Monday, April 1, 2013

Our Favorite Yodeling Bus Driver


Article by Peggy Stone


First the Ferndale Senior Activity Center purchased a bus. A purple and gold bus that had a few miles on it. It came from the Cornwall Church of God, whose members had earlier bought it from the University of Washington where it had been used as a team bus. But then the Center needed a driver to take the Jet Oldsters on their trips. Wes Martinsen, who was a past-president of the Center and also had been a Ferndale Schools principal, knew just the man: Al Ulrich, who had driven young students back and forth to their schools for 30 years. Al was approached, and now retired, found it a perfect match. Al says that though he enjoyed the young people, he finds the senior job much less stressful, for the seniors never misbehave!

Al is a Ferndale native of Swiss heritage. His father came to America on his own, traveling the U.S., and in 1920 bought a dairy farm on the corner of Imhoff and Ulrich Roads. He returned to Switzerland to bring his young bride, Agatha, over. They had 4 children. Al was the youngest, and the only boy. He went through the Ferndale schools, graduating from Ferndale High. He liked to skate, and he and his friends often frequented the rink in Pioneer Park, in what is now the temporary library.
There he met Jacqui, a young White Rock, B.C. woman, and they married in 1961. They took over ownership/operation of the dairy farm, and made a life there with their 2 children. Today they have 4 grandchildren. As life progressed, farming reached a point at which they needed to expand or get out.

So, they changed from dairy farming, to become suppliers of young heifers to area farmers. Operation of the farm was less time-and-labor consuming, and so Al sought another job, and became a school bus driver! He worked in this position until 2007 when he retired.

In retirement, he and Jacqui enjoy camping and traveling in their travel trailer. They have visited extensively in many of the western states, but have never been east of the Mississippi River. They also enjoy bowling, and Al can boast an almost perfect game in which he was just one pin shy.

For 28 years he was involved in The OldeSettlers Association, and was its president for 2 years. Some of those years he was in charge of bringing talent to the event, including both local and famous performers. And in addition to being the FSAC bus driver, he also is on its board of directors. Around here, he may be best known as the guy who can yodel! The yodeling* is self-taught, learned by listening to Swiss bands. He also likes and sings country music. It isn’t unusual to find him on the stage of the Ferndale Senior Center on a Thursday.

Note:

Al won the 2012 Mt Angel, Oregon Oktoberfest Yodeling contest. It is Oregon’s largest folk festival. Congratulations Al!!