Written by Mandy Abel-Zurstadt
The Rice Museum received a donation in 2024 honoring the memory of Edgar Ulrich “Rich” Gogl. He passed away on February 5th of that year, aged 91.
Rich’s domestic partner, Sharleen Harvey, is the daughter of Richard and Helen Rice. Rich and Sharleen grew up and graduated from high school in Hillsboro. He went on to attending Oregon State University. However, his course of study was interrupted in 1951 when he was drafted into the army. He underwent basic airborne training, then served in Korea and Japan.
When his tours were finished, he was discharged from the service at El Paso, Texas. He attended Texas Western University there, successfully graduating in 1957. He first went to work for Southern Pacific Railroad, a position he had for about 20 years. One of his achievements there was building railroad to an iron mine in Australia.
Upon returning to the United States when that job was done, Rich would find work across different industries in sales departments.
He retired in Oregon to a home in Newport. Since then, he and Sharleen spent their winters living in Arizona and their summers living in Hillsboro, Oregon, making them part of the “snowbird” community that goes south for the cold months.
According to Sharleen,
Along with his interest in the Museum’s many collections, he held a greater interest in the various programs for youngsters. A “Good Morning” for him was “salting the rock pile with a bag of purchased pretty rocks” just before the school bus arrived and then, off site, watching the kids find the “goodies.”
She hopes that the Museum’s dedicated volunteers will carry forward Rich’s memory by continuing to enrich young minds at the Rice Museum.
Who knows, the next time you visit the Museum, you may find unexpected treasures in the rock pile!