This Way to Roseburg
While Roseburg boasts the charm of a traditional small American town, the area is also a melting pot of people from all over the map.
Story by Brittany Arnold
Roseburg and the Umpqua Valley are attracting more and more newcomers for a range of reasons. Young families are coming for the quality of life, schools and culture; gardeners, farmers and foresters for its industry and retirees for its climate, location and medical community. Here’s a look at just a few Roseburg-area transplants and their reasons for settling in the Umpqua Valley.
Jayne Gautreau
Age: 40s
Family: Husband Sabin; children Ethan, Micah and Zakiah Neighborhood: Sutherlin
From: Northern Ireland
After getting married, Jayne Gautreau moved from Ireland to a small California town. In 2007, when their oldest son, then about 3, began showing signs of development delays, the family moved to Roseburg to be closer to supportive family and needed services and therapies. Today, the Gautreaus appreciate Roseburg for its sense of community and much more.
“I appreciate the local school districts as we have children enrolled in both Sutherlin and Oakland. We like to hike local waterfalls, enjoy going to parks and love going to the UCC pool on a hot summer afternoon,” says Gautreau.
Cati Adkins
Age: 30s
Family: Children Naomi, Patrick, Malachi, Nate, Noah, Silas, Faith and Abby
Neighborhood: Roseburg
From: Oklahoma and Washington
Adkins moved to the area in 1998 to be near her sister.
“People are genuine here; they really love and care for each other,” she says. “Also, it is so incredibly beautiful here. A nature person has so many options right at their back door.”
Adkins, who works for a drug and alcohol prevention and treatment organization, enjoys spending time on the river, Roseburg’s Music on the Half Shell concert series and playing Pokemon when the weather warms. “Please don’t judge; it keeps me moving,” she quips.
Jan Glazner
Age: 60s
Family: Husband Paul; three daughters raised here. One still lives here; the other two love return to visit.
Neighborhood: Sutherlin
From: Washington
The Glazner family moved to Sutherlin in 1986 after Paul took a position as a local church pastor. Jan works for the local sanitation service.
“From the first time we came to the area, we felt a bond with the people and the values here,” Jan says. “I love our town size and location between the beach and the mountains, and the four beautiful seasons. But my greatest pleasure here is the Umpqua River. Climbing around near the roar of the water brings me incredible joy.”
The Boice Family
Chris Boice
Age: 40s
Family: Wife Dolly; children Alden, Allen, Benjamin & Emma
Neighborhood: Roseburg
From: Gold Beach
Chris moved to Douglas County in 1994 for “a pretty girl from Myrtle Creek” and his love of the great outdoors. Now a Douglas County commissioner and tire store owner, he loves the people here, the proximity to the mountains, rivers and ocean, jet boating, hunting, fishing, off-roading and working on his property.
Becki and John VanderKarr
Age: 50s
Family: Son Jacob
Neighborhood: Roseburg ’s Green District From: California
Becky, an accountant, and John, a heavy-equipment engineer, moved to Roseburg in 1996 after being married in California, following Becki’s parents who had retired to the area. Soon after, John’s mother and aunt relocated here from Arizona.
Charissa and Mackay Dufour
Age: 30s
Family: Daughter Elliott
From: Idaho and Oregon
The Dufours moved to Roseburg in 2019 and soon after brought home their adopted daughter, Elliott, from China. When Mackay isn’t working at The Home Depot and Charissa isn’t busy writing sci-fi/fantasy novels, the family loves to swim in the river, barbecue, spend time with friends and take in the views.
“We love that Roseburg has that small-town feeling yet is big enough to not be called a town,” Becky says. “We like to fish and John hunts. We enjoy local sports and getting together with friends around a campfire in our backyard.”
Tresa and Jack Flowers
Age: 70s
Neighborhood: Winston
From: Nevada
After serving many years in the military, including in Vietnam, Jack decided to retire to Roseburg after finding it offered fishing and a VA hospital. After living in the desert, the Flowers also were excited to see the color green again. Jack and Tresa are involved with their church and veterans groups, at the gym and enjoying art and fishing. They also love Wildlife Safari, the Douglas County Fair and local music events.
