Wes Soderback’s ancestors started their emigration from Scandinavia in the 1830’s. They came by sailing ship, pioneered Northern Illinois and founded the village of Rock Rune. They were educated and had money to invest in their new country. In 1850, a group headed for the gold fields of California in wagons they had built themselves. They found gold but did not get rich. When the Civil War broke out a group joined the Illinios Volunteers . One of them died of wounds he received at the Battle of Shilo. The 1860’s saw the second wave, by his time the frontier had move west to Minnesota. Wes’s grandfather was the first white child born in Mahue County, Minnesota. And finally, the last wave went to Northern North Dakota in the 1890’s.

In 1906, both of Wes’s grandfathers arrived in Portland from their pioneer homes in the Midwest at the time of the Worlds Fair. They married and raised their families here. One was a school teacher and business manager who homesteaded in the Hills Dell area, managed the White Sox Orchard and was an owner of the Kenton Hotel. The other, a carpenter and sheetmetal worker, went to work building the Forestry Building in Northwest Portland and became active in the trade union movement as a member of Sheetmetal Workers Local #16.

In 1918, three of Wes’s great uncles joined the U.S. Army and were off to
Europe to fight WW1. Two of them return to work in their father’s hardware store in Northwest Portland. The Third became a minister.

Wes’s father was also a member of Sheetmetal Workers Local #16 and an employee of Portland School District #1 for more than 30 years. He also served as a Health and Welfare Trustee of his union. He loved photography and the outdoors and was a skier and mountain climber. He worked to establish Forest Park and was a member of Friends of Forest Park and, President of the Trails Club of Oregon. He died from lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos on the job.

Wes was born at Portland General Hospital in Sellwood and grew up on the family estate in the West Hills that has been in the family since 1906. He attended Skyline and Chapman grade schools and Benson High School in Portland.

After high school, Wes joined the U.S. Naval Submarine Reserve and hired out of the Labors Union Local #96 as a hod carrier. A year later he was called to active duty. He served aboard the U.S. Bashaw out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as a petty officer and was awarded National Defense and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals for the defense of Qimory and Matsu Islands. After three years on active duty he returned to Portland. There he worked in the Automotive Trade as a mechanic, gasoline retailer, and tire store manager.

In 1968, Wes took out seaman’s papers and began his pursuit of a career as a U.S. Merchant Mariner for the next 30 years. In 1970, he attended nautical school on the G.I. Bill and became a Licensed Deck Officer. Some of the highlights were the Viet Nam Sea Lift, Arctic Sea Lift (Alaska Pipeline), Mt. St. Helen’s eruption dredging of the Columbia River, and the New Carrisa oil spill cleanup.
  
 Wes has been active in the Multnomah County Democrats as a elected precinct committeeman, elected Executive Board Member, and delegate to the State Platform Convention.