At 93 years old, Dick Pederson of the Fargher Lake Boys continues to sing strongly for Woodland and Clark County communities.
At the annual kickoff of Lilac Days at the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens on Saturday, April 18, Pederson sang with his band and delivered the kind of performance that has defined the group for decades. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the gardens, a milestone the trio helped celebrate with their familiar mix of old-time country music with a touch of bluegrass.
The Fargher Lake Boys have had a presence across Clark County, especially in and around Woodland, for over two decades. Over the years, they’ve played for Meals on Wheels gatherings in La Center and for other senior communities in Ridgefield, Battle Ground and Woodland areas. They also contribute to a wide range of local events such as banquets and reunions. Their annual appearance at Lilac Days remains one of their most consistent traditions.
At the center of it all is Pederson, who no longer plays the upright bass but continues to sing with energy and presence.
“It’s the thrill of doing it,” Pederson said on what keeps him going. “It’s the enjoyment of doing it.”
The group traces back to a chance meeting in 2005, when Jay Hancock wandered into a performance at the historic Pomeroy Farm near Rock Creek and found himself unexpectedly joining in.
“They asked if I played because I had grabbed a … tambourine or something they had laid out there, and before I knew it, Dick put a guitar on me,” Hancock said. “Then I was standing up there with them.”
That moment led to the beginning of the Fargher Lake Boys, a name referencing the area where Hancock lived. Before the inclusion of their latest member, the Fargher Lake Boys included as many as five players, with musicians coming and going. The current trio was completed a few years ago when Dale Trullinger joined, stepping in to play bass. Today, he plays the same upright bass that once belonged to Pederson, bringing the story full circle.
“Dick is the one who put us together,” Hancock said.
Pederson’s musical roots stretch back to his youth in Vancouver. He first picked up the bass when he attended Vancouver High School to impress a girl.
“I asked the director, 'Can I join the band?’ I couldn’t play … He handed me a bass and started me on it,” he recalled.
That moment sparked a lifelong connection to music. Over the years, Pederson performed in multiple bands, stepped into local theater productions and even performed in a local barbershop quartet for about 20 years. Between performances, he ran his own business, Peterson Art and Sign, in Vancouver, worked for the U.S. Post Office and served in maintenance roles at the Washington School for the Deaf.
Pederson encourages younger generations to give music a chance, noting how it gave him opportunities and connections with others he would not have had otherwise.
“Don't shy away from the effort it takes,” he said. “It's something you can do all your life. It will pay you back in the long run.”
The Fargher Lake Boys have allowed Pederson to perform songs that can stir memories and emotions in ways few other things can. The members recalled how one La Center senior at Meals on Wheels connected one of their songs to her own past, recalling rodeo days and a relationship tied to the music they played. Some more personal performances have included hospice visits.
“It felt like the hands and feet of Jesus,” Hancock said, recalling one hospice visit. “We played for him that day and he went to heaven the next. I think about that, God, what an honor.”
For Trullinger, those moments showcase why their old-time style of music still matters.
“I think we live in a time of so much stress,” he said. “When Dick sings, ‘I think God must be a cowboy at heart,’ it's a slow song, but it's like being around a campfire, and it just calms the soul.”
A favorite song of the band is “Faded Love,” an emotional tune with a heavy atmosphere. Trullinger recalled that he cried the first time he heard Pederson sing the song.
“It speaks to the heart,” Trullinger said. “I think I’ve overcome crying. It’s like when you're an apprentice, and you work for an old guy. You respect them because you know they're not going to be there forever … You wake up in the morning, and you go, ‘Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, for another day.’”
The trio’s performances have slowed down as of late, but each one carries more weight shaped by years of friendship, faith and music shared across the community.
“Someday, Dick will be gone,” Trullinger said. “Jay and I will play music and we'll remember, but see, right now we’ve got him.”
