John Harvey Penas was born on June 24, 1935 in Badger, Minnesota to John Penas Sr. and Annie Kaml Penas. He attended both grade and high school in Badger. John received a Bachelor’s Degree with a major in Social Studies and a minor in Music from Bemidji State University in 1957. He went on to teach high school social studies in Willams, Minnesota for two years and in Elgin, North Dakota for 3 years.
In 1962, John visited Seattle World’s Fair. After attending the fair, he visited with some friends from Minnesota living in Estacada and noticed several postings for logging jobs in a local restaurant. He decided to try his hand at working in the woods for a year before going back to teaching. The rest is history.
In 1965, John started the company “John Penas Logging,” specializing in the logging of big timber. John married Maye Teuntje VanBelle on August 29, 1969 in Sunnyside, Washington. He retired from logging in 1993. He then worked for Eagle View Construction and retired in 1998.
John was an avid fisherman all his life and enjoyed fishing for steelhead and salmon in the Clackamas River below Rivermill Dam. He was also a dedicated hunter from age 16 until Parkinson’s caused him to give it up in 2014. He was a very giving person and through the years, many people in Estacada enjoyed the results of his hunting and fishing successes. Other than hunting and fishing, John enjoyed music. He was instrumental in starting up a local community choir and orchestra in 1980 until 1986. John was an active member of Peace Lutheran Church in Estacada since 1980 and served as president, vice president, elder, secretary, treasurer, and Sunday school teacher through the years.
John is preceded in death by his son Wayne Arthur Penas in 1975. He is survived by his wife, Maye Penas, his daughter, Ilene Wadkins and son in law, Jim Wadkins from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.