Couple to lead festival parade

This year's 39th Huckleberry Festival Parade Grand Marshals are Pat and Lloyd Austin. The Montana natives have been married for 61 years, and have 3 boys, 5 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. Lloyd has lived and worked in the Trout Creek area most of his life (he served in the Army from 1954 to 1956 at the Nevada Testing Grounds). Pat was born in Montana, but lived in many places in Washington, Oregon and Montana while growing up.

Over the years, Lloyd has worked as a heavy equipment operator for logging companies, clearing for the Bonneville Power lines, as well as various farming and handyman jobs. Pat has served as Secretary-Treasurer for the Whitepine Cemetery District (she retired last year), her church and the Homemakers Association. She also worked and retired from the local Credit Union.

Pat and Lloyd volunteered for the Huckleberry Festival for 15 years. They worked as booth/vendor chair, made wonderful huckleberry shakes for the food booth, and sold their ceramics. They owned and operated the Whitepine Ceramic Center from about 1983 to 2008, and taught classes in Trout Creek and Noxon.

They were "very surprised" and "appreciated being asked" to be this year's parade Grand Marshals. They have done a lot for, and with, the local communities over the years and have enjoyed meeting people around the area as a result of their many volunteer efforts.