Following are brief bios for people the author still has or has had contact with over the years, starting with the first three primary Eggsnatchur partners. Thereafter, people are listed in alphabetical order by first name or the nickname used in the book.
Terry Potash—After the Eggsnatchur, Terry’s work with the Grower’s Market led him to start the business Just Produce, located next to the fledgling Sundance Natural Foods store in south Eugene. Terry and Susan’s business was wildly successful for several years until Sundance wouldn’t renew the lease and took over selling produce, and Just Produce had to be relocated to a less favorable location. Terry established himself as a produce maven, doing local television and radio reports as Terrance Potassium the Green Grocer for many years. Ken Barr and Terry built and opened the Friendly Market in southwest Eugene, now an important local institution. In 1987, Terry, with Susan and their two daughters, moved to Chicago to work for the family food store, Potash Brothers, and he went on to manage produce and floral departments of other food stores as well. In 2011, Terry suffered two strokes; the second was debilitating, causing paralysis of his right side and loss of most vocal abilities. Through difficult rehabilitation, Terry has regained some movement but cannot speak many words. His mind is still sharp, and his sense of humor is intact. He and Susan have four grandchildren and his family means everything to him.
Joseph Ches—moved with Martha and son Sai Ram to Butternut Farm on the Siuslaw River near Mapleton for several years and there hosted Terry and Susan’s wedding in 1976, the party of the year. Joseph served as head of security at the Oregon Country Fair and became a jeweler, crafting fine silver, gold and gems and lived on the Oregon coast near Depoe Bay. Joseph married Starr in 1983 and moved south of Eugene to wooded acreage, built a house, a guest house and had a son. They have six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Joseph says about the Eggsnatchur’s influence on him, “I’m even stronger in my beliefs as I get older, about treating people with kindness and being a loving human being. I have kept those values.”
Lee Boutell—in 1978, started Mr. Fix-it Building Repair, which became full-time employment with a Eugene property management company. He studied television production and in 1985 volunteered at Cable Access TV for the live comedy show Zap News as writer and floor director. He co-produced the show with original producer Margaret Thiemann for three years. They married in 1987, with three children between the two. He was Operations Director for Fifth Street Public Market and completed his college degree at Linfield College in 1993. He worked as Maintenance Supervisor for Marion County Facility Management and then the City of Eugene as Inspection Supervisor and Maintenance Technician. He began Boutell Home Inspections in 1998 to assist prospective home buyers and retired in 2015 to devote his energy to gardening, exploring nature, home improvement projects, and writing a memoir.
Allen—lives in rural Florida and in the 2020’s finally retired from fixing used cars and trucks to sell, preferring to play in the Gulf on one of his boats. He has also retired from flying small aircraft and is enjoying quiet life on his wooded five acres.
Andy Harrison—in southern California pursued a career in radio while simultaneously creating products in the natural/organic products industry, which he continues today. In the late 70’s and mid 80’s, Andy was DJ at world famous KROQ, the KNAC and did a comedy stint at KIIS with Rick Dees, who had the number one morning radio show in LA. Andy did vocals on Rick Dees’ 1985 comedy album I’m not Crazy and co-wrote “Who’s the Boss,” with Toto as their back-up band. Andy launched “Captain Organic Vital Burgers,” the first organic frozen veggie burger, created five years before Gardenburger, and pioneered other food products such as the first plant-based deli slices and the first organic toaster pastries. He moved back to Eugene in 1994 and helped launch Coconut Bliss frozen desserts, and at So Delicious, became a major part of its success. In 2013, he bought acreage near Gold Hill in southern Oregon, where he became a hemp and cannabis grower and product developer. Andy says the Eggsnatchur elevated his awareness of community and protection of the environment through a healthy lifestyle and most importantly, he formed a lifelong bond with an extended family that continues to this day. Regarding the organic food industry, Andy says, “I wish I knew then what I know now!”
Angela (Ches) Ross—worked as a librarian and a foreign language teacher for several Oregon schools. In 1980, she married Jerry Ross and they’ve traveled to Italy dozens of times. Speaking fluent Italian, Angela, with Jerry, has made lifelong friends there, sometimes visiting for months at a time. Angela and Jerry have hosted art gallery openings throughout the Pacific Northwest, showcasing Jerry’s portrait and landscape paintings he is widely noted for. Angela and Jerry have two grandchildren, one great grandchild and live in Eugene, except when traveling. Angela says the best thing about the Eggsnatchur experience is the friendships that came out of it.
