A city of about 2,600, Okanogan is not 2 miles south of the larger Omak, WA, which has nearly double Okanogan's population. Strangely, though, when the county seat was moved from the town of Conconully to Okanogan. It was the coming of the Great Northern in 1914 which caused the move of the county seat, as the tracks followed the Okanogan River Valley, in which Okanogan was located, but not Conconully. As a result Okanogan thrived and Conconully collapsed.
Okanogan City Hall stands on the south side of 3rd Avenue North, across the street and a bit southwest of the mission style courthouse mentioned below. In front of the building is an area landscaped with multi colored stone, grasses and a few small shrubs. In the area are a small fountain, made of a group of basalt columns, and a stone slab, a memorial to a past employee of the city, Raymond Doll. This slab may also be a piece of a basalt column.
RAYMOND DOLL
24 YEARS
OF IMPECCABLE
SERVICE, PRIDE
& DEDICATION
TO THE
CITY OF OKANOGAN
2014
A native of Bismarck, ND, Raymond made his way to Washington, eventually settling on a 40 acre ranch at Tonasket. After 24 years of service to the City of Okanogan, rising to the position of City Water Manager, he died in 2012, being honored with this monument. His obituary follows.
Raymond Doll
Tonasket, WA
March 6, 1951 - unknown
Raymond Doll was born the seventh child of 13 to Frank and Christine Doll on March 6, 1951 in Bismarck, N.D. He was raised a few miles away in Glen Ullin, N. D. along with his five brothers and seven sisters.
He moved to Seattle, Wash. with his family in the late 1960’s, and graduated from Renton High School in 1969.
After high school he worked multiple types of jobs including: a crane operator for the Paccar Steel Manufactures and as a municipal operator for the cities of Tukwila and Mercer Island.
He married Sue Lindquist in 1973, and had their first son, Michael, in 1974. Their daughter, Susan was born in 1975, and finally their youngest son, Christopher was born in 1979.
He then moved his family to Tonasket in 1985 to live on his beloved 40 acres near Siwash Creek (the Ranch).
He then worked his way through the ranks at the City of Okanogan over the course of 23 years and became the city’s water manager.
He enjoyed spoiling his three grandchildren, Tadhgan who was born in 2006, and twins, Maeve and Rowan who were born in 2008.
Hobbies that Ray enjoyed other than his 40 acres included: woodworking, spending time with family, working out in his yard, taking long country drives on the gravel roads throughout the Okanogan Valley, and visiting local historical sites...
...Services were held Friday, June 29.
From the Omak Chronicle