Ernie Dahman Former logger and oyster grower Ernest Albert “Ernie” Dahman died of natural causes on Thursday, March 22, in Olym- pia. He was 89 and had been a Shelton resident for 55 years. He was born to Frederick A. and Leona M. (Rutherford) Dah- 'man on September 2, 1917, on a farm in East Lynn, Missouri. The family moved back to Le- Roy, Kansas, shortly after his birth. As a young boy he was a caddy at a golf course and had several other odd jobs in Kansas to help support his family. In 1929, his mother and step- father moved to Washington State. They lived in a couple of locations around the Se- attle area, then moved to Port Townsend and, finally, Port Or- chard. He went back to school and graduated from South Kit- sap High School in 1935. He was an avid trapper from a young age in Kansas to when he was a grown man with a fam- ily. Starting at age 13, he took the ferry from Bremerton to sell his pelts in downtown Seattle. When he was 18, he went to Alaska and worked on a fish- ing boat and ended up being the cook. He started working in the woods for Bill Bushnell running a crosscut saw shortly afier re- turning from Alaska. He worked for a few other outfits, then partnered with Carol Mercer and worked jobs from Seebeck to Chehalis. That firm would grow into Buck Mountain Log- ging Company with their other partners, Morey ‘Anderson and Ray Buchman. Billed as the largest independent logging company on the West Coast, it was based in Quilcene and dis— solved in 1976. He met Virginia Miller-Clay in Shelton, and they were mar- ried on June 14, 1940 in Port Orchard. They lived and raised their family from Matlock to Seabeck, Quilcene to Shelton. He purchased tidelands from E.N. Steele in Totten In- let in 1946 and built an’ oyster house above his tidelands in 1951, which started Dahman’s Oyster Bay Oyster Company. He sold up and down the West Coast and sold Olympia oys< ters to the Space Needle Res- taurant through the 19705. He acquired other tidelands and properties through the years. He also planted Christmas trees as a hobby. That turned into a business, with Mr. and Mrs. Dahman selling them on a lot in California, known as Ernie’s Christmas Trees, for more than 30 years. After Buck Mountain, he partnered with Kenny Brones in Dahman 8: Brones Construction Company and built Forest Ser- vice roads in the Olympic Moun- tains along Hood Canal from 1978 to 1983. In 1989, he went into partnership with his sons in Dahman‘s Shellfish Co. He loved his family, his dog, the outdoors, hunting, fishing, golfing, bird watching, travel- ing, reading and pushing dirt around with his D-7 Cat. He loved telling hunting stories and of his experiences in life. He was always good at giving a piece of advice and would hit the dance floor every chance he would get. He was a member of the first Pacific Oyster Producers Co- op, the Shelton Moose and Elks lodges, the Masonic Lodge, the Shelton-Mason County Cham- ber of Commerce and was a past president and member of the Olympic Logging Conference, a member of the Pacific Logging Congress, Trap Shooter’s As- sociation and the Pacific Coast *— Shellfish Growers Association. He was also involved in and helped set up the first Mason County Forest Festival Logging Show in Shelton, and won a team trophy in competition. He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Virginia, in 1992; brothers Otis in 1953, and Floyd in 1919; and two grand- children, Renee Dahman in 1963 and Toni Martin in 2002. Surviving are sons Donald A. Dahman‘ and fiancée Judy and Chuck Dahman and wife Kelli, all of Shelton; daughters Ann M. Anderson and husband Lloyd “Andy,” of Shelton, Peggifl >L. Bloomfield and husband Steve of Shelton, Susan M. Weber of Olympia and Donna L. Bernal and husband Ruben of Olym- pia. Also surviving are 20 grand- children, 23 great-grandchildren four great-great-grandchlldren and many nieces and nephews. Viewing will be from 8 a.ro. to 5 p.m. on Friday, March 30, at McComb Funeral Home in Shel- ton. Services will be held at 11 am. on Saturday, March 31, at Hope Chapel, 421 West E Street in Shelton. Pastor Ken Nielsen will officiate. Burial will be at Shelton Memorial Park. Donations can be made to the American Diabetes Association, 1730 Minor Avenue, Seattle, 98101. , OCR Text: Ernie Dahman Former logger and oyster grower Ernest Albert “Ernie” Dahman died of natural causes