Horses, Chickens and Baseball

About the Book

Ten years ago, Bill Lansing decided to commemorate his memories of growing up on a small ranch in northern California. Like most baby boomers, not much was ever relayed about their parents’ history. So he decided to remedy that for his future descendants. The book starts out with his parents’ courtship in 1920s and connects the narrative memories from 1946 with personal photos in a chronological manner until 1969. Many of the stories are funny, as Bill writes with passion and humor. The title comes from three general sources: growing up with horses, beginning at age six; hating the bandy chickens his mother coveted; and Bill’s passion for baseball. These three topics anchor the flow of the book.

About the Author

William A. “Bill” Lansing is the former President and CEO of Menasha Forest Products Corporation headquartered in North Bend, Oregon. He and his wife Ann have made their home in North Bend since 1969, raising two sons in the area. Bill grew up near the small town of Colfax, California. He graduated from Sierra Junior College in Rocklin, California, majoring in mathematics and forestry, and worked summers as a firefighter for the California Division of Forestry – an experience that lead him toward a career in forestry. Following graduation from Sierra, he attended Humboldt State College in Arcata, California, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Engineering in 1967. Bill then went on to the Yale Graduate School of Forestry in New Haven, Connecticut to further enhance his education. Upon graduating from Yale in 1970, Bill went to work for Menasha Corporation in North Bend, Oregon. The Menasha position was intended to last only until, in his words: “until something better came along”…but Menasha was a good “fit” and nothing did! After thirty-seven years at Menasha, in what he thought would only be a transition job, Bill retired in April 2006.