Barbara N. (Newman)—Through the Eggsnatchur, Barbara met a man and traveled in an old converted school bus to live in Virginia Beach. Returning to Oregon, Barbara became part owner of Mama’s Homefried Truckstop and then half-owner of the legendary Keystone Cafe in Eugene. Her adult daughter and best friend, Marli, lives in Eugene. Barbara said “I fell in love with Eugene and the Eggsnatchur, which was my first job. It was fun cooking in the kitchen with Terry and selling ice cream at the fair.” Sadly, Barbara died in summer of 2022 after contributing to this memoir. Unfortunately, she didn’t get the opportunity to read it.
Betsy (Neremberg) McCorkle—has bounced between Colorado and Oregon for decades, building and managing houses to live in or to lease. She got her law degree from Vanderbilt University, passed the Oregon Bar, and now lives in the small city of Bandon on the Oregon Coast. She currently is partner there in a small restaurant called Pablo’s Corner, widely known as the best food on the coast—if you catch them during the season they’re open. Her partner Pablo is a talented chef and a warm host, originally from Argentina. You might even see Betsy waiting tables or cleaning up, just like in Eggsnatchur days. Betsy says “The Eggsnatchur set a high bar for co-operative enterprise and communal living, which became an exemplary prototype of excellence for the life I have found myself living. It was among my happiest of life experiences. It taught me what real love feels like and what community can mean.”
Bob Zagorin—after researching environmental issues for Congressman Weaver in Washington D.C., Bob became an investigative reporter in Eugene for KZEL radio and among other things exposed political corruption in the county. He served as political, sports and outdoors reporter for KEZI TV for many years until becoming a professional river guide, offering white water experiences on the McKenzie River, Rogue River and others. Bob is retired, happily married, and has two adult daughters. He still runs the wild Rogue and rides three to four thousand miles every year on one of his vintage steel bicycles. Bob says, “The Eggsnatchur gave me a way to live and work with my brothers and sisters without worrying about a ‘career’, to take each day as a gift and be thankful. I learned a lot about good food and clean living, and that led me to the political campaign that gave me my start as a journalist.”
Catherine Schuck—graduated from the U of O in 1976 in elementary education, moved to Missoula, Montana and started teaching school. She married, has two daughters and lives on a ridge, half-section in the mountains of Montana. Catherine received her Master’s Degree at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Montana while teaching a culturally competent curricula funded by the National Science Foundation and doing outdoor education for kids, guided by elders. Today, she makes potent healing remedies from infused plants like arnica, cottonwood, and pine resin that she forages on her property and infuses with organic oils. She and her remedies can often be found at the Missoula Farmer’s Market. Catherine says “I gravitated to the Eggsnatchur for a job, interested in growing food and nutrition. It was a wondrous community: creative, colorful, playful, loving and showed me what is possible. The Eggsnatchur is a source of my personal inspiration.”
Cathy Levit (now Kalima Rose)—traveled in her camper truck, lived in Austin Texas for eight years, got married in 1986 and raised two children. Her family settled in Sebastopol, California. After divorce, Kalima bought secluded wooded property near town, designed and built her house, and created a beautiful garden with fruit trees of all varieties. She is a dancer, practices yoga and loves spending time with her three grandchildren. Kalima says, “I am so grateful for the relatively short but rich period of my life I spent at the Eggsnatchur. It’s where I grew up, a hugely impactful time of growth and self-discovery for me. We were an inspired family working together, full of so much love and hope for the world.”
Denis Dodson—moved to New York City with Phil, where they worked for independent film producers as lighting technicians. He moved to Dallas, Texas in 1983 to tend to his ailing mother and there married Jan in 1990. He started a company that produced short independent films and television commercials. Over several years he restored Murray, his beloved 1963 VW van, customized it and showed it at specialty car shows. He and Jan moved to rural acreage on a ridge above a river in Arkansas, and after Jan’s untimely death, Denis moved to the big island of Hawaii, where he lives on an acre surrounded by jungle and tends his lush garden of flowers and tropical fruit trees. About the Eggsnatchur Denis says, “The Eggsnatchur was my entry into Eugene from a commune in Creswell. I stayed with the ‘Snatcher family for years. If you were inside, you would always have a warm place to sleep and you could always eat. You had to work in some way, but you would never be turned away. I learned more about life there than can be told.”
Frank York—received a degree in Finance at CU/Boulder and worked in a hometown bank for 45 years in Ashland, Kansas while tending to his family farm and ranch. Married, he has three boys and two girls and lives in the 1913 house that his grandpa built. Retired from banking, Frank still tends to the farm and ranch. He served as president of the Kansas State Delta Upsilon alumni board for 19 years.
