A lot of people around Battle Mountain remember longtime resident Fred Mendenhall for his art and his pieces are owned by many who will be lending them to the museum for two months.
Mendenhall will be the featured artist at the Battle Mountain Cookhouse Museum for April and May. His western folk art will be displayed starting April 1. He worked with ink, acrylics, water color and colored pencils. People can view around 15 of his pieces.
Mendenhall died the evening of Jan. 26 after he was struck by a vehicle while crossing State Route 304. He was 84.
Battle Mountain resident Charlie Hill said he knew Mendenhall for more than 50 years since they worked together for three summers on a ranch owned by Marvin Meyers in Buena Vista Valley.
Hill called Mendenhall the "last of the old time breed."
"You don't see those old-timers like that anymore," he added.
He said Mendenhall was an accomplished artist who had drawn and painted his whole life. He called Mendhall's artwork "absolutely wonderful." He added Mendenhall painted a mural on a wall at a bar in Imlay.
Hill said Mendenhall spent much of his younger years working as a ranch hand and a miner. He worked at a mine in Tungsten and out at the 25 Ranch, Hill said.
Bob Phillips said he knew Mendenhall for 40 years and called him extremely honest. Phillips lived near the 25 Ranch when Mendenhall worked there. He said Mendenhall borrowed tools from him often and would return them immediately.
Phillips said Mendenhall first started drawing out of boredom. He said Mendenhall used charcoal on sheetrock when he first began.
Jeanne King of Battle Mountain said she first knew of Mendenhall in the 1950s when he worked on the neighboring Quinn River Crossing Ranch outside of Winnemucca. She said she came to know him personally in the 1970s when she worked with him at the 25 Ranch. She said he did a lot of fencing and irrigating.
King described him as a hard worker who was always happy. She also called him unique.
"You'd never find another Fred Mendenhall," she said.
King said Mendenhall worked for her and her husband, Eddie, for nearly 10 years when they leased the 25 Ranch.
King enjoyed his artwork because it had a lot of detailed action, she said.
Battle Mountain's Coxie Roberts said she knew him since the 1980s when he worked for her and her husband, Bill, doing yard work. She said he was a hard worker.
She described Mendenhall as "just a nice old fella." He was polite and always a gentleman, she said. Coxie Roberts and other women said he used to call them "lady." She loved his artwork, she added.
A ceremony honoring Mendenhall's life will be held near the beginning of April at the museum. The date will be featured on the Battle Mountain Civic Center marquee.
The museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. Its website is www.battlemountainmuseum.com. The museum can be reached at (775) 635-8548.
Contact Heather Hill at h.hill@winnemuccapublishing.net.[[In-content Ad]]
