2026 Royalty
Grand Marshal & Queen
Marshal Steve Hansen
Queen Cheryl Wilshusen-Savage
Belle
Abigail Johnson - Geneseo Area
Belle Attendants
Carrigan Sinton- Cholame Area
Bailey Bojorquez- Hog Canyon Area
Clarah Brown- Adelaide Area
Kylie Hurl- Creston Area
Kaci Carlson- Shandon Area
Corina Boneso- Paso Robles Area
Bella Birks- Paso Robles Area
Lylah Malone- Templeton Area
Eliza "Ceci" Gignoux- Bradley Area
Sienna Molina- Estrella Area
Past Royalty
Queens Attendants
Shannon Savage - Carter
Jennifer Eppert
Grand Marshal Steve Hansen
Steven George Hansen was born in Bakersfield, California on 02/11/49. His parents were George Edward Hansen, Jr., and Miriam (Jeri) Brown Hansen. His dad owned a Land Leveling business in Bakersfield, but he had the opportunity to move back to Shandon and farm with his three uncles. The family was soon back in Shandon (1950) where George went to work farming with his uncles. Steve’s older brother was James Edward Hansen (Kathy) unfortunately both are deceased and dearly missed, his sister is Karen Sue Hansen Micheli (Michael) of Fresno. The family were all very active in the Shandon community.
Steve’s father, George, was Pioneer Day Marshal in 2001. Steve was a founding member of the Junior Fair Board in 1965, and won Reserve Grand Champion steer with a black angus. Steve also served as President and Treasurer of the FFA. Steve’s best friends, Harry Miller and Gregory Rambo, the three amigos, made quite the trio in the little towns of Shandon & Parkfield, what one did not think of, one of the other two would come up with. All the while Steve’s dad served for 16 years on the schoolboard! The High School at that time, in Shandon, was an old converted 1920’s saloon previously owned by Jack Warden. Additions made through the years improved the school, but the School Board decided to tear down the school and build and build a new one. On June 16, 1969, Steve got the opportunity to bring a bull dozer, from the ranch, to participate in the destruction of the school. Steve loved this, and of course, Harry and Greg were there to participate in the fun!
Steve graduated from Coalinga Jr. College in 1969 and attended Cal Poly, leaving early to start his own business.
Steve was fortunate to be able to continue his family’s long legacy of working the land in California. In the early 1970’s Steve purchased two John Deere Harvesters and started his Custom Grain Harvesting business, usually cutting around 8,000 acres a year. In 1981, Steve’s dad retired from farming and Steve had the opportunity to purchase his equipment and take over the lease on the McCrea Ranch in Shandon.
In April of 1974, Steve asked his now wife, Jan Louise Hansen, out on their 1st date. Jan grew up in Arroyo Grande, and they met at Phelan Bros. Feedlot where she worked, and he hauled hay in for Tony Abatti. Steve’s idea of a 1st date, was to drive her out to the middle of nowhere and attend the Parkfield Dance. Jan had a great time, but as she was only 20 yrs old, she had never experienced anything quite as wild as that dance. Going home, in the early hours of the morning, she woke up at a stop sign and saw that Steve was sound asleep. She was a little panicked, since she was a Coastie and had no idea where they were. But she took a leap of faith, and they married in 1976 and will be celebrating 50 years together in November.
They went on to have three sons, Travis George (Nicole), Bryce Edward (Ann), Wyatt Matthew (Michelle), along with four little tractor drivers – Rhett Michael 8, Beau Edward 6, George Edward 6, and Jack Stone 3.
Steve started volunteering for the PDC in 1965 working under Ted Coburn on the tractors housed in the old barn. In 1985, when Ted passed, and at his request, Steve became the Tractor Chair. Steve had a very knowledgeable, dedicated group of friends who worked with him in the beginning and made sure the tractors rolled down Spring Street - Dave Barlogio, Mike Stainbrook, Calvern Saylor, Daryl Stinchfield, Keith Kirkland, Casey Root, Floyd Patterson, Lester Patterson, and Ernie Perlich. Soon their sons, daughters, grandchildren, and newcomers came on board to help him, and he had a great talented and fun crew to work with. They held Tractor BBQs, throughout the years, at various venues to show appreciation to the Crew. After volunteering as Chair for 38 years and teaching the new volunteers all that he had learned on these much-loved tractors, it was time for him to hang up his wrench.