Gary Frantz—while completing Landscape Architecture studies at UO, Gary worked for the City of Eugene Engineering Division designing roads and utility infrastructure until receiving his degree. After marriage he bought a house in the southeast hills of Eugene, In the 1980’s, after too many years of rainy Oregon, Gary got a job as landscape architect and planner for a large firm in Phoenix and fell in love with the desert. There he laid out community plans and worked with custom home builders, receiving national recognition for the Street of Dreams show. Since 1994, Gary has custom built and refurbished homes in the Phoenix area. Gary says that on his third try, “I finally found the right woman!” They live happily in Scottsdale.
Heatherstone, John—After working in the Oregon woods and travel adventures in the Caribbean, John moved to Grover Beach, CA and got married. In 1978, he and Deborah lived on Soda Mountain in SW Oregon, had two sons and moved to Ashland, where he served on the board of the Ashland Food Coop, assisting their move from the original location into their present location. In 1992, he and his wife moved with their five sons to Whitefish, Montana and Flathead Lake until 1998, when he moved back to Ashland. He and his second wife tragically lost their home and all their personal possessions in the Oregon wildfires of 2020. In 2022, he finished rebuilding the house, but plans on moving on to new adventures elsewhere. (See John’s thoughts about his Eggsnatchur experience at the end of this section).
Jeane Boutell Slusher—through her retail store window design business, Jeane met Trent Slusher and they married in 1980. Trent retired in 2021 from co-ownership of Pinstripes Men’s Clothing, the premier shop for quality men’s wear located on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. The beautiful window displays Jeane created for Pinstripes led to her recruitment by national retailers to present seminars on window display and design. Before retiring herself, Jeane spent 40 years as a photo stylist in the photography industry, sourcing props and staging catalog photos for famous national brands. Jeane and Trent have often traveled to Europe for their love of art, and they enjoy spending time with their six grandchildren. Jeane said, “Eggsnatchur began as a dream to create a viable natural organic food restaurant for the good of the community, built on a foundation of love. The ripple effect of businesses and community services created because of the Eggsnatchur’s existence is remarkable.”
Johnny Byfield—after selling his East 13th, bicycle shop, John moved to Chicago for a job and returned to Eugene, where, at a 1978 party, he met Kate Heber. She found out he was in the bike business and raved to him about the bicycle blender she saw at the Oregon Country Fair, which John helped build. She says, “He had me at bicycle-powered blender.” They fell in love, got married, lived in an off-grid A-frame in the woods and opened a bicycle shop in Bend, Oregon. They traveled the country for two years in a 1962 Airstream that they refurbished with solar panels and a composting toilet. He remained in the bicycle business until he retired in 2016 and moved with Kate to the state of Guanajuato, Mexico near San Miguel. There, they built a small custom-designed home that brought them great happiness. John loved to play ukulele and devoted his final year to giving ukuleles to community children in Mexico and teaching them to play. Kate and John were married for 43 years until John’s untimely passing in 2021. His wit, kindness and loving heart are greatly missed.
Kay Bong (Kathy Song Campbell)—After the restaurant, Kathy Song moved with her daughter to a community on 40 acres of land in the Trinity Mountains of California, to grow food and live much like native Americans did before Europeans arrived. She built her own home and lived there for five years, and in 1999 moved to Colorado, where she became an Internationally Certified Neuromuscular Therapist and Massage Therapist as well as a Reiki Master, doing healing work for her clients. She says that because everyone at the Eggsnatchur was so wonderful to her and her daughter, she happily moved into one of the back cottages to work at the restaurant and help Martha make ice cream to sell at the Saturday market. Kathy Song says “The Eggsnatchur experiences made me who I am today and helped me actually see who I am, where I am from, and why I am here.”
Kevin Rogers—After the Eggsnatchur, Kevin worked for the Genesis Juice collective in Eugene for two years and played keyboards in several local bands, including “Bete Noire, the “Jaywalkers” and “The Stares” who performed in downtown Portland and toured the northwest until 1986. For several years, his band played on Main Stage at the Oregon Country Fair. Kevin moved to South Carolina in 2000, taught himself computer science and worked in Information Technology for over 30 years, mostly as a computer technician. He enjoys playing synthesizers in his recording studio, is a bird watcher and reads science fiction books every day. Kevin has been writing a memoir of his own called “Evolution of a Hippie” about his unique experiences in the 1970’s. His dream is to purchase wooded property in the Blue Ridge Mountains to commune with the natural world.
