The Executive Plaza from the early to mid-1980's during my management. Some of the names changed and eventually I will find my Rolodex cards of the official list. I pulled this together from various sources. We 'were', we were the Plaza Family. Note: #34 (767 N.W. Fillmore) Elizabeth Jane Knapp. Please click for enlarged file.

Finally I have compiled the Executive Plaza street number and apartment number key. I still have not located the Tenant Roster that I have somewhere-- so I built this from other documents.

Velma Seat was an original unit owner at Benton Manor from 1960 until she passed away in 2003. Her apartment #37 had great west views and east from entrance and bedrooms. She was a wonderful tenant and I treasured her association with our building. I wanted to re-post her obituary as Velma, like so many at the Plaza, was retired from O.S.U.

Aug. 6, 1914 - Nov. 17, 2003, Velma M. Seat of Corvallis died Monday. She was 89. She was born in Johnson, Wash., to Lee and Bessie Maxwell. She received a degree in home economics from Washington State University. She married Archie Seat shortly after graduation. They later divorced. She began doing promotional work with Puget Sound Power and Light in Seattle. Later she did promotional work for the Frigidaire Corp. and then with the Carnation Co., becoming a familiar figure on television and in Seattle newspapers, where she provided information on how to use Carnation products.In 1958, she joined the Oregon State Extension Service as a Washington County Extension agent. After a few years, she transferred to OSU as a food marketing specialist in charge of promoting Oregon agricultural goods and providing support to producers in the development and marketing of their products. On a sabbatical in the mid-1960s, she obtained a master's degree in adult education from Columbia University. Upon returning to OSU she developed the first correspondence course in the state on food buying, followed by courses on meat, seafood, food safety and the world food situation. She also began the weekly market basket reports highlighting the best seasonal buys. She also produced articles and tapes for radio distribution. She served on a national committee on the world food situation and participated in development of a correspondence course on that topic. She received recognition of these services by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Agricultural Economists Association. After retiring from OSU in 1982, she became a professor emeritus of agriculture economics. She moved to the Regent Retirement Residence in April 1999. (We had a lot of O.S.U. faculty and alumni at the Plaza.)

Alice Norvell lived in Unit 39. This image is so poignant because Alice loved to go with me on day-trips to Portland, the coast, Mary's Peak, Bend, you name it. She was a dear friend and gladly did my management typing for the Plaza. She was a retired executive secretary, an advocate, and very active in the community. Whenever I invited her along, she would sit in the car and read a novel, in this case (at the coast) while I walked on the beach. For more information please see below:

http://www.findagrave.com/cg

There is much more information to peruse--

PLEASE click on 'Older Posts' (below right) 

Before I moved to Arizona Joe Weston was kind enough to send me this reference. Found the original yesterday (I had just been finding copies). I had lived at the Plaza for about 7 years.

Christmas Gathering at the Plaza! Merry Christmas!

One of our more interesting residents was Dorris Pugsley second floor (743 N.W. 11th #24). Dorris befriended me right away and entranced me with her interesting life.








Note from Dorris written so many years ago-- how could I be so blessed to have retained these after all the moves I have made? Thanks Dorris for such a reminder of 'you' the memories come flooding back. (Apr. 11, 1909 to Jan. 6, 1982)







One of the saddest things for me as a manager of this building is so many 'special' neighbors passed on while I was there. I would come to know such unique people-- and then they would be gone.

What a treasure Dorris was-- one of my favorite tenants. I still have her fireplace mirror I purchased from her family after she passed away and I look into it as I type. As a retired executive secretary (at one time for Disney) Dorris knew how to write concise memos. I found these notes tucked into a folder of memorials for some of the tenants. They were just too sad to read and that is why I tucked them away some 35-years ago! Treasures rediscovered!

Within less than 2-months Dorris was gone-- Heartbreaking. I was always so busy with another job and managing the Plaza that I was unable to spend as much time with her as I desired. I sensed she was lonely, and knew she was ill, my regret was she reached out many times and I just didn't have the time to stop in to sit down and visit. I still leave flowers for her each time I am in Oregon. Truly a kindred spirit and a Plaza treasure.


Dorris Margaret Pugsley Online Memorial

No tribute to the Executive Plaza would be complete without one of our star residents. So many widowed women sold their homes and moved into the Plaza where they lived out their lives. This is why the Plaza was more than a building, it was a 'home' to so many. For more information on Esther, who was a dear friend please see the link below. Mrs. Christenson lived just up from me (2 doors) and slightly below Janet Phillips McKensey.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=28024428

Esther was one of my dearest friends and tenants and was always ready to listen when I had a puzzling issue with my management at the Plaza. Such a special lady. I haven't found my tenant roster yet, but have some other paperwork which will enable me to compile a fairly decent list of who lived where.

