of all those individuals who bring their past lives to the  mix. Right from the start there were people like Bob Hatrak who was warden of a high security prison in New Jersey where he made significant innovative contributions to national and international incarceration policies.  Or Vincenza Scarpaci who has made important contributions to the historical recognition of Japanese immigrants during World War II.  America has always been fascinated with the issues of crime and punishment (how many TV cop shows and movies have you watched?) and we have our own Lou Barrett, ex-California Highway Patrol officer.  He can creep you out talking about a late night traffic stop and his approach to the dark unknown ahead. Find a way to talk with Rodney Phillips about his life as a librarian with the New York City PublicLibrary. Coming off the elevator is Cal, Berkeley Architect Joy Gannett whose quiet wit will sneak up on you.  Jane Gregory's magnificent deck garden has every blooming thing but Eden's snake.  Artists Marianne Stokes or Diane Thramer, with a few deft brush strokes, can make you look like you look.   The list goes on and on.   You can't imagine hanging out in a more vibrant neighborhood.  

Right from the start Marilyn involved herself in Russellville's social activities by joining the singing group Blended Voices and the acting group Curtain Call.  Both activities welcome participants today.  With Curtain Call she discovered a latent knack for writing skits which the group performed.   

Marilyn is another sure-fire candidate for election to that future Russellville Park Hall of Fame.