Leslie Culbertson—got her Fine Arts degree from the University of Oregon in jewelry and metalsmithing and traveled the country and the world. She is married with two grown children and in 2000 settled in Sammamich, Washington. Leslie crafts diverse jewelry incorporating a variety of materials, from traditional to shells and items found around the world. Her work has been recognized nationally. Her website is at leslieculbertson.com. She and her husband spend time at their small home in Cannon Beach and with family. About the Eggsnatchur, Leslie says, “We certainly had fun as a community of friends with a focus and purpose. It gave me a sense of belonging and connection. It was a healthy adventure.”
Lorenzo (Lawrence) Rosen—worked with the Zoo-Zoos Natural Food Restaurant collective and managed Sprout City in Eugene. In 1985, he moved to the island paradise of Maui to raise his family and create gardens. He paid the bills selling cars. In 2016, he and his wife moved back to Eugene where he still creates gardens. Lorenzo says, “I’m proud to have been part of the natural food movement in the early ‘70s. Now almost every restaurant has vegetarian items on their menu.”
Martha Starr—When Martha first came to the Eggsnatchur from New York at the age of 19, she embraced the beauty of Oregon and decided to make Eugene her home. She has lived there ever since and now goes by the name Janhavi McKenzie. She is an amazing pencil portrait artist, a writer, and life coach. She writes a highly engaging blog offering insights for personal growth, clarity, and self-empowerment.
Mary Foster—is happily retired from a career in marketing and has published a memoir collection of great stories about her early life in England and youth in the US. She’s refined her book over several years at the Campbell Community Center class, “Writing Your Memoir” and published under her current name Mary Daniels. Mary began teaching the memoir writing class in 2022 when Gael retired.
Mel Bankoff—After selling the Harvest Natural Food Restaurant and food co-op in Sandpoint, Idaho, Mel moved to Hawaii and ran a small organic veggie truck farm for a couple of years. In 1983, Mel founded Emerald Valley Kitchen with three guiding principles: promoting organic and sustainable foods, creating an organization of equity/enabling growth of employees, and donating a percentage of profits to community non-profit organizations. He sold the highly successful business to a national brand and worked politically against the food industry’s use of genetically modified organisms. In 2003, Mel founded Partners for Sustainable Schools, a non-profit that teaches in K-12 schools about environmental stewardship, climate change and social justice, and continues to this day. In 2016, in south Eugene, Mel built a sustainable living community of homes along with the Friendly Garden, a popular tented outdoor gathering spot with live music and a variety of food carts. Mel says,“Eggsnatchur was part of the alternative culture that helped shape my values on healthy foods, the environment and community. It was a mecca for meeting interesting folks, being turned on to yummy vegetarian foods, and was an integral part of the alternative culture that remains strong in Eugene today.”
Michael Chapek—In 1973, after receiving his engineering degree at Oregon State University, Michael explored spiritual living communities in Kansas and met Suzanne. They married, settled in Topeka and, with friends, in 1974 opened the Sun-Chi Natural Foods Restaurant. They operated it for several years. After various jobs, Michael opened Chapek Engineering, specializing in upgrading commercial building energy efficiency. He retired in 2020 to travel the country in their retrofitted, updated 1965 Airstream trailer. They enjoy gardening, long bicycle outings together, are major “foodies” and love spending time with their two adult children and five grandchildren. Michael says, “I am proud I helped get the Eggsnatchur started. It’s amazing to see how many people shared in running the restaurant and the beautiful sense of community that evolved. I only wished I could have been more of a part.”
Musical Richard (Richie Reinholdt)—left Eugene in July 1975 for South Lake Tahoe to be with his mother after his father passed away. There he played for the band Live Wire Choir, touring throughout the west playing “hippie bluegrass” and Western Swing as opening act in concerts. Since settling in Missoula, Montana in 1979, Richie has played with “a bajillion bands”, and has recorded about thirty record albums, many can be found at https://richiereinholdt.bandcamp.com. He wrote and played all instruments on the beautiful soundtrack of the Eggsnatchur video documentary available on the Eggsnatchur Facebook page and on Youtube. Richie says “I had a troubled childhood, but when I came to the Eggsnatchur I found love and warmth, literally and figuratively. The Eggsnatchur was a family in a real sense to me. I have no doubt it helped shape the person I am today and I feel indebted to Terry and Lee.”
Niles Burton—Since the 1970’s, Niles has had a career in both private and commercial food service as chef/cook and kitchen manager in cities, summer camps and rural retreats throughout the Pacific Northwest. He has set up commercial kitchens at college institutions while serving as cook and food buyer responsible for keeping a budget. Niles has remained an avid bicyclist and competed in endurance events until about 2000. He says that the Eggsnatchur greatly influenced his life, but he especially appreciates how it helped him discover his work ethic. The Eggsnatchur also taught him about responsibility, integrity and the importance of a healthy diet and it helped him commit to a whole foods lifestyle.
