Edsel V. Colvin

Edsel Vincent Colvin was born on May 30, 1923 to Frank (1882-1974) and Estella Jane Miller Colvin (1893-1924) in Gold Beach, Oregon. His paternal grandparents were Henry "Sam" Colvin and Miriam Dougherty Colvin. He was the youngest of four children (Aina, Juanita, and Marjorie) and many aunts, uncles, and grandparents were involved in his early upbringing. He passed away in Madras, OR, on April 14, 2015. He went through the public schools in Gold Beach, and was the first and only person at Gold Beach High School to be elected president of the student body twice. After graduating from Gold Beach High School in 1941, he spent a summer as a lookout on Rocky Peak, about 17 miles north of Gold Beach. He entered Pacific University, where his studies were cut short by World War II. He served in the Army in France and Germany as an infantryman on the front lines and eventually made his way back to Oregon after the war. From his graduation to the end of the war, he wrote over 300 letters to his family. He entered the University of Oregon in Eugene in 1946 and graduated in 1948 with a degree in Business Administration. He returned to Gold Beach as a teacher at the high school, married Frances Lea Pennington later that year, and had three children (Penny, Cathy, and Paul) in the next few years. During the summers in the late 50's and early 60's Edsel took classes at the University of Oregon and got a Master's Degree in Education as well as his school administrator's certification. In 1963 he became superintendent-principal of Gold Beach Union High School and later superintendent of both the elementary and high school districts in Gold Beach. He has been retired since 1985.

Frances Lea Pennington Colvin 1943	Edsel Vincent Colvin 1941

The caption for this picture from Frank Colvin's scrapbook reads, "Edsel - no, not his salmon."	Edsel Colvin and fellow Gold Beacher Billy Bean the evening before leaving for Basic Training in the Army in 1943.	Edsel Colvin 1933