Sequim Irrigation Festival

Dick Shaw’s pioneer roots date back to 1890 when his great grandparents William and Margaret Shaw homesteaded on Lost Mountain after the Civil War. Dick was the youngest of three children born to Rollin and Daisy Clawson Shaw.

Growing up during the depression years, all the children had chores. Farms were self contained with chickens, pigs and gardens. Dick says “there was lots of food but not 10 cents to go to the show”.

Dick’s father was in the forest service until 1948. During the winter they would work on the stump farm and go to school, and in the summer they would all go to one of the ranger stations or lookouts. He remembers going with the whole family during the summer to the Mt. Zion Lookout and living in a 14x14 foot lookout station. The “best part of growing up was living in the middle of nowhere with my family”.

Dick married Sequim native Evelyn Smelling of the Smelling Turkey Farm on Taylor Cutoff Road. Together they ran the family dairy farm west of Sequim. He and Evelyn have 3 children, Timothy, Mark and Valerie, 18 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

After they returned from the Korean War, his two brothers, Bill and Glen, convinced him to sell the cows and go to college. He graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah and they moved to California where he taught mathematics for seven years. When Evelyn’s mother was ready to retire from teaching mathematics in Sequim, they convinced Dick to move back and take her job. He taught at Sequim High School for 30 years. He feels that his children got a good education in Sequim. “He has seen a lot of kids get a good education who are able to compete at the college level. A number of doctors, lawyers and business people have gone to school here.” Dick tutored in his spare time for many years and was active in the teacher associations where he helped to negotiate for teachers.

Dick continues to live on what is left of the family farm and lives in his grandfather’s home. They have 12 beef cows, raise hay, garden and have fruit trees. Evelyn has a green thumb and raises prize dahlias.

Dick rates his relationship with God, family and country in that order of importance. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a big part of his life and he has been Bishop as well as Stake President in past years.

With over 100 years of family history in the Sequim area, Dick and his family believe that being named a grand pioneer is a way to honor and celebrate that heritage.