Emily Ann Haffner Kirkham

Emily Ann (Haffner) Kirkham—an elegant, family-loving rancher and avid traveler—died peacefully in her sleep at age 97 on October 21, 2022. Emily was born January 17, 1925, in Los Angeles, California, to Nellie (Jancar) Haffner and John Haffner, both of whom had immigrated to the U.S. from Slovenia in the early 1900s.

Emily was the apple of her father’s eye, who wrote in his autobiography, “She is very sweet to me.” She spoke fondly of him throughout her life. Emily also visited her mother in Los Angeles or hosted her in Oregon, until her mom died at age 100.

As a young woman, Emily worked for Bank of America in Los Angeles. She married Eugene (Gene) Leslie Kirkham on August 17, 1943, at the St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Los Angeles before Gene shipped out to serve in World War II.

When Gene returned from the war, they bought a ranch in 1948 in the foothills near Gold Hill, but didn’t settle permanently in Oregon until 1960 when they moved to Central Point. Between 1944 and 1951, they had five children: Garritt Kirkham, Donald Kirkham, Richard Kirkham, Carol (Kirkham) Kolkemo, and Robert Kirkham.

Emily worked for the City of Medford for 25 years, first as a bookkeeper and later as Recorder-Treasurer. In 1984, she was awarded the title of Certified Municipal Clerk by the International Association of Municipal Clerks. She was the only clerk in Oregon with the title at that time.

Both Emily and Gene were members of the Central Point Grange and square danced with the Star Promenaders for almost 20 years. In her later years, she was known to some as the “dancing grandma,” and she especially loved attending family gatherings. She enjoyed card games and could play a wicked game of Spite and Malice. In honor of her Slovenian roots, she baked poteca bread for every Easter that she hosted at her home. Over the years, Emily and Gene faithfully cheered on the Oregon State University football team.

In retirement, Emily and Gene finally realized their dream of living at their treasured ranch. It was there that they were able to enjoy living amid the ranch’s forests and meadows, surrounded by their cattle, gardens, orchards, wildlife and wildflowers.

After Gene, her beloved husband of more than 50 years, died in 1999, she moved to Dallas, Oregon, to be close to family. She made cherished friends there, including her long-time companion, Bill Krueger. Emily picked up the travel bug and visited with family across the country, stopping off at several national parks along the way. She cruised to Alaska and the Panama Canal. She toured Ireland and Scotland. She took many, many trips to the Oregon Coast. She finally returned to the ranch to live out her final years in her “church of nature.”

She is survived by four of her children, 12 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren, and also by the generations upon generations of cattle, deer, turkeys, ducks, bears, coyotes and the myriad of other animals that thrive at the ranch.