“What is there not to like? We find it especially refreshing to have just one stop light,” Tresa quips.
Bill Ankeny
Age: 70s
Family: Wife Janet; three children; five grandchildren
Neighborhood: Glide
From: California
Ankeny moved to Canyonville in 1965. While he considers himself semi-retired, he still works at the insurance agency he founded and volunteers with his church and elsewhere in the community.
“I believe this is one of the best areas to raise a family,” he says. “We have great schools, hunting and fishing, camping at the coast, mountains or the desert. And all within easy driving distance.”
Wayne and Margarita Patterson
Age: 60s
Neighborhood: Roseburg
Origin: California
The Pattersons originally moved to Oakland in 2002 after researching several Oregon communities. “We had criteria. I didn’t want to shovel snow, and I needed to be close to the airport,” says Wayne, then a frequent traveler and now executive director for Umpqua Economic Development Partnership. In addition to the great climate, the Pattersons enjoy gardening, the local farmers’ market, u-pick farms, fishing and enjoying local wines and food.
Janelle Polcyn
Age: 20s
Neighborhood: Roseburg
From: Ohio and Texas
Polcyn moved to Roseburg in 2018 to work as a business reporter for The News-Review. She is currently an AmeriCorps member working with CCD Business Development Corporation. She is also involved in community organizations, including a local advocacy center and events such as TEDxRoseburg.
“I love the green everywhere, my favorite hiking and hammocking spots and the friends I have made,” Polcyn says. “I’ve got a perfect little hammock spot where I will spend an entire morning, just me, a book, a thermos of coffee or tea, and the sounds of the river and the forest.”
Randal and Megan Olsen
Age: 30s
Neighborhood: Roseburg
Family: Children Jaxon and Kadon
From: Forest Grove
The Olsens moved to Roseburg 2016 for Randal’s job building an alternative school for the Roseburg School District.
“There is so much that we love about living here, especially with two young children,” Megan says. “When we moved here we knew no one but, with all the amazing parks and the YMCA, we were able to connect with so many different families.”
The family enjoys fishing, playing at the river, hiking, camping, the water park, Music on the Half Shell, Wildlife Safari and much more.
The Carollos
Dominic and Robbin Carollo
Age: 30s
Neighborhood: Roseburg’s Melrose area
Family: Children Ansley, Eddaline, Dillon & Bryson
Origin: Boring, Oregon (Dominic) and Georgia (Robbin)
The Carollos moved to Roseburg in 2011 for Dominic’s law career and have become very involved in community organizations and activities.
“We love that we can be at the ocean, Crater Lake or an airport in an hour-and-a-half,” says Robbin, who also works as a substitute teacher. “We also like the small-town atmosphere here. We can’t run into a store or restaurant without seeing someone we know, and it is nice having that sense of community in the place where we are raising our family.”
The Carollos enjoying boating on the Umpqua, fishing out of Reedsport, hiking, wine tasting and attending the different festivals and events around town.
The Jones Family
Leah Jones
Age: 30s
Family: Husband Nick; son Jack
Neighborhood: Roseburg
From: Kansas
The Jonses moved to Roseburg in 2018 for Nick’s job and to be close to his family. She works for CCD Business Development Corporation and occasionally at Two-Shy Brewing and enjoys hiking, gardening, camping, biking, floating the river, wine tasting, swimming, u-picking and much more.
“I was born and raised in Kansas but have lived in Texas, Hawaii, California and Alaska. I love and miss all of these places, but I especially love the beauty of the mountains, trees and river here,” Jones says. “There aren’t many mountains or trees in Kansas. I also love living in our very own wine country.”
The Fultz Family
Jeremy and Nicole Fultz
Age: 30s/40s
Family: Children Logan, Abigail and Paxton
Neighborhood: Sutherlin
From: Iowa
The Fultz family left Des Moines in 2016 after Jeremy was hired as a youth pastor in Sutherlin. They love to hike local trails and explore local waterfalls, camp and swim in the river.
“We love the community and the schools our kids go to,” says Nicole, who works part-time in a Sutherlin school. “My husband and I both grew up in very large cities and we like being in a smaller community. We also love the view all around us and our mild weather since where we both grew up the temps were extreme.”