Steve appointed as the PDC Vice -Chair in 1988 and 1989, but due to events out of everyone’s control he did not serve as Vice-Chair, and went directly to Chair the 1st year. He had his hands full the 1st year with new son, Wyatt, born the week after Pioneer Day. For the 1989 Pioneer Day Celebration he introduced a few new ideas, some of which are still in use today, 37 years later. Steve designed the “Leave Your Pocket Book at Home” banner carried by the Boy Scouts, designed the 1st jackets & t-shirts (1980’s style) to sell, served a large cake made by the Boys School, at the last meeting before the parade (which the committee took to a higher level and started serving a BBQ hot dog meal years ago,) and earlier in 1985 he made the huge decision to leave the tractors out for viewing. For 38 years, the family had a lot of memorable lunches “Down in the Dirt” with family, friends, Board Members, and tractor men joining them.
Steve’s American Heritage
Steve’s journey to Shandon, CA started 15 generations ago with the landing of the Mayflower on December 11, 1620. Steve’s mothers’ side of the family had two descendants coming from the Hopkins-Snow-Smalley-Gaines-Baker-line, and the Cook-Taber-Earle-Baker line, going down to Polly Millisa Baker Brown. (Steve’s mother was a Brown.) Oceanus, son of Elisabeth and John Hopkins was one of two children born at sea on their way to The New World. Out of 102 passengers on board only 51 survived. Jan says that his Mayflower lineage is where Steve gets his “Never Give up Perseverance Mindset.” After their son, Bryce, married Ann Lewis Cochrane, they realized that she is a descendent of the Mayflower as well. Her lineage comes from her grandmother Alberta Stone Lewis, and additionally, they are all related through the Stone and Lauritzen lineages.
Steve’s California Heritage
Steve’s first documented relative to arrive in California, was his Maternal Great-Great Grandfather, Louis H. Peterson (01/03/1815 -10/10/1891). He came to the California Coast for trading in 1836 and then later to New Orleans where he and his brother, Henry, jumped ship and settled. In June of 1846 Louis enlisted in Memphis, Tennessee and served as a Private in the 1st Regiment, Company G of the Tennessee Cavalry and returned to the Western Coast joining US forces guarding wagons in the Mexican/American War battles in Mexico near Tampico, and Vera Cruz. Apparently, he then travelled up to California to serve under Captain John Fremont in late 1846 and early 1847 during the final stage of fighting for California’s independence from Mexico. Louis returned East across the Plains again, to New Orleans, discharged from the army May 1847 and married Elizabeth Guth on November 1, 1849. She was from Bavaria and came to America in 1842 at age 14. After the birth of their daughter, Francis, in 1850, they decided to go West, back across the plains to California. The family left for California in May of 1853. They diverted south off the Oregon Trail onto the California Trail heading towards Salt Lake City. Elizibeth was pregnant with twins and their son Henry Iver Peterson was born on July 17, 1853, with his twin brother passing shortly after birth. They initially settled in the Napa Valley in 1853, and worked their way down to San Luis Obispo by 1883. (Steve thought it was interesting when he and Jan stopped at Fort Laramie last year and walked the grounds, knowing that his Great-Great Grandfather Louis stayed there several times on his way to and from New Orleans) Louis and Elizabeth had 3 boys and 4 girls. Elizabeth, Henry, (Steve’s Great-Grandfather), Lena, Johnnie, Philapena, & Emma. Through the years their last name changed to “Petersen” with an “e” with no explanation. Steve’s Great-Grandfather Henry Iver Petersen (07/17/1853-11/7/1931) born on the trail, married Anna Christine (Lorenzen) Petersen (03/15/1864-01/19/1945). They were married about 1887 in San Luis Obispo, and honeymooned in Jolon. They lived and farmed in Watsonville. Eventually they moved back to San Luis Obispo and dairy farmed on what is now Madonna Inn property and raised 10 children. Emma, (Steve’s grandmother), Chris, (who married Eva Tappa, their families ranch taken by the government for Camp San Luis) Katy, (who married Carleton Spooner whose family owned and operated the 9,000 ac Spooner ranch until 1942), Alma, (who married Wilfred Mead of SLO & Hans Mehlschau of Nipomo). At the same time the Petersen’s were farming in Watsonville, Steve’s great grandfather Mathias Hansen left his homeland to avoid conscription into the German army. In 1871 the 17-year-old Mathias, accompanied by his sisters Ida and Ingborg, arrived in Watsonville, where his brother Hans already lived. (Steve has the 155-year-old trunk that Mathias made and brought with him to California.) In 1883 Mathias married Danish immigrant Laura Lauritzen in Salinas and they farmed in Chular until1891, when they moved to the flats on Shell Creek Road in Shandon, there they purchased a section of land from the Sinton’s for $25 per acre. His Great Aunt Ida married Thomas Petersen of Templeton and in 1887 they purchased 455 acres of land a mile and a half from the town. They had two children Martin and Christine. Great Aunt Ingborg married Laurits Aaroe in Gonzales in 1887. After moving to Paso Robles, they purchased 530 ac on Linne Road. The Chandlers later purchased the ranch. The original house and barns are still standing.
