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History of Early Pioneer Families of Hood River, Oregon.
Compiled by Mrs. D.M. Coon

JOE ALECK AND FAMLY D.M.C.

Joe Aleck was born about the year 1814, his wife Martha, gives the date of her birth as 1856. They were residents of Hood River at a very early date. Before the North Bank railroad was built Joe served as mail carrier for many years between the Hood River post office and the White Salmon post office.
He owned a good boat in which he took considerable pride; in this boat he carried the mail and never was there a more faithful public servant than Joe Aleck. His home was on a bench of land overlooking the Columbia River about a mile east of town.
The Columbia Highway, when built will pass near the home. Martha was a woman of great energy, neat and careful in her work. She did washing, ironing and general work in the house for the pioneer women. She found time to go to the strawberry fields and help save the crops and was a reliable help when the sun was hot and the work was hard, for she never shirked. She was accompanied to the strawberry fields by her three children, George, Virginia and Fred.
George was old enough to pick berries but was so full of mischief that he was soon ruled out of the patch. Martha always dressed in the ordinary garb of an Indian woman, but one Sunday morning, soon after the close of the berry season, she appeared at the farm accompanied by another woman whom she introduced as her friend. Both women wore stylish hats, fashionably made silk dresses, high heeled shoes, lace collars and kid gloves, the latter they carried in their hands, while perfumed handkerchiefs were peeping from their pockets. Martha asked permission to take her friend to the strawberry patch and pick a few berries, they returned later with bouquets made from clusters of strawberries. Martha's friend was from an Indian school and was used to dressing like a white woman, and for her sake Martha appeared in borrowed clothes. In accordance with the Indian custom Martha went to White Salmon and prepared the fish for their winter's use. Joe said to her, "I will bring the fish over in my boat when I am through carrying the mail", but Martha was ambitious to finish her work and so loaded the fish in to a small boat belonging to her, and with her three children started to cross the river. All went well and the journey was almost completed when the river steamer, coming from The Dalles passed down. The waves from her wheel filled the over-loaded boat, and caused it to sink.
George easily saved himself by swimming to land but Virginia and Fred could not swim. The mother caught them in her arms and tried to hold their heads above water while she trod the water with her feet. Fully fifteen minutes passed before a small boat reached them and drew them ashore and laid the lifeless forms upon the sand. The mother quickly revived but the children had passed beyond human help. They were buried in the K. of P. Cemetery and Martha had a monument placed over their graves.
George became a pupil in the public school in the town of Hood River. He was full of enterprise and "in jun uity" as the editor of the Glacier once said of him; he was also a constant source of anxiety to his parents whose hopes were centered in him. As early as possible he took a wife and then another, and then he took a horse which belonged to some one else and was sent to the penitentiary for one year. At the expiration of his time he came home with many promises for the future. He went down the Columbia river and found work in a logging camp near Astoria and a few weeks later was drowned. His body was not found for some time and when it was, Martha paid $200 to have it brought to Hood River and buried beside the other children. Then she bought the finest monument she could find to place at the head of his grave. She paid for all this by washing and other hard work and seemed to find relief from her sorrow by doing something to perpetuate the memory of her loved ones.
Joe's health was very poor for a number of years before he died and Martha's time was fully taken up in caring for him. Early in January 1915 he passed away. His age was supposed to be more than one hundred years. Funeral services were held at the Catholic Church and many of his pioneer friends were there to honor his memory. He was buried near the children. Martha now lives alone in her little home but is glad to meet with old friends.
A visitor to the K. of P. Cemetery on Decoration Day 1919, found the graves of Joe Aleck and his children covered with beautiful roses, long streamers of bright colored ribbons were draped from the tombstones and a medium sized new American flag was placed at the head of each grave. Martha had been "remembering her loved ones".
Martha died April 10, 1937.