Pamela Snider—studied pre-med, religion, and philosophy at the UO. She worked at White Bird Women’s Clinic in Eugene and as a founding member of the Eugene Birth Cooperative. In Seattle, she studied naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University, graduated in 1982, and was licensed as an ND. She has practiced in Washington State and Ontario, Canada since then. Among her many honors and achievements, Pamela is Associate Professor at National University of Natural Medicine, past Associate Dean at Bastyr and currently on Faculty at Bastyr University and National University of Health Sciences. She is Founding Executive Director at Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health, Founder of the Integrative Health Policy Consortium and president of the Foundations of Naturopathic Medicine Institute. Married to the love of her life, Bruce Milliman ND, they are blessed by and share four amazing humans, adult children in North Bend, Washington on the family homestead. Pamela says, “The Eggsnatchur was magical. The food was great, the environment great, and it changed my life. It was iconic in its time and of its time, in so many ways exceptional. It is a landmark achievement that the Eggsnatchur was a dynamic hybrid of business, management & accountability with the beauty and vitality of a pioneering cooperative. It was a visionary, really cool place to work, hang out and be, with delicious, healthy food.”
Peggy Wendel—has lived in northwest Washington since chasing the Flaming Zucchini, aka Reverend Chumleigh, there in 1975. He and Peggy, aka Spike Wilder, ran the Alligator Palace Vaudeville Theater in LaConner, WA in the late 1970s. They had two sons and moved to Camano Island. They split up long ago but are still friends. Peggy worked as as an award-winning newspaper reporter, and for more than a decade has been writing music and sings in her band Swingnuts Jazz. She can be found playing glockenspiel for the Fighting Instruments of Karma band at the Oregon Country Fair. Peggy says, “When I came to the Eggsnatchur family I learned how to be an eco-saavy adult human. I learned how to work with others and how to eat in new, healthy ways. The Eggsnatchur was a hub of connections, ideas, sharing, and caring. Workers and customers became friends who discussed what was going on in the world and went places together. On days off, I missed everyone and couldn’t wait to go back to work!”
Randy (Deborah) Brady—lives in Vancouver, B.C. and has been a long-time volunteer for the RSSB Science of the Soul Study Center and meditation center in Surrey, Vancouver, British Columbia. She has one adult child.
Susan Potash—After moving from Eugene in 1987, Susan worked at a kindergarten the first year back in Illinois, then worked for a school testing company as editor. She received a certificate with the paralegal program at Roosevelt University in 1991 and worked at a mortgage company until 1995. She then started a career at a newly founded local bank that became Wintrust Community Banks. Her career flourished and she became Vice President and was transferred to the corporate office in 2013. In 2016 Susan retired to become Terry’s full-time caregiver. When Susan first saw the Eggsnatchur Facebook page photos she said, “Tears of joy remembering those days!”
Susie—returned to Florida, got married, had three children and eight grandchildren. She had an enduring career as a beloved and highly regarded gymnastics teacher. In 2014 she and her husband were involved in a tragic automobile accident where she suffered critical injuries, resulting in her death.
Vaughn Avery—left Eugene in 1982 to perform and teach mime and street theater in Portland, San Francisco and Seattle. In the 1990’s he performed in New Orleans and lived in the 9th Ward, adding to the area’s rich cultural scene (the 9th Ward was decimated by Hurricane Katrina). He was a DJ for NPR and used his extensive connections to book talent for the SE Alaska State Fair and the Great Alaska Brew Festival in Haines, helping them become successful. In 2018 in El Salvador, Vaughn taught guerrilla street theater in camps of displaced children, helping them heal in their violence-torn society. He has performed and taught throughout Europe, Japan and many other places. He said “I got to take my show and travel all around the world, and I got to live with different people and get to know them,” which enriched his life far beyond money. About the restaurant days Vaughn says, “The Eggsnatchur was an important part of the development of the (Eugene) community, and its part of who I am. We are still Egg-Snatchers taking down the dinosaurs, furry little creatures who come out of the woods and snatch their eggs!” He currently lives in Elmira, Oregon, working with artists and performers across the community.
The author’s favorite statement from any Egg-snatcher came from John Heatherstone, who said, “For me the Eggsnatchur was a Grace in time, a privilege of getting to meet some of the most amazing people at the greatest time of all of our lives. In the great gray wall of time there was a tiny rainbow and we got to be in the middle of it.”