Lillian McConnell-
1062 Fillmore Ave Unit 26
(Shown in front of east entrance of building)

My upstairs neighbor Lillian was from Liverpool, and her father worked for White Star Line which built the Lusitania and the Titanic. With a British accent she brought color to the Plaza and culture to my life. I took her on day-trips when I could, and one special time we went to the Cannery Mall and had a glass of wine.

View of the neighborhood from the second or third floor looking southeast over the parking lot. When the building was built in 1960 the neighborhood was turn-of-the-century. Benton Manor was ultra-modern in every manner and eclipsed all the homes surrounding it. As the neighborhood aged, the Executive Plaza started to look out of place. Most the surrounding homes are rentals for college students.

I have been trying to find images of my apartment at the Plaza which doesn't include other people. I do have slides that are not scanned yet. Because I had a very good paying job I was able to have a very comfortable home. My life at the Plaza was my escape from a stressful job and a safe haven for me. The first image looks out the front door, kitchen on left, pocket door, bathroom and bedrooms.

My grandmother loved to visit me from Springfield each year for Christmas at the Plaza. I would have a get together for tenants called "The Christmas Gathering'.

Nice interior shot of the Manager's apartment-- (1042 N.W. Fillmore) #14. Yes, that's me.

The building rests one block off 9th street. At the time Benton Manor was built (1960) this now business strip was all residential. The Best Western sign was a familiar sight to residents. Here it shown with the Plaza in the background (1981). All images can be enlarged.

My Aunt Betty (McNeil/Oakland) visiting me at the Plaza. The Eldorado was mine. Nice view of the south wing of the Plaza. The top left unit (37) was Velma Seat (an original owner).

I planted over three hundred gladiolas around the building and other flowering annuals and perennials. All other landscaping was done by a landscaping company that was involved since the beginning of the project. 

The east entrance sat above street level. The unit here is that of Leah Siroy. Many of these images are photographed from slides, they need to be scanned someday for clarity.

Parking lot and elevator tower-- early 1980's Christmas rain!

The recessed exterior lighting on this building (pure 1960's) was stellar and made it a real showplace. In 1964-65 I lived a 1/2 block away, I remember playing in the elevator, on the Corvallis High School campus, and in Dixon Creek (all places I was not allowed).

Taken at Christmas 1982 this image shows the main entrance to the building, notice the Arizona sandstone which was a nice feature (left). Floors and ceilings were concrete slabs (lowered in by crane).

There are three entrances stairways to the building, the main stairway tower has a Westinghouse elevator installed when the building was opened (August 14, 1960). All towers offer floor-to-ceiling glass which allows plenty of light to counteract the gray Oregon skies. The exciting element for me was that the building was only 20-years old when I managed it so it was still in optimal 'showcase' condition.

Landscaping around Plaza was colorful and pristine. I bought the bird feeders and filled them with colored water. 

Ruth Stenson was one of Joe Weston's most revered managers (about 15 years). She had been at the Plaza since before he purchased it-- the Weston team had nothing but the best things to say about her. I took over for Ruth after she became ill and soon after passed away.

Elizabeth Heath and Emily Hout were two of the original owners at Benton Manor. The two continued to live there even after it became an apartment building. Ruth Stetson was the manager previous to me. All three people were good friends.

Interior of the Manager's Apartment #14 at Christmas.

Christmas at the Plaza was enchanting, every unit had a fireplace, and I decorated the building with lights. This star which hung from the elevator tower and was loaned by Emily Heath and Elizabeth Hout (longtime residents).

Plaza stationary (interoffice) memo pads I designed for my Plaza use, although many residents asked me for a couple pads. I wanted something official to use for promotion of the property. I had a waiting list of prospective residents who waited months to have an opportunity to live at the Plaza. I never asked Weston to reimburse me for superfluous expenses outside of the operation of the building.

Promotional information I penned in 1982 to offer prospective tenants more information about the Plaza. Alice Norvell of #39, retired executive secretary from Connecticut, graciously typed some of these items for me and helped with the wording. Thank you Alice! Click for larger files.

Welcoming gardens from the east side entrance. With great pride I added (at my own expense) gladiolas, poppies, and other color as an enhancement to the landscaping. From a slide as captured by digital camera (not as clear as a scan) rear entrance from 11th Street (1982).

Executive Plaza northeast corner (NW Fillmore Avenue) from a transparency slide. (1980's)

Executive Plaza from 11th Street (west) Storage and former Recreation Rooms (1980's). The top left unit (originally a recreation room) had at this time been converted to an apartment. First tenant was Alice Norvell (a dear friend). She absolutely loved her apartment (it had a fireplace as a bonus!)