A great loss noted

Though his inspiration can live on in us today, if we are wise enough to heed his counsel.

Manton A. Carl

April 19, 1917 - November 8, 2008

Arthur Carl was born on April 19, 1917, in a tent on his parents'

property in Hubbard, Oregon, as they were clearing land for their farm. He died 100 feet away in the house they had built.

Throughout his life, Manton worked to preserve agricultural lands and natural resources. In 1939, Manton graduated from Oregon State in Agriculture. He returned to the family farm, where he and his mother had an innovative raw milk dairy, which peddled milk door to door, even into Portland.

Because he was in ROTC at Oregon State, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant when World War II began, and trained as a paratrooper. He married Irene Green on June 14, 1942, when he was stationed in Tacoma, Washington; at his 50th college reunion, he said marriage continued to be "the most interesting event" of his life.

When he was about to be shipped out to the Pacific, his mother died; he went home to keep the farm going. In 1945 he purchased the farm. Throughout the years, Manton worked politically and personally as a steward of the land. He worked with other farmers to support McCall's Senate Bill 100, Oregon's landmark land use bill. He believed that only by protecting farmland would younger generations be able to farm in the Willamette Valley.

Manton always believed that Oregonians needed to look 100 years into the future and strive to preserve resources. Manton served on the Marion County Planning Commission twice, from 1976 until 1984 and from 2000 until 2003. He served two separate times as president of Marion County Farm Bureau. Manton was a member of 1000 Friends of Oregon and in 2004, at the age of 87, he was nominated for a Citizen Activist Award for that organization.

The other great love of his life was his wife, Irene. Both worked incredibly hard on the farm, but loved taking time to swim in the river, seek out hot springs, or attend dances in Mulino. Manton built two ponds on the farm, provided nesting places for wild birds, and with Irene, added over 12,000 evergreen trees to the farm. Manton's dedication to the land and to his wife inspired not only his children but many people, both young and old, who came to visit the farm or lived near the farm. Manton and Irene raised five children, and are survived by all of them . . . .

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, November 22 at the Hubbard United Church of Christ, 2934 H Street, Hubbard. All are welcome. Memorial donations may be made to 1000 Friends of Oregon, 534 SW 3rd Ave., Suite 300, Portland, OR 97204.