On this episode of Small Towns Unscripted, we had the privilege of sitting down with five remarkable voices from the heart of the Lake Chelan Valley—Hershel and Karen Joyner, Sharon Conklin-Starr, Janey Lee McLellan, and Roberta Elgin Lloyd. Each one a keeper of memories, traditions, and stories that remind us what makes this valley such a special place.Hershel, a proud Chelan Goat from the Class of 1960, and Karen, a Manson Trojan who graduated in 1962, built their lives together in the orchards, fire halls, schools, and churches of this valley. For more than 60 years they’ve lived out a legacy of hard work, faith, and service.Sharon Conklin-Starr, also a 1960 Chelan Goat, carries deep roots back to her grandfather’s arrival in Chelan in 1911. Though life took her across seven different states, she has never strayed far from the shores of Lake Chelan, where every summer she returns to reconnect with the community that shaped her.Janey Lee McLellan, another 1960 graduate, has a story of resilience and connection—raised by loving adoptive parents, she later reunited with her biological family in Alabama. For decades she has been the glue that keeps the Class of 1960 close, organizing monthly lunches that still bring 15 to 20 classmates together in laughter and friendship.And then there’s Roberta Elgin Lloyd, also Class of 1960, whose story is one of grit, generosity, and joy. From a childhood on Packard Street, to decades of working for the City of Chelan, to raising a family and now enjoying great-grandchildren, she embodies the spirit of living fully while giving back through church, volunteering, and friendships that span a lifetime.Together, these voices reflect the grace, generosity, forgiveness, and gratitude that have shaped Chelan for generations. They are part of a group affectionately known as the “Old Goats” of Chelan High +1 “Old Trojan” of Manson High, whose bonds remain as strong today as they were in their youth.It was truly an honor to spend a few hours with them—listening, learning, and laughing together. Their stories remind us why small towns matter, and why the people who grow up in them carry their lessons wherever life takes them. 

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