October 18, 1960
Armadillo Joins McMinnville Family As Gift To Mary Vinton
"Ralph" Attracts Much Attention In Neighborhood

MARY VINTON AND RALPH---An armadillo named Ralph? That’s what McMinnville beauty Mary Vinton, Miss Yamhill County and Miss Oregon of 1958, has named this strange (to these parts) animal. The armored creature was sent to her as a joke by a friend stationed with the U.S. Army in Oklahoma. After the first shock, Mary says she has become quite attached to Ralph, a native of the Southwest who wasn’t complaining about Monday’s 80 degree weather.