A Lifetime of Music Stays in The Dalles

Aug 4

Written By Columbia Community Connection

By Nancy Turner

The Dalles, Ore., Aug. 4, 2026 — When JoAn Henricks leaves The Dalles in the coming weeks to begin a new chapter near her son and daughter-in-law, she won’t be taking everything with her. One treasured possession will remain behind—not because she no longer loves it, but because she wants others to enjoy it for years to come.

JoAn has donated her beloved Chickering Grand Piano to The Dalles United Church of Christ, ensuring that the instrument will continue making music in the town where she grew up.

“It was important to me that it go somewhere it would be appreciated and well cared for,” Henricks said.

JoAn’s family has deep roots in the Columbia Gorge. Her great-grandparents homesteaded across the Columbia River.

When she was six years old, JoAn longed to take piano lessons, but her family didn’t own a piano. The nuns at St. Mary’s Academy told her she was too young to begin. Determined to encourage her interest, her family found a secondhand piano, and her Aunt Mary Bissott began teaching her at home. A year later, JoAn’s mother took her back to St. Mary’s Academy. The nuns were astonished by how much she had learned in just one year and asked her to audition. She earned a place in their piano program, beginning what would become a lifelong love of music.

Henricks graduated from The Dalles High School in 1967 as class valedictorian. In college she studied both mathematics and music and discovered that the two disciplines complemented one another. “The more I played music, the better my math became,” she recalls, “and the more math I did, the better my music became.” That combination of talents led to a successful 25-year career as an engineer with Hewlett-Packard. After spending 38 years away, she eventually returned to the hometown she had always loved.

Although she is not a member of UCC, she has long felt a connection to the congregation. Several of her close friends attend the church, and she has enjoyed many public musical events held there over the years. Knowing that her piano will become part of the church’s musical life gives her great satisfaction.

The timing couldn’t have been better.

For many years, the church has relied on an antique piano with plenty of character but one persistent problem—it no longer stays in tune. The congregation hopes to find someone who would enjoy restoring it or giving it a new home.

The arrival of Henricks’ baby grand is both a practical gift and a meaningful one. It will accompany worship services, concerts, community events, and gatherings, continuing the tradition of bringing people together through music.

Community members are invited to hear the piano in its new home during the 10 a.m. worship service on Sunday, August 16, at UCC. Notes that once echoed through JoAn’s home will now fill a place where friends, neighbors, and visitors gather—an enduring reminder that some gifts continue giving long after the giver has moved on.