Mathias and Laura raised eight children in Shandon and San Luis Obispo. Unfortunately, in Shandon, Mathias passed at the age of 44 in January 1899, leaving Laura and their eight children, ranging in age from 17 to 1, alone to farm the land. They managed to farm for two years, with help from the Aaroe’s and the Petersen’s. In 1901 the family moved to San Luis Obispo where Laura had family, and the boys started the Hansen Bros. Club Stables on Broad Street. The eldest child was Steve’s grandfather, George James Hansen, Sr. who married Emma Peterson in 1910. They had three sons, Henry, Gordon, and George Jr., (Steve’s father).
George’s sister, Ida, married into the Chris Johnson family of San Luis Obispo. With Johnson Street named after them, and their ranch south of town eventually sold to the Conservancy to continue the Bob Jones Trail.
George Sr. farmed in this County and Hanford, along with purchasing a hay press and doing custom hay work in the Los Oso Valley. Around 1920 they leased the El Pismo Inn on the beach. Every morning the boys went to dig a gunny sack full of clams for the guests.
In the early 1920’s Steve’s Great Uncles Ed and Matt Hansen were farming on the Carrisa Ranch. In 1926 they purchased the Cat ’60 crawler that Steve will be driving in the parade. It turns 100 years old this year.
In 1934, the three brothers, Ed, Matt, & Iver joined together and bought the Shedd Canyon Ranch, purchasing 2,480 acres for $34,000 cash, at $13.70 per acre. In the summers Steve’s father, George, worked for Steve’s Great-Uncles on the Carrisa Ranch and the Shedd Canyon Ranch while going to school. Great Uncle Iver married Mildred Shaw and moved out to Shell Creek where he farmed his own place and the Camatta Ranch for many years. The Great-Uncles were Founding Members of the SLO County Cattlemen’s Assoc.
When Steve’s Great Uncles Ed & Matt both passed away in the 1960’s, without any direct heirs, the other relatives wanted to sell the ranch. So, in 1968, the western actor Joel McCrea and his actor wife Francis Dee, purchased the Hansen Bros Ranch. It then became known as The McCrea Ranch. Steve’s family have always affectionately called it the “Siberia Ranch” as it is much colder in that valley than in Shandon. Steve’s father, George continued to farm on the ranch until 1981 when he retired and Steve took over the lease. In 1985, Steve moved his family out to the ranch where they made a lot of memories living in Steve’s Great Uncles home, working the land with the boys, and building on the work ethic their dad and grandpa were teaching them.
Shortly, after moving onto the McCrea Ranch Jan received a phone call and on the other end was Western Actor and Walt Disney Narrator Rex Allen’s distinguishable voice. From then on, he called several times a year to remind Joel there was a Board of Director’s meeting of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.
Steve and Jan were honored to host a friend of Frances Dee’s, Miss Ginger Roger’s. She arrived at night in her white Cadillac with her Chauffer, Nurse, and her little white dog. Even arriving at Midnight, with her platinum hair, white mink coat, and her little white dog she looked every bit a movie star and was very gracious to them.
When Joel passed away in 1990, the estate put the ranch up for sale, and it sold to the Clark Family.
Steve and family moved into a town house in 1997, which, thankfully, did not have any of the numerous rattlesnakes who called their Shedd Canyon yard home.
After settling in Paso, Steve went to work for Wal-Mart Transportation covering over 2.5 million miles without a preventable accident. Steve retired from the road in 2015 at the age of 66.
It is not in Steve’s DNA to sit at home and not work, so when family friend, Troy Javadi, offered him a part-time position as the Shop Manager for his company, Steve accepted. He has enjoyed working with Troys son’s and watching their skills improve as they have gotten older.
Steve continues to keep busy, playing with his grandkids, reloading, shooting squirrels, clamming, participating in corvette runs, travelling, and volunteering with Jan for Honor Flight Central Coast CA, and of course his tractor work.
Steve would like to thank the Pioneer Day Board as he feels very honored and privileged to be chosen as Marshal for the 96th Pioneer Day Parade. He and the family are all looking forward to celebrating with family and friends on Pioneer Day Weekend.
All Royalty Photos by Rick Evans/Paso Robles Press Magazine
Queen Cheryl Wilshusen-Savage
For Cheryl Wilshusen-Savage, Paso Robles is more than the place she calls home. It is the community where generations of her family have worked, raised children, built businesses and made memories.
Her family’s roots in the Paso Robles area stretch back nearly 100 years, to the mid-1920s, when her grandparents, Arthur Otto and Nora May (Woods) Wilshusen, and their family made their way west from Garden City, Kansas, in search of greater opportunities. Their son, Jim Wilshusen, whom the family lovingly called “Bampa,” had married Ruth Spencer in 1919. The young couple initially lived in Long Beach, where their daughter, Martha Wilshusen Brush, was born in Whittier in 1920.
Not long afterward, Jim and Ruth traveled north to Paso Robles. They made their home in Tent City along the Salinas River, and Jim found work as a ranch manager. That job marked the beginning of a lifelong connection between the Wilshusen family and the Paso Robles area. In 1925, Jim and Ruth briefly returned to Kansas, where their son, Jimmie, Cheryl’s father, was born in 1926. Later that year, the family returned to Paso Robles and settled in the Cholame area,
where Jim continued managing ranches. By the 1940s, Jim's career had evolved from managing other ranches to operating the family ranch, which was owned by his daughter, Martha Mae Brush. The ranch became the center of family life, where Jim raised cattle and hay and made a home for his family.
The ranch became a true family operation. In 1940, Ruth’s sister, Veneta, and brother, Mike, moved to the ranch, joining Jim and Ruth in the work and daily life of raising livestock and maintaining the property. Jim also became involved in the wider Paso Robles community. He was a longtime member of the Paso Robles Trail Riders Association, serving with the organization from 1943 through 1973. He remained connected to the community for decades before his death in 1986 at age 87.
Growing up in Paso Robles
Jim and Ruth’s son, Jimmie, grew up in the Cholame and El Pomar areas. In 1943, he married Elizabeth “Lib” Turner, and together they raised three children in Paso Robles. Cheryl was the youngest of three children, born in 1948. Her older brother, Corky, was born in 1947, and their eldest sister, Sandy, was born in 1946. Together, they grew up as the next generation of the family, surrounded by the ranching traditions and rich history of Paso Robles.
The family lived on 16th Street in Paso Robles until 1958, when Jimmie and his business partner, Pepper Martin, purchased a grocery store and butcher shop in Shandon. Jimmie operated the butcher shop while Martin managed the grocery side of the business. Service to the community was also part of Jimmie’s life. He served as a volunteer firefighter in Paso Robles until his death in 1971.
Cheryl’s mother, Lib, worked as a waitress at the Paso Robles Inn before becoming a dental assistant for Dr. Donkin, where she worked until her retirement. She died in 1995. Like the generations before her, Cheryl grew up surrounded by the people and places that made up the Paso Robles community. She attended Paso Robles High School and graduated in 1966.
Building a Family of Her Own
Cheryl met Johnnie Savage in 1970, and the two married and began building a life of their own in the Templeton and Paso Robles. Together, they raised three children: Ryan Savage, Shannon Savage Carter and Jennifer Savage Eppert. Today, that family has grown into another generation. Cheryl and Johnnie have seven grandchildren — Robbie and Renae, children of Shannon and Eric Carter; Wyatt and Kendall, children of Ryan and Addrienne (Swank) Savage; and Hailey, Lane and Madison, children of Jennifer and Josh Eppert.
The family now includes seven great-grandchildren as well. Carter and Ryden Jordan are the children of Renae Jordan and her husband, Ryker. Johnnie Marie is the daughter of Robbie Boggs. Jaxson and Weston Savage are the children of Wyatt Savage and Lindsey. Rhett and Reed Butler are the children of Hailey Butler and her husband, Ryan.
And the family tree is still growing, with an eighth great-grandchild expected in September.
A Life of Work and Community
Throughout her life, Cheryl has also been a familiar face in local businesses and gathering places.
She began her career as a hairdresser at the Vanity Box in 1968. She remained in the beauty industry for more than two decades before retiring from hairdressing at the Country Salon in Templeton in 1989.
Retirement from hairdressing did not mean stepping away from the community. Cheryl later worked at Albertsons, where she became a familiar face behind the deli counter. She also worked as a cocktail waitress at the Paso Robles Inn and bartended at local establishments.In 1983, Cheryl and Johnnie opened Johnnie’s Saloon in Templeton. The couple owned and operated the local bar until selling it in 1988.
Johnnie spent much of his career working in overhead power, including positions with PG&E and Hinkle & McCoy, before retiring in 2005. He died in 2012. Cheryl has continued to remain active in the community. She still bartends locally at the Moose Lodge on Monday evenings and serves lunch there on Friday afternoons, keeping her connected
to the people she has known and served for decades.
A Pioneer Day Honor
With a family history that reaches back to the earliest decades of modern Paso Robles, Cheryl said being selected as this year’s Pioneer Day Queen is an especially meaningful honor. Her story reflects the kind of multigenerational connection that has long defined the community. Her grandparents arrived looking for opportunity and found a place where they could establish a ranch and raise a family. Their children grew up here, their grandchildren followed, and today their descendants continue to live and build their lives in the area.
Nearly a century after the Wilshusen family first arrived, Cheryl can look back on a lifetime shaped by Paso Robles — from childhood on 16th Street to raising her own family, working in local businesses and remaining active in the community. She considers herself blessed to have lived in Paso Robles, raised her family here and watched
that family continue to grow.
As Pioneer Day Queen, Cheryl represents not only her own history, but the steady connection between generations of families and the community they call home.For her, Paso Robles has been more than a hometown. It has been the setting for generations of family milestones, hard work, friendships and celebrations — a place where her family has grown, worked, loved and created a lifetime of memories.
After nearly 100 years, the Wilshusen family story in Paso Robles continues.
Belle - Abigail Johnson
Geneseo Area
Abigail's great-great-grandparents, Gustav Schienbein (Shin-Bine) and Annie Catherine Wilderson settled in Paso Robles in 1916, bringing with them their young son, Herman Schinbine. Herman grew up in Paso Robles and married Elsa Lehnhoff. Together they made their home on Vine Street, where they raised five children including Abigail’s great grandfather Hillis. Hillis had a twin brother, Henry. The two of them could often be found at the local ballpark serving as batboys for the Pittsburgh Pirates when the team held spring training in Paso Robles. In 1950, Hillis married Constance Watkins. They raised two daughters, Diane and Denise Schinbine. Hillis proudly served in the Navy and later became a volunteer firefighter for the City of Paso Robles. His wife Connie worked in the accounting department for the Paso Robles Schools. Abigail's grandmother, Denise Schinbine dedicated more than 30 years to education, working for both Paso Schools and the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education. She also was a former member of the Pioneer Day Board of Directors. Denise had two daughters, Ashley & Kelli, (Abigail’s mother) who served with the US Air Force. Abigail has a brother, Zachary. Abigail’s mother is on the Pioneer Day Board of Directors; her second Cousin Lori Woods was the immediate past chair and was the Pioneer Day Belle in 1996 and Lori’s sister Lisa was a Belle Attendant in 1993.
Abigail is a senior at Paso Robles High School. She is a cheerleader and is involved in the child development program. She plans to study psychology in college.
Belle Attendant - Carrigan Sinton
Cholame Area
In 1853 Carrigan’s great-great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph Hubbard Hollister, and his brother journeyed from Ohio to California. The brothers brought Conestoga wagons, 100-gallon water carts, 4,000 sheep, and 200 cattle. Along the way, they joined the famous Flint/Bixby sheep drive near Fort Laramie, Wyoming. After arriving, the Hollisters partnered with the Flint and Bixby families to purchase San Justo Ranch in San Benito County. In 1860, they acquired the 32,000-acre Cholame Ranch and entrusted its management to Robert Jack, the son of a Maine sea captain, who eventually married Carrigan’s great-great-great-grandmother Nellie Hollister. Robert & Nellie Jack purchased the ranch from Mr. Hollister and operated the Cholame Ranch for more than fifty years before it was eventually sold to the Hearst Corporation in the 1960s and renamed the Jack Ranch. Robert Jack became an important figure in San Luis Obispo County, helping bring the railroad to the area and serving as a partner in the West Coast Land Company, the developers of Templeton. Carrigan’s paternal great-great-great-grandfather, Bernard Sinsheimer, immigrated from Germany in 1864. When he arrived in San Luis Obispo, he married Fannie Stone and bought Brizzolara's General Store, which became the well-known Sinsheimer Brothers Store. Carrigan’s family still runs a small herd of cattle on one of the original ranches in Pozo that Sinsheimer’s had acquired in the early 1900’s. Carrigan’s great-grandparents were Silas and Phyllis Sinton, and her grandparents are Jack & Laurie Sinton. Her grandfather started Sinton Helicopters in 1980, and her father is also part of that family business. Carrigan is a senior at Paso Robles High School, is very involved in dance and 4H. Her parents are Scott & Shera Sinton and her sisters are Campbell & Sterling.
Belle Attendant - Bailey Bojorquez
Hog Canyon Area
Bailey’s great-great grandfather John Robertson Work immigrated from Scotland in 1874 when he was 17 and settled on a 160-acre ranch between Lowe’s Canyon and Hog Canyon. John met Mattie Jones at a Saturday night social and fell in love. They married on New Year’s Day in 1889 and had four children–including Bailey’s great-grandfather Robertson Work. John co-owned the San Miguel Mill with his son, Robert. John was also a mason and a member of San Miguel Lodge number 285 and The Eastern Star Chapter 102 in San Miguel. Robert married Margaret Huston who was a staunch advocate for preservation of the San Miguel Mission and local adobes. They had four children including Bailey’s grandfather, George, in 1936. George served in the army where much of his time was spent in Germany. There he purchased his prized possession–a1958 Porsche Speedster which is still in the family today. George married Elaine Anderson in Paso Robles in 1964. They lived on the Work Ranch and had three children including Colleen, who is Bailey’s mom. George and Elaine continued the Work Family pioneering tradition, implementing no-till farming practices, establishing Farm Stays in California, and eventually hosting marriage encounter workshops on the ranch. Together they received a national award for soil and water conservation in 1984. The award was presented at the White House by then Vice President George H Bush. Bailey’s grandfather passed away in 2025 but Bailey’s grandmother, Elaine still lives in the house on the hill. Bailey’s parents are Tim & Colleen. She has an older brother Curren. Bailey’s great-grandfather, Robert Work, was Pioneer Day Marshal in 1957. And her mom and many aunts and cousins have been Belles or Belle Attendants over the years. Bailey is a senior at Mission College Prep and plans to study biology and be a dermatologist.
Belle Attendant - Clarah Brown
Adelaide Area
Clarah’s ancestors traveled to Paso Robles from Indiana in a covered wagon in 1868. They started a homestead of 160 acres, 3 miles north of Paso Robles. This area includes the Stockdale and Exline intersection. Part of the homestead is still in their family today. At one point they ran the Brown’s Trading post north of Paso Robles located off the original Highway 101 which still exists on the family property. Clarah’s Great Grandfather Joseph Christopher Brown IV (known as Joe C) was born in 1915 on part of the Exline Homestead. He attended San Marcos School 1st thru 5th grade. The original building remains on the corner of Wellsona and Monterey Road. He graduated from Paso Robles High School in 1934, and married his high school sweetheart, Margaret Marie Nihsen. Joe C. met Margaret at the original San Marcos School. After running the lube rack at local Ford dealership Fisher and Harris, he later opened his own automotive garage in town at 16th & Spring St. In 1949 a fire burned the shop down, so Joe C. relocated his shop to north Paso off the 101. In 1959 when the modern 101 split his house from his shop he built the current location of Brown’s Cycles on Stockdale Road. This still sits on a portion of the original Exline Homestead. The 1912 Indian motorcycle that burned in the original shop in 1949 still appears in the Pioneer Day parades today. Joe C. was Pioneer Day Marshal in 2002. As a Marshal he did something different no other Marshal had done before, he rode in a sidecar of a pre-1920’s motorcycle. Another fun fact about Joe C., he attended the very first Pioneer Day parade on October 12,1931 when he was 15 and as a fireman, he served up beans for years.
Clarah’s Great Uncle Bob Tullock was Pioneer Day Marshal in 2018. He will not be forgotten for all his dedication to the Pioneer Day Committee, as a chairman and board member.
Clarah is a senior at Templeton High School. She enjoys riding dirtbikes, showing pigs, and spending time with her friends and family. Her future goal is to be a traveling Radiology nurse.
Her related families are the Exlines, Browns, Edwards, Tullocks, & Silveira
Belle Attendant - Kaci Carlson
Shandon Area
Kaci’s great-great-great grandfather John W. Grant. was born in Scotland in 1838 and immigrated to St, Louis, Missouri and later to California. He farmed in Gilroy, packed freight in mining camps, and worked as a cattle trader. At the age of 18 he set out to be on his own with just his horse, a saddle and very little money to his name. While on his travels he met a young woman named Margaret who was traveling with her family. They married in 1869. They ran cattle and sheep ranches in several locations before settling in Santa Maria where they bought a 200-acre. In 1882 John decided to move to Cholame because Santa Maria had become too civilized. They bought an 800-acre ranch that they continued to grow over the years. Together they had nine children including Archie, Kaci’s great-great grandfather, Archie Grant. Archie grew up on the ranch and lived his whole life there with his wife Mayble. They had two children, James and Lovena. Archie passed away in October 1940 and that is when his son James and Lovena’s husband John J. Osborn took over running the ranch. Lovena and John had three children including Jim, who is Kaci’s grandfather. Kaci is a senior at Paso Robles High School. She is passionate about floral design, yoga, and her faith.
Belle Attendant - Corina Boneso
Paso Robles Area
Corina’s great-great-grandparents, Lawrence and Adeline Renz, moved to Paso Robles in 1941 their address was part of the Shandon Star Route. Lawrence owned and operated a Motel at the end of Spring Street where he also worked as a tailor. They had one daughter, Agnes Renz, Corina’s great grandmother. She graduated from Paso Robles High School in 1952. After high school, she worked as a switchboard operator for the local phone company. She later worked for the Daily News delivering newspapers and Beckman Instruments.
Corina’s great grandfather, Rufus Wofford Jr., known as Pat or R.B., was born in Texas in 1925. He began his military service during World War II, serving at Camp Roberts. Pat returned to civilian life in Paso Robles and owned and operated the Union 76 gas station at 10th and Spring Street in 1966. He also worked in the service department at Fred Bryton Chevrolet, and in 1972 he joined the Paso Robles Highway Patrol Auto Maintenance Division. Pat and Agnes had three sons: Patrick, Ronald and Michael Wofford Corina’s grandfather. Pat passed away in 1988. Her great grandmother still lives in their home on Moss Avenue that they bought in 1960. Corina’s grandparents are Michael and Debbie Wofford. Her parents are Robert and Ashely Boneso and she has two brothers, Bryson & Zane. Her father and uncle are the owners of Boneso-Harms Trucking. Corina’s father is also a member of the Pioneer Day Board of Directors. Corina is a senior at Paso Robles High School this year and will be pursuing a Certified Nursing Assistant certificate after she graduates.
Belle Attendant - Bella Birks
Paso Robles Area
I'm a senior at Paso Robles High School. I enjoy spending time with my family, listening to music, going to the beach, as well as staying active. I also enjoy working with kids and being involved in my community when I can. Growing up in Paso Robles has given me an appreciation for the traditions and history that make this community special. I am honored to be a Pioneer Day Belle nominee and I’m excited to share my family’s story with others.
My father Michael Birks’ family has been here for many generations all going back to both sides of my great grandparents family. I will start with my great grandfather Kenneth Birks also known as Kenny Birks his family came here in the 1930s. His family was originally from Wisconsin where his grandmother Myrtle had her children with her late husband James Empey but he passed at the age of 35 leaving behind their children Kenneth, Chet, Bill and Rosemary.
Myrtle remarried to Kenny's grandfather James Birks, he adopted the children and they then took his last name making them all Birks. He was a Major in the Army and got transferred to Camp Robert’s in the 1930s where he fell in love with the area. He again relocated to Cambria California after a short time in Bradley where he opened multiple gas stations, the gift shop, and a cafe.
His son Kenneth decided to come to the Paso Robles when Kenny was just four years old. He was born March 28th, 1940. They then opened two gas stations on spring street both open from the late 40s to the mid 50s. One being Texaco and the other one Chevron standard. Kenny’s sister Linda remembers pumping gas at them for their parents in that time there.
Kenny’s parents Kenneth and Marie had four children, Kenny, John, Tommy and Linda. His parents also opened a concrete business here in Paso Robles in the 50s but the exact time is unknown but the business was known as Birks Ready Mix concrete, they had this business here till it sold and in 1965. Kenny drove trucks for his father there while he was attending high school here. He graduated from Paso Robles High School class of 58.
Kenny’s mother Marie got sick with skin cancer and visiting her is where he met his wife Ruby Foster (Birks). Ruby worked at the hospital where his mother was getting treatments. They got married a few short years later in March of 1963.
Ruby was also a long time resident of Paso Robles her family relocated here in 1933 from Oklahoma where her parents Margaret Foster and William Foster came to do farming and worked on the almond farms. They had Ruby June 19th, 1943 at the hospital here in Paso Robles. They as a family lived in the Oak Park vicinity of Paso Robles.
Margaret passed away from breast cancer in 1947 when Ruby was just four years old. Ruby was put up for adoption and bounced around from her father and her older sister Virginia Foster who is 13 years older than her. Her father moved back to Oklahoma and there he met his second wife Lorraine. He then moved back to Paso Robles to regain custody of his daughter after failed adoptions.
They then moved to Pozo to raise turkeys and had a turkey farm here for many years, Kenny even spent time working on the farm there while they had it. They sold the farm in 1977 and moved to Stockton.
Kenny also continued to do many things here in the Paso Robles area. He worked at the cemetery and the quick silver mines. He finally retired from Hayward Lumber after 35 years of driving trucks there. He also volunteered as a docent at the Pioneer Museum and worked for the Salvation Army giving back to the community in any way that he could.
Ruby's sister Virginia and her husband were also very well known in the Paso Robles community. Virginia worked at the library for many years and her husband Thomas Cameron who we all knew as Cork worked at the telephone company and was part of many clubs. He spent years cooking the beans we all know and love associated with Pioneer Day.
Belle Attendant - Lylah Malone
Templeton Area
Lylah’s paternal great-great grandparents were Fedele and Antoinette Ostini. They immigrated from Switzerland and settled in the North County in 1919, where he continued dairy farming and became known for his “Ostini Cheese.”
Lylah’s maternal great-great grandfather, Herman Heilmann moved from Germany to Creston in 1910. He made a trip back to Germany in 1913 where he met and married his wife, Margarete Negelke. He returned to Creston in 1914 and began farming. They had four children while living in Creston, including Lylah’s great grandmother Freida Heilmann. Lee Ostini married Frieda Heilmann in 1947. They had five daughters together: including Debbi, Lylah’s grandmother. They resided most of their married life (over 50 years) on the Volpi Ysabel property between Paso Robles and Templeton, where Lylah now lives. Lee and Frieda owned and operated a small dairy farm and also worked away from home to support their growing family. Lee worked at local ranches and when Debbi, their youngest child entered Kindergarten, Frieda began working at the Paso Robles Mercantile as a seamstress. Lylah’s maternal grandparents are Randy & Debbie Wicks. Her parents are Justin & Andi Malone, and she has an older brother Ryker and a younger sister Cyprus. Lylah is a senior at Heartland Charter School and is very involved in basketball, 4H and youth ministry.
Belle Attendant - Eliza "Ceci" Gignoux
Bradley Area
Ceci is the great-great granddaughter of John Leslie Allred and Martha Ledbetter Allred, who moved to the area during the great depression to be closer to Martha’s sister, Peggy Hern, who lived in Atascadero. John worked as a ranch hand on multiple ranches in Bradley while Martha worked for the Rist family who owned the local grocery store. Martha also served as a midwife, delivering many babies in San Luis Obispo County. John & Martha had ten children. Many of the Allred children stayed in the county and created large families of their own, including Mary (Ceci’s great grandmother), who had 6 children, who in turn had large families. There are reportedly over 500 descendants of John and Martha Allred who still live in San Luis Obispo County today, many of whom are local business owners with companies such as Jayde Boutique in downtown Paso Robles, G Squared Performance Horses, Mid State Drillers, and Pro Document Solutions. Ceci’s family are also proud supporters of our local law enforcement with two of her cousins serving with the SLO county Sheriff’s department. Ceci’s mother, Leslie Flynn, owns the local music venue and tavern, The Pour House. Her father Alex Gignoux is a builder in South Lake Tahoe. Her sister Taylor was a Belle Attendant in 2025. Ceci is a senior at Paso Robles High School and is active in cheerleading and stunt. She plans to attend business and cosmetology school.
Belle Attendant - Sienna Molina
Estrella Area
In 1880, brothers George and Sid Root traveled west by train to Salinas in search of new opportunities. With no other transportation available, they walked the rest of the way to Paso Robles. George Root was Sienna’s great-great-great grandfather. He homesteaded 160 acres west of the old Adobe Church on the Estrella Plains and married Florence Edgar, the Pastor’s daughter. George and Florence Root had seven children, all of whom stayed in Paso Robles.
Their son Glen Root was Sienna’s great-great grandfather and he married Margaret Fisher. They had four children including Eldon Root, Sienna’s great-grandfather. When Eldon grew up, he married Elizabeth (ByBy) Wicks. Eldon established the Paso Robles Land Company and was a published author. He also served on the Paso Robles School Board. ByBy was the daughter of Frank and May Wicks. She judged art displays at the California Mid-State Fair and served as a personal escort for then-Governor Ronald Reagan during his visit to Paso Robles. She was also one of the original Barbary Coast Girls, created sets for Pioneer Players, and volunteered at the Pioneer Museum. Sienna’s grandparents are Sallie & Michael Molina, and her parents are Russell and Roxanne Molina. She also has a brother named Gavin.
Sienna’s great-aunt Nancy Ryan served as a Belle in 1968, and her cousin Carin Ryan, was a co-Belle in 1995. Her related pioneer families are Edgar, Wicks, Root, and Lopez.
Sienna is a senior at Paso Robles High School and is an avid softball player and coach. She is also part of the Bearkittens program and plans to attend a four-year university to earn a teaching credential after high school.
All Royalty Photos by Rick Evans/Paso Robles Press Magazine