on Thursday, March 22, in Olym- pia. He was 89 and had been a Shelton resident for 55 years. He was born to Frederick A. and Leona M. (Rutherford) Dah- 'man on September 2, 1917, on a farm in East Lynn, Missouri. The family moved back to Le- Roy, Kansas, shortly after his birth. As a young boy he was a caddy at a golf course and had several other odd jobs in Kansas to help support his family. In 1929, his mother and step- father moved to Washington State. They lived in a couple of locations around the Se- attle area, then moved to Port Townsend and, finally, Port Or- chard. He went back to school and graduated from South Kit- sap High School in 1935. He was an avid trapper from a young age in Kansas to when he was a grown man with a fam- ily. Starting at age 13, he took the ferry from Bremerton to sell his pelts in downtown Seattle. When he was 18, he went to Alaska and worked on a fish- ing boat and ended up being the cook. He started working in the woods for Bill Bushnell running a crosscut saw shortly afier re- turning from Alaska. He worked for a few other outfits, then partnered with Carol Mercer and worked jobs from Seebeck to Chehalis. That firm would grow into Buck Mountain Log- ging Company with their other partners, Morey ‘Anderson and Ray Buchman. Billed as the largest independent logging company on the West Coast, it was based in Quilcene and dis— solved in 1976. He met Virginia Miller-Clay in Shelton, and they were mar- ried on June 14, 1940 in Port Orchard. They lived and raised their family from Matlock to Seabeck, Quilcene to Shelton. He purchased tidelands from E.N. Steele in Totten In- let in 1946 and built an’ oyster house above his tidelands in 1951, which started Dahman’s Oyster Bay Oyster Company. He sold up and down the West Coast and sold Olympia oys< ters to the Space Needle Res- taurant through the 19705. He acquired other tidelands and properties through the years. He also planted Christmas trees as a hobby. That turned into a business, with Mr. and Mrs. Dahman selling them on a lot in California, known as Ernie’s Christmas Trees, for more than 30 years. After Buck Mountain, he partnered with Kenny Brones in Dahman 8: Brones Construction Company and built Forest Ser- vice roads in the Olympic Moun- tains along Hood Canal from 1978 to 1983. In 1989, he went into partnership with his sons in Dahman‘s Shellfish Co. He loved his family, his dog, the outdoors, hunting, fishing, golfing, bird watching, travel- ing, reading and pushing dirt around with his D-7 Cat. He loved telling hunting stories and of his experiences in life. He was always good at giving a piece of advice and would hit the dance floor every chance he would get. He was a member of the first Pacific Oyster Producers Co- op, the Shelton Moose and Elks lodges, the Masonic Lodge, the Shelton-Mason County Cham- ber of Commerce and was a past president and member of the Olympic Logging Conference, a member of the Pacific Logging Congress, Trap Shooter’s As- sociation and the Pacific Coast *— Shellfish Growers Association. He was also involved in and helped set up the first Mason County Forest Festival Logging Show in Shelton, and won a team trophy in competition. He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Virginia, in 1992; brothers Otis in 1953, and Floyd in 1919; and two grand- children, Renee Dahman in 1963 and Toni Martin in 2002. Surviving are sons Donald A. Dahman‘ and fiancée Judy and Chuck Dahman and wife Kelli, all of Shelton; daughters Ann M. Anderson and husband Lloyd “Andy,” of Shelton, Peggifl >L. Bloomfield and husband Steve of Shelton, Susan M. Weber of Olympia and Donna L. Bernal and husband Ruben of Olym- pia. Also surviving are 20 grand- children, 23 great-grandchildren four great-great-grandchlldren and many nieces and nephews. Viewing will be from 8 a.ro. to 5 p.m. on Friday, March 30, at McComb Funeral Home in Shel- ton. Services will be held at 11 am. on Saturday, March 31, at Hope Chapel, 421 West E Street in Shelton. Pastor Ken Nielsen will officiate. Burial will be at Shelton Memorial Park. Donations can be made to the American Diabetes Association, 1730 Minor Avenue, Seattle, 98101. , Mason County Genealogical Society,Obituaries,Obituaries for Shelton Cemetery,D Last Name,Dahman, Ernest Albert ''Ernie'' #1.tif,Dahman, Ernest Albert ''Ernie'' #1.tif, Dahman, Ernest Albert ''Ernie'' #1.tif