Aldinger by Anna Aldinger

Ted Aldinger and Anna Huber were married October 2, 1938, and lived
with her parents the first year before buying the former John Huber
place in the Lame Jones area. We moved there in the fall of 1939. We
lived there until the fall of 1965, then moved to Billings, Montana,
where we owned and operated the Parkway Motel for four years. Then Ted
worked as a custodian at Eastern Montana College for several years
before retiring.

We have three daughters. Lila who had rheumatoid arthritis from the
age of 9 had high school and one year of business college. She spent
four years in Arizona working for a book company. She loved
bookkeeping where she helped her sister who had a Dairy Queen in
Colorado for four years, then came home in 1988. She was on peritoneal
kidney treatments at home but it seemed she didn't regain her health
and on December 24, 1989, passed away of a blood clot.

LeVera married Larry Kickey in 1966 and they lived in Austin, Texas,
for 14 years before moving to Billings, where Larry worked for a tire
company. About 10 years ago, they -moved to Cody, Wyoming, where they
have their own tire shop and convenience store. They have two
children, LoriAnn, who is in college in Powell, Wyoming, and Thomas
Trey, a freshman in Cody High School.

Phyllis, who was married and is now separated, lived in Colorado
Springs for 18 years and worked at Fort Carson as a medical secretary.
Then they owned a Dairy Queen until two years ago when they moved to
Denver. Phyllis does computer work at home for Children's Hospital and
the Veterans through another agency. She has two boys. Brian is in
real estate in Los Angeles, California. Darin is a junior in high
school who also has Muscular Dystrophy and is in a wheel chair.

Ashley by Dorothy Ashley 713 S. Prairie Ave. #4 Miles City, MT 59301

I was one of the last teachers at Lame Jones. In 1959, I believe, I
was asked to teach there. The school board members were Frank Sparks,
Bob Neumann, and Stanley Ketchum. Meleta Schuetzle was the clerk. I
hesitated because Ann was starting kindergarten and I did not intend
to teach my own child, but Frank persuaded me that it would be an
advantage to have two first graders eventually. To my surprise, it did
work out and I taught there five years. The pupils were James Sparks,
Tom Sparks, Donald Sparks, Douglas Holmes, Malcolm Medearis, Marjorie
Sparks (for one year), and Ann Ashley. They were all better than
average students and the community was very cooperative. Some of our
good friends still live there and Ann and I still visit there.

I went on to teach in Ollie, Willis Creek, Plevna, and Sacred Heart in
Miles City, where I now live.

Ann lives in Medford, Oregon, where she now owns a travel agency. She
is married to Gerald Byrd.

Page 37

Berry by Ethel Berry Mitchell

My Father, Mother (Moses Grant and Mary Angeline Berry) and family
came to Box Elder Creek from Courtney, Oklahoma, with friends, the Ben
Sheffield's. All were expecting to file on land. I was 9 years old. I
had a sister, Sarah, and a brother, Emery. My oldest sister and
husband, the George Sparks', came also.

Mr. Lambert and family came to Box Elder to fish and pick berries. He
met my Dad and invited him to go home with them and look the country
over up there near his place. Mr. Lambert loaned my Dad a team and
wagon to go back and get the family as we had no horse or wagon.

We lived in Mrs. Hatton's house until Dad made a dugout for us to live
in. Later he got logs and built us a tworoomed home up on Coal Creek.
He made an attic where I slept by climbing up a ladder to save the
space of a stair. We had no stock but did have 12 chickens. Mr.
Lambert loaned us a cow and helped Mother break her to milk. She
stepped on his ankle, breaking it, and putting him on crutches for
awhile.

We were the first family to come to that neighborhood. The Lambert's
and Berry's became lifelong friends. Mary Ellen and I are still, and
have been buddies for 80 years. We finished the 8th grade together.

Miss Breckenridge was my first teacher after we moved to Lame Jones
Creek. I started school at what was known then as the Lambert School.

When the new school house was built the name was changed to Lame Jones
School and Miss Josie Barrere was our teacher.

History of Ethel Mitchell by Nancy Curry:

Ethel was married to Carl Mitchell on December 12, 1919, at West
Plains, Missouri. To this union was born one child, Orval.  Orval
married Vivian Fetch and they had one daughter Cheryl, who with her
husband, Wayne Warren, have two sons. Ethel now resides there with her
granddaughter, Cheryl, in Vancouver, Washington.

Along with some of Carl's relatives, Ethel and Carl left Missouri
after Orval's birth and moved to Washington. They stopped in Montana
on their way and stayed overnight with her sister and family, Bernetta
and G.W. Sparks. They forded the Powder River in their car where their
possessions got wet.

Carl was a World War I Veteran, who was partially disabled and drew
disability after the war. They rented farms with orchards and other
crops. Ethel worked in canning factories especially during the fall
season. They moved around to several places in Washington, including
Yakima, Aberdeen, and others, spending their last years in Vancouver.
In May of 1968, they visited her sister in Plevna. Carl died in the
Veteran's Administration Hospital in Vancouver in November, 1972.

Page 38

Brandemihi James K. Brandemihl Box 89 West Yellowstone, MT 59758

I have had my back broken twice and cannot travel for any distance
without being in great pain. So, as you see, I cannot attend the
reunion. Thank you for the invitation.

Mr. & Mrs. William R. Brandemihl Rt 1, Box 171 B Chippewa, WI 54729

April 27, 1990 Dear school mates of yester-year;

It is with a nostalgic feeling that I reminisce over the first few
years of my life when I was but a mere lad in overalls and a checked
gingham shirt and went to the Lame Jones and Milk Creek country
schools. Those days were really special to me, and not to me only, I
am sure, but to all of you who started on the ground level as I did. I
recall many incidents of the past; I won't enlarge upon them in this
letter, some of which you can read in the book we are writing entitled
"The Big Sky Country". It is the story of my early days in eastern
Montana.

After the drought and the slow recovery years, my father and mother,
Adolph J. and Lois Brandemihl, sold the ranch and moved west to
Bozeman and a much smaller acreage. I worked wherever I could to earn
a little money: on ranches, for a bee man, and even in the logging
industry, as that was booming at that time.

It was then I met a young man named James Weston who encouraged me to
go to college and seek a different profession. At that point in my
life, farm work was killing me because of my allergies. In 1945, with
his parents, we got into his old Plymouth, but before starting we had
to overhaul the engine. The old car took us part way, at least almost,
to Chicago, before the connecting rod went through the block. Jim had
to sell the car on the spot, but we were a long way from Tennessee,
our destination.

From there, we went to his brother's in upper Indiana. He was a farmer
and needed an extra hand so I stayed on a couple of months and helped
haul corn to the neighboring town.

I then had enough money for a bus ticket, and some extra, to enroll in
school at Madison College, Tennessee. I was twenty-four years old and
had not a day of high school. However, connected to the college was a
high school program, which was especially for guys like me, who did
not have the high school years behind them, to get a formal education.

There, at Madison College in 1949, I met Leta, who was finishing her
secretarial course. By that time I knew what I wanted and had
definitely decided to enter the nursing profession. I talked her into
going in training with me after we were married in 1950. Together, we
breezed through our nursing courses and finished in 1954. The next
year we moved to Denver where we both worked in surgery. A resident
doctor form there was looking for some adventurous minded people to
help set up a new hospital in the little town of Orofino, Idaho.

Page 39

It was there, our two beautiful children were born, William Charles in
1958, and Lori Faye in 1959. We were in Idaho five years, of which
time I spent working in surgery, X ray, and the emergency room. I then
had a call to Boulder, Colorado, to work in surgery there. When the
call came from Hinsdale Hospital in southwest Chicago, I accepted as
it was a challenge and a larger hospital where I could get more
experience. We spent twenty years in Hinsdale, which brings us up to
the time of our retirement.

Leta's sister offered us a piece of land at the end of her farm, where
we had our home built on a hillside almost secluded from sight by the
foliage of the many trees in our area. In the fall of the year when
the trees are turning their vivid colors, it is just about like
paradise. In fact, there isn't a season of the year that we don't
enjoy, even the winters.

Well, this is a smattering of my life so far. Since being here in
Wisconsin, my health has not been too good. I am confined to a
wheel-chair most of the time, because of having both hips broken. But
I am still young-at-heart and would love to see all who come to the
reunion. Anyway, a boy can dream, can't he? So until we meet again,
the best of luck to all of you.

With our love and prayers, Bill and Leta Brandemihl

Collie by Daisy Collie McNaney

David Collie, Sr. and a twin brother, Alex, were born September 2,
1884, in Monkton, Scotland. At the age of 25 years, Dave came to
America by boat, and, on to Montana, by train. He worked as a cowboy
for the William Fulton Ranch. In 1914, he became a United States
citizen.

Edna Marshall was born June 14, 1888. At the age of 22 years, she came
to Montana by train from Wisconsin. She filed on a claim on O'Fallon
Creek about 30 miles south of Ismay in 1910. Edna purchased the 10x12
cabin shack. Winters were cold; the light, wind and snow came through
big cracks and holes in the walls. Edna lived at her claim shack seven
months out of the year, working in Ekalaka for the mother of "Smokey"
Speelmon and, in Ismay, for Dave Bickle, Sr., and also for the Fulton
Ranch. While back at the homestead, Edna, with the help of her
neighbors, built a bigger and better house (present home of Alex and
Lois Bucklin Collie).

On May 6, 1915, Edna and David were married in Dave Bickle's living
room in Ismay. They lived on Edna's homestead and raised cattle,
horses, sheep, and pigs -- oh yes and kids, exactly 6 of them. Their
children are Mary (Mrs. Bud MacKay), Daisy (Mrs. Walter McNaney),
David (David and Daisy are twins), Vivian (Mrs. Denzil Kreager-killed
in WW 11, Mrs. Edward Celander), Goldie (Mrs. Frank Sparks), and Alex
(who married Lois Bucklin).

The ranch was small, so they couldn't raise enough cattle to make a
very good living. We raised bums from Fulton's and had about 150.
These sheep sent all of us to high school and to college for those of
us who went. The younger children herded sheep while the older ones
did haying and other jobs.

Page 40

Neighbors of the Collies were Mrs. Nellie Caton, the Sible LaBree's,
William Fulton's, John MacKenzie's, Willian Proctor's, Mireau Brothers
(Charlie, Gene, Mose), and Jim Clellen.

Edna was known for playing practical jokes on her neighbors. One day
as she was riding home, she stopped at a bachelor's homestead. No one
was home, so she went inside. The bachelor had a whole bunch of socks
soaking in a tub, so she proceeded to tie them all in knots and put
them back in the water. Another time as she was going home, she
stopped at Bert Bruce's homestead. He wasn't home either. She went to
the chicken coop, got a sitting-hen, made a nest and put it right
beside his box of matches in the house. Now the fellow was scared of
the dark, so every time he went to reach for a match, the old hen
would cluck. He was so scared, he went to the neighbors and stayed
overnight. The next morning when he returned home, he couldn't believe
what he saw and wondered who would do that (I think he probably knew).

Mary Collie

I was born October 30, 1916, in Ismay, Montana, the daughter of David
and Edna (Marshall) Collie. I lived on O'Fallon Creek for 20 years,
other than the time I was in school. I attended the first grade at the
Mackenzie school which was 4 1/2 miles north of home. Mrs. Mackenzie
was my teacher. The school was located north of the Mackenzie post
office maybe 1/2 mile. The post office was built on the bank of
O'Fallon Creek.

While growing up at home, there were dances at Mose Mireau's and Earl
Collins' barns. Our neighbors on O'Fallon creek were 4 miles south,
Mose, Charley, and Gene Mireau (all were brothers). Southwest was
Sible LaBree and family. Northeast was Mrs.  Deniger and her son, Gene
Caton, and family. Four miles north was the Mackenzie post office.
Northeast about 5 or 6 miles was William Fulton and his big family.

For second, through seventh grade, my mother moved us to Ismay where
we stayed in the winter. During summer time we herded sheep, worked,
or just had fun with. the neighbor kids and attended 4-H gatherings.

I remember one particular incident at our house. We were all playing
hide and seek. Leslie Dean was younger than some of us and had crawled
under a large cardboard box Mama had used for baby turkeys. We found
out he was under there so we got on top and jumped up and down on it.
Well, there was manure and dust in the bottom of that box, and since
it was upside down, it all fell on Leslie. When we hauled him out, he
was coughing and sputtering and his mother had one smelly kid. It's a
wonder he didn't suffocate.

I stayed with my mama's brother and family, the Archie Marshalls,
while attending high school in Plevna where I graduated in 1935. Their
daughter, Mabel Marshall, was my age. I played girls basketball and
helped with Uncle Archie's sheep on the old Saskus place on weekends.
After graduation, I went to Wisconsin to work for the Carl Nears who
had a dairy. I helped milk 15-20 cows, all by hand. I was there for
three months before returning home to keep house and herd sheep for
Dad.

On June 1, 1940, I married Bud MacKay in Baker. Bud was born March 14,
1917, the son of William and Marie Honstain MacKay. After about a year
we came to live here on the Lame Jones where I have lived for 55
years. Our 7 children are listed under Bud MacKay. Bud passed away in
1984.

Page 41

Of all the conveniences time has brought, running water is probably
the best. We didn't have running water and an inside toilet until
1961. Having running water was such a blessing even if only three of
our children were still at home by then.

The following poem was written for Mary MacKay's 80th birthday by her
great niece.

Hard Working Hands by Barbara Owens Klauzer.

Eighty years have passed since the fall of 16, A baby girl was born on
the eve of Halloween. Mary was this girl, the eldest of her clan.  The
Collies continued to grow and live off the land.

Edna & David's coop was full, their brood totaled six: Mary, Daisy,
Davy, Vivian, Goldie, and Alex. They lived south of Ismay, a small
Montana town On O'Fallon Creek. Herd'n sheep these kids could be
found.

There was Sunday church & picnics & lots of community dances. This
family made lots of friends ... like Fultons, LaBrees, and Hanleys.
Then on June 1st, 1940, a bride she became, and started ranching west
of Willard with her husband Bud MacKay.

They started with a house ... two rooms and quite small, But Mary
never complained about any of this at all. Mary was busy as a bee As
seven little MacKays started buzzin' around the tree.

Little Mary is the eldest, then Betty, Jim & John, Carol, Donald, and
Edith were the next to come along. Those hardworking hands stayed busy
milking cows and raising kids, But those hands didn't spank much, no
matter what they did. That "thimble tap" on the head while she
embroidered or sewed, Now that really did smart!

She raised her children wholesome, no frills or fancy lace Just with
hardworking hands and a smile upon her face.  There was no running
water My Gosh!! With 7 kids to raise??? Can't imagine doing that now
in this modern age??

Just an old outhouse to take care of needs And an old coal stove for
heat and cook the meals The years sped by and her chicks left the nest
But Big Mary stayed busy. You know... hardworking hands don't rest!l

Then her kids started having children of their own She's proud of her
13 grandchildren most of who are now grown Like Grandma Some are avid
card players and there'stop notch horse riders And she even has one
that's a World Champion Bullfighter Then there's those 4 great
grandkids, lucky as can be To have a grandma as special as this woman
Big Mary

Nope Just think Now she lives in a modern day house out on the ranch
and still does it all with those hardworking hands She's willing to do
your patchin' Always ready for a game of cards; Whatever she has going
those hands are working hard Whether is be her pickles or her eggs,
there's always some to spare And the chuckle in her throat just waits
to be shared.

Maybe it's a big Sunday dinner You know for a meal has to be made.
Always huge Holiday gatherings and birthdays to celebrate Planting
those big gardens and canning for everyone else That's just "Big
Mary", not thinking of herself. It's just hardworking hands and a
heard of genuine gold Never hearing a complaint always giving in
twofold.

Page 42

Daisy Collie

My parents were David and Edna Marshall Collie. I married Walter
McNaney and our children are Vivian Mefford, Dave McNaney, and Debbie
Burgduff.

There were many good times had in the Lame Jones community and
surrounding areas: 4-H meetings, schoolhouse dances, barn dances,
basket socials, 4th of July celebrations, and picnics. When Ted and
Meleta lived on the Kohn place, they had barn dances there. Mose
Mireau also had many dances at his place on O'Fallon Creek.

Earl Collins who lived next to Callie Bucklins also had dances in his
barn. It wasn't the fanciest of buildings because of the open holes in
the haymow where we danced. One character got to showing off and he
stepped backwards and fell into the hole where the hay was dropped for
the horses to be fed. He found himself in a dark stall with a big
stallion!!

Earl usually had a one-man band, Alfred Cox. He would play until
daylight and, of course, we'd dance that long, too, and hated to hear
"Home Sweet Home", his last music.

The Willard Hall was a great place for dances and gatherings. There
was also a school there, and a store and gas station. Some of the
families who ran the Willard store and post office were Bernard
Martins, John McPhee, Glen Tickers, the Cooks, and Harry and Marion
Fost Hanson. The last ones were the Robertses, then the post office
was moved to the Roddy Rost home.

The one-room rural schools are now a thing of the past with our modern
transportation of better roads and the school bus. The Lame Jones
school house has been moved from its former location to the top of the
hill at the 4 corners road just sout and east of where it sat about 2
miles away. Some of the teachers who taught at the Lame Jones school
were Vivian Fulton Castleberry, Vivian and Mabel Burns, Goldie Sparks,
Dorothy Ashley, Asastasia. Cory, Genevieve Greenlee, Lena Linden, Ella
Litchfield, Bill Loeding, and others.

There were years of hard times, especially for people with large
families. Because of the weather, storms, hail, drought, morman
crickets, and grasshoppers, it was difficult to raise feed for the
cattle and sheep and provide food for the families. We, in Montana,
always hope next year will be better.

Dan Fulton and his father, William Fulton, at one time, were the
largest ranchers in Fallon County. They had several bands of sheep.
Others, also, were among the first settlers and have stayed on Lame
Jones through the generations. G.W. Sparks (better known as Colonel)
and his wife came to the Lame Jones area with all their belongings
from Missouri in 1909. Some of their closest neighbors were Mr. and
Mrs. Amos Greenlee and the Lamberts.

There were also sad times as well as happy days, especially when so
many of the young boys had to answer the call to the colors. Many of
them never returned. To remember a few: George Sparks, Denzil Kreager,
Bucky (Jean) Hanley, and Emil Wasnuk.  But some of them were lucky
enough to come home: Harold Greenlee, Davie Collie, Robert Neumann,
Ernest Sparks, Raymond Fost, Alfred MacKay, George and Jack Hanley,
and Edward Celander.

Page 43

Many of the old neighbors have either passed away or moved to other
parts of the country and new ones have moved in. Some of the old
timers were the Adolph Brandemihls, Julius Kramiicks, Archie
Marshalls, Ray Lymans, Callie Bucklins, Earl Ketchums, Cliff Hanleys,
Frank Neumanns, G.W. Sparkses, Billy MacKays, Art Lindens, Dan
Fultons, Art Hoenkes, Billingsleys, Kuslers, Wasnuks, Schuetzles,
Opps, Rabes, Greenlees Bergstroms, Gorclons, Follmers, and many more.

As for us, in 1949, we (Walt and 1) moved to the William Ollrog place
(better known as the Billy Ike place) and from there we moved to Miles
City. It was a case of where we could get work. From Miles we moved to
Big Horn, Wyoming, then to Cabin Creek, Montana, and on to Colstrip,
then Sarpy Creek, and finally to Hardin, Montana where we haved lived
for the past 10 years. But we return many times a year to visit
friends and relatives in Baker, Plevna, and Ismay. So many changes
have taken place in the last fifty years and I know I have missed a
lot of them but life must go on.

David G. Collie, Jr

I, David G. Collie, and a twin sister, Daisy, were born on July 10,
1918, in Ismay. We were the first twins to be born in the Brackett
Hotel-room 14. I went to school in Ismay through the 4th grade, then
to the MacKenzie school, graduating from the 8th grade. In October
1935, I went to work for Gus Drange and worked there until I was
inducted in the Army in April of 1942. I was sent overseas to
Scotland, England, Africa, Italy, France, and Germany, and then back
to France. I never had one furlough all this time. I was in the
service for 3 1/2 years, being honorably discharged on October 14,
1945.

I returned to Drange's in 1945, working there through 1978. While
working for the Drange's, the days were long: 4 a.m. until 9 p.m.
milking cows, feeding pigs and chickens. All our work was done with
horses. There was no TV, so our entertainment was playing cards or
going to dances at Ismay and Knowlton. Neighbors were Ranum's, Myer's,
Griffin's, and the MacKay & MacKay Ranch. Gus and Jennie Drange passed
away in the 1960's and Art Drange, a nephew, lives on the place now.

I married Donna Smith on July 10, 1977. We moved to Miles City and to
Florida in 1986. 1 came back to Montana in March of 1988 and was
divorced in July of 1988. In 1989, 1 moved to Baker into my mother's
house.

Vivian Collie

I, Vivian Collie, was born July 26, 1919, in Ismay. I went to school
in Ismay through the 4th grade, then to the MacKenzie school through
the 8th grade. I stayed out of school for 2 years, then started high
school in Plevna in the fall of 1936. I stayed with my Aunt and Uncle
Marshall. The next 3 years I went to school in Baker. I played
basketball all 4 years, which I really enjoyed and have been told I
was a very good player. I graduated in 1940.

On June 22, 1940, I married Denzil Kreager. We had 2 girls: June
(Gullison) and Virginia (O'Neill). We had been married 4 years when
Denzil was inducted into the Army on August 18, 1944. On February 18,
1945, he was killed in action crossing the Soarbruken Line from France
into Germany. In 1949, I had his body returned to the U. S. and he is
buried in the Bonneville Cemetery.

Page 44

On April 28, 1962, I married Edward Celander. We had one daughter,
Karen (Byers). All three of my girls are married and have families.
One lives in Dickinson, one lives in Billings, and the other in Baker.
I have 8 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. I still live in my
home in Baker where I have lived since 1946.

One early-day incident comes to mind as I think about the old days.
Mama had a trap line, and did all the trapping, set lines and skinned
the animals. We had to check Mama's trap line and one day there was a
dead coyote in it. So Mary and I decided we would tie the coyote on
the back of the saddle. I held the horse and Mary tied the coyote on.
She had the hind feet tied when the horse got a sniff of that dead
coyote and took off. We ran to the top of the hill chasing after the
horse. Down below was the horse with the coyote hanging off the side
of the daddle running in circles and kicking at that dang coyote. The
horse finally fell down and Mary and I got the coyote untied and
decided to drag it the last quarter of mile home.

Goldie Collie

I, Goldie Edna Collie, was born at home on April 27, 1922. On the day
I was born, my dad had taken a load of wheat to Ismay. Mom brought
100# of flour from upstairs by ladder and her labor started. I was not
due for two weeks. When my dad got back, he hustled right over to get
Mrs. Deniger. And the team was sure glad to have a rest after the long
trip .... and the side trip.

I attended school in Ismay for grades 1 and 2. Third to seventh grades
were in Mackenzie and 8th grade was in Plevna.  Vivian and I batched
and played basketball at Baker High School. After graduation I
attended college in Billings Normal for one year and then went to
teaching. I taught 7 years in rural schools in Fall6n County.

Frank Sparks and I were married in Baker on September 8, 1948. I
taught two years after we were married. All three of our sons were
born in Miles City and were overseen by the same nurse, Mary Kinch. My
children are listed under Frank Sparks. We have 10 grandchildren.

I'm told of several incidents from the early days. When my mother,
Edna, wasn't very experienced, she made biscuits; the biscuits were so
hard 'they nailed them on the shack and they stayed there for years'.

My father's first job when he came here was as camp tender. The first
camp was on a hill off of Spring Creek. He was busy cleaning and when
he threw out the water, he found out that his sheep wagon was right on
a snake den!! There were rattlesnakes all around the wagon tongue.

I remember about the old days. One time, when I was a first-grader,
Freddy Hartman talked me into playing hooky to go fishing with him. We
used a string and a safety pin. Freddy was one of Mrs. Deniger's (also
known as Mrs. Caton) grandchildren. Some of the time, Freddy went to
school at Mackenzie. He caught a wasp and put it on the teacher's
horse's nose. She couldn't catch her horse!! The other Hartman kids
were Bobby, Minnie, and Edith. Kitty (Caton) Hartman was very
artistic. Among the items she made was a bucking horse of a sock and
yarn with a rider who had all the equipment (spurs, chaps).

Page 45

I remember the large two story barn on the Collins place where we went
for barn dances. Instruments ranged from drums and banjos to mouth
organs. Sometimes, there was just a one-man band.

Everson Gunder 0. and Tressie Lee Everson

Gunder and Tressie came to Montana in 1910 from Larchwood, Iowa, and
homesteaded southwest of Willard, neighbors to the Morton family.
There were eight children in the Everson family: Merrill, Clarence,
Theodore, Ray, Francis, Ruby, Florence, and Mae.

Mae married Gunder Gunderson June 25, 1919, and they had six children:
Roy, Raymond, Richard, Lester, Connie, and Francis Mae (Mrs. Ted
Bertsch), and two foster daughters: Pauline (Mrs. John Schmitt) and
Josephine Lee (Mrs. Harley Celander).

Ted Everson continued to live on his folks' homestead.

Fitzsimmons

The Tom Fitzsimmons' married March 16, 1900. They moved from Urbana,
Iowa, in the spring of 1910. Tom came out earlier under the "Homestead
Act" and 'squatted' on 1/2 section of land and built a one room shack
(11 2x2O). He then returned and came out by emigrant train to Ismay
with the family possessions - 3 head of horses, 2 milk cows, chickens,
and furniture. He rode the caboose of the train.

A few days later the wife, Carol, and children, Helen, Mildred, and
Max, came by passenger train. Orvien and Cecil were born on the
homestead.

They went by wagon to their new home, 30 miles south. It took 2 days
for them to 'trail the 2 cows and the old horse, Charlie'. Coming from
Iowa state, they really thought "wild west" as they saw several herds
of antelope, some jack rabbits, and sage hens. Hearing coyotes howl at
night while they were camped out in the tent scared them, but the kids
felt safe with "Pa" in the tent with them.

Aunt Mildred Lamb (Sutton) and brother, Merle, came later and filed on
the other half of section 12. - Tom and Carol Fitzsimmons moved back
to Ohio in 1935. Rainfall was scarce and it was hard to feed a family
and livestock in those days.

Mildred married Virgil Moline in 1936. Elwood McLeod married Maybelle
M. Sutton on May 25, 1923, at the Ray and Mildred Sutton home. Two
sons were born: Jerry Ray and Donald Ray. Elwood and Maybelle moved to
the Sutton place when Ray Sutton's health failed. They lived there
until the place was sold. Sutton's moved to Oregon in 1951 and the
McLeods went west to join them. Maybelle and Elwood said, "We like
Oregon very much, but we still yearn for'The Big Sky Country'."

Page 46

Foster By Faye Greenlee Gaskin

Doctor Homer C. (H.C.) and Sally Foster were from Ohio and lived about
1/2 mile from us on the place homesteaded by my grandfather's brother,
"Uncle" Tom Sparks. What I relate here are based on my memories as
about a six year old so if they are somewhat distorted, that's why.

Mrs. Foster was a tiny lady with busy hands and a huge heart. She
never seemed to stop moving. H.C. Foster, by contrast, was a large
lumbering sort of a man. They lived in an immaculate 3-room house. One
room was where Doc kept all of his dental equipment. (My parents had
this rule wherever we went: we were allowed to look, but never to
touch. If you were tempted, clasp your hands behind your back -- you
'oldertimers' will probably remember lots of times when we broke this
rule.)

Anyway, back to the room. This is how I remember it. Most of the room
was occupied by the largest black dental chair imaginable. Then, were
the tools, gobs of them, all shiny metal and of every shape possible.
Some were huge and others were small; some had no handles, with both
ends pointed or hooked. Last, were an assortment of white enamel tubs
of every size and shape conceivable, all with flat lids so that they
could be stacked. I imagined that the tubs held all sorts of teeth,
real and false, and maybe even parts of jaws!!

I think my Dad must have checked on Fosters or helped them a lot
because it seems we stopped often. Doc liked kids. Larry tells of a
time when we stopped near suppertime and the Fosters were eating store
bought bologna, grapefruit, and toast. We kids ate all of their
bologna!

Bee remembers Doc coming to the mailbox which was by the Red Hill
Schoolhouse. He got his mail in an old black Chevy pickup and when he
backed up, he floorboarded it. The gravel and dust really flew!

This is how Bee remembers the night Doc passed away. "Uncle Ernest had
been staying with him. Ernest came down to our house after dark-6 or
7- all excited, and told Mom to call the doctor and, I understood, the
'corner'. The only ‘corner' I knew about was the 'Corner Bar'; I
couldn't figure out why they should be called!! Finally, Mom told me
she said 'coroner' and who the coroner was."

My Dad and Uncle Ernest leased the Foster place in the early fifties.
We can all remember the Indian 'ceremonial' rings on section 19 or 24
but when we returned there a few years ago, we could not find them.

Fulton

William F. Fulton was born July 30 ' 1870, at Beth Aryshire, Scotland.
One of 11 children, he was the only one to come to the United States
to live. He worked in various places before working for the Mackay's
of Mount Correll, Illinois. Duncan Mackay had an interest in a ranch
on the Milk Creek and William came to the Mackay ranch in February of
1890. He worked for wages and was paid $45.00 a month (Montana was
then one of the best wage states in the Union). In Illinois,
Williams's first wages as a farmhand were $12.00 a month. William
saved his money and within several years, bought interest in the
ranch. Duncan Mackay sold his interest to a brother, Dan, and the
outfit was then known as the Mackay-Fulton Ranch. They ran both sheep
and cattle. This partnership continued until 1928 when the owners
divided and each continued in the ranching business.

Page 47

William married Bertha Fluss in Miner, Illinois, on June 25, 1903.
They lived in the same location on Milk Creek. He was an organizer and
stockholder in the First National Bank at Ismay and the Baker State
Bank. William was a contributor to the pioneer telephone line from
Miles City to Ekalaka, to the creamery and grain elevator in Ismay and
subscribed to the first wool house built in Miles City and was a
member of the Elk's Lodge there.

William died May 1, 1929. His wife and oldest son, Dan, continued with
the ranch operