Bucking contest at Sultan, Washington, July 4, 1936
Grand Marshal 2026 - Bill Mercer
Bill (Don) Mercer was born in North Bend to Don and Dorothy Mercer. The logging industry has been a part of him since he was little. At the age of 6, he began going into the woods on weekends with his dad, Don, to watch him work. This is where he fell in love with all aspects of logging. He was there watching the old growth being pulled out by incredible team work. It wasn't just his dad that he loved to watch but the hard-working men that it took to accomplish the task at hand. He found the equipment just as fascinating. The sled yarders with the wood spar trees, cable loaders, and chainsaws all held his young mind in awe. Little did he know that later in life he would have mastered most of what he was witnessing.
In 8th grade he relocated to a logging camp with Don Muir Logging in Port Alice, Alaska with his mom and dad, Ed and Sherry (sister) Hill and his brother, Gary Mercer. At the age of 14, Bill started splicing hay wire sections used to pull big cable through the woods. He also started grinding chain and working on saws for the cutters for several years. Living and breathing logging in the camp gave him the skills to strike out on his own to Southern Oregon to a ground based logging company, Harper Logging. He worked there until they found out he was 17 and then returned to Alaska where he worked rigging and road construction until 1978. In 1978, he moved to Sultan, Wa. to work for Sam Wold as a timber faller. In a life of a logger, you go where the work is which is evident in his long line of relocations back to the Sky Valley where he worked for and alongside many outfits including Ed Hill, (Hill Logging), cutting for Bob Koenig (Koenig Logging), Sam Wohl, Drew Preston (Drew Logging), Dave Romani, Darrin Romani and Dan Bownman (Bowman logging). Starting in 1998, Billy worked for Carson Helicopters. He loaded for Carson Helicopter logging in Idaho, Montana and Washington. in 1998, he worked as a side rod for yet another ground base camp in Idaho. From 2000 to 2014, he could be found operating his own company, Mercer Cutting, felling dangerous trees, running his Fellerbuncher and helping the community with storm damage.
His career was not just one aspect of logging like Load Operator or Timber Felling. He could be found operating equipment, high up in a tree, cutting, fixing saws, running the yarder, or maintaining a clean and organized landing while loading logs. He has been a teacher to many people. His love will always be falling timber and the best memories are working alongside his dad, Don. Logging isn't just a job to him, it's a way of life.
Shari and Bill Mercer
Roger Knowlton
It’s with deep regret that we inform the community of the passing of:
Roger Ellis Knowlton
1939-2024
Born on February 12, 1939, to Dale Donald Knowlton and Francis Evelyn Ellis. He passed on June 25, 2024, in Kirkland, WA.
Roger moved to Sultan, WA in 1960. He joined the Sultan Volunteer Fire Department in 1963, in 1986 he became Fire Chief, and in 1993 spent the next 24 years as a Sultan Fire Commissioner. He received the distinguished honor of 50 years of fire service in 2013, and 54 years of total service in 2017.
Roger served on the City Council for eight years, and the Civil Service for three terms in the late 70’s and early 80’s. The Knowlton family was one of the founders of Safe Stop, an organization in Sultan that helped give youth a safe place to go on Saturday nights. He was involved in this program for ten years in the 90’s.
Roger was voted Logging Marshall for the Sultan Shin Dig in 2009. Sultan awarded him Citizen of the year in 2013.
Roger is survived by his loving wife of 22 years Patricia Joan Knowlton and his extended family.
Roger’s Celebration of Life will be held on July 20th, 2024, at the Startup Event Center, 14315 366th Ave SE, Startup, WA 98293. The celebration will start at one o’clock in the afternoon.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Sky Valley Chamber Logging Contest here or by Mail, PO Box 46, Sultan, WA 98294.
Please contact Debbie Copple with any questions