Crook County Pioneer Queen showcasing her Prine heritage

Published 11:05 am Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Melody Kendall points out a wall in her Prineville home covered in photos that would be right at home in the local museum.

At the top hangs a large, sepia-toned shot of William Prine. If the last name rings a bell, it’s probably because his uncle, Barney Prine is the founder of Prineville. Below, William’s photo, Kendall points out the original marriage license for David and Elisabeth Prine, William’s parents and the brother and sister-in-law of Barney. These two historical artifacts are surrounded by more pictures in sepia or black and white – families posing for the camera – which mingle with more recent color shots.

Historic as they might be, that is not the primary reason they are hanging on Kendall’s wall. They are all family. Barney Prine, her home community’s founder, is her great-great-uncle. She is also a Prine.

The folks on the Crook County Pioneer Queen Committee didn’t know this – Kendall is not the type to toot her own horn – but a Facebook post changed that. She had seen a post about selection of the next Pioneer Queen, and she offered a comment from her own family history. She had always hoped her Grandma Hazel, who was David and Elizabeth’s young child of six, would be a queen – but she never agreed to it. Jerry Brummer, a member of the committee, was surprised, and he told her so when they next saw each other.

“He came up to me and said, ‘I didn’t realize you guys were Prines,’” Kendall recalls. “‘So, I’m going to put you on the list for queen.’”

2025 Crook County Pioneer Queen Melody Kendall describes her collection of family photos as well as the marriage license of her great-great grandparents. (Jason Chaney/Central Oregonian)

Deep roots in Prineville

To qualify for selection as Crook County Pioneer Queen, a woman must live in the county at the time of the selection, be at least 70 years old and be able to trace her family back to the county’s settling pioneers.

Kendall, who just recently turned 70, has spent much of her life in Crook County.

“My life is definitely grounded in Prineville,” she said.

Her dad worked most of his life at Hudspeth Sawmill, and her mom worked in the kitchen at the local hospital. Her brother, Jerry George and his wife, Geri Lynn, and their daughter, Keri, and her family live in Prineville as do many of her cousins.

“Most of our family is still here in town,” she said.

Kendall says she was never blessed to have children of her own, but she is “Aunt Mel” to most of the town.

After graduating from Crook County High School in 1973, with classmates who are some of her best friends to this day, she went to work for the Oregon State Forestry. She then moved on to the U.S. Forest Service, working there until she moved to Corvallis.

She later came back to Prineville, and she and her sister-in-law started an embroidery business. “It went very well and we expanded it over time to three machines,” she recalls. “We eventually sold the business.”

Her next career adventure took her to the Prineville Senior Center, where she served as the coordinator/bookkeeper.

“I was there for about 15 years before retiring. It was such an amazing job, and I grew so close to our seniors,” she said. “I wrote and was successful on many grants that helped keep the doors open for the center. The one I was most proud of was my involvement in the $1.5 million grant we received to remodel the senior center.”

When she retired, she faced an unexpected challenge, a cancer diagnosis.

“Thankfully, my chemo treatment worked its wonders, and I am now cancer free,” she said.

Kendall is now enjoying retirement with her “amazing husband,” Leo, whom she married in 2015. Together, they are enjoying life while raising three Corgi puppies.

“This is the first time since I was 15 that I haven’t worked,” she said. “My biggest job is taking care of these little puppies.”

Modest royalty

Kendall prefers to stay out of the spotlight. She stresses that she has always been behind the scenes throughout her life, so when she was chosen as the 2025 Crook County Pioneer Queen, it aroused mixed emotions. The queen experience includes a picnic luncheon during which she will take the Pioneer Park stage as the guest of honor and get crowned in front of a group of family, friends and community members. During and after their reign, pioneer queens also appear in several local parades and at other community events.

“I am honored for our family – I’m nervous for me,” she admits.

Besides facing the spotlight, Kendall is learning most of the pioneer queen process for the first time. She has never attended a luncheon and none of her family has held the title ahead of her.

“It’s all new.”

But one thing she does know is that pioneer queens are flanked by family.

“In the parade, my memory is the queen with the big truck with all the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids on it,” she said.

So, she has enlisted help from her aunt to round up relatives for the occasion. And if her home photo collection is any indication, anyone who attends the Pioneer Queen Picnic and Coronation should expect to see a crowd of family.

“We have just been here forever,” Kendall said of the Prine family. “That is basically who we are.”

2025 Pioneer Queen Picnic and Coronation

When: Sunday, Aug. 3, 12 p.m.

Where: Pioneer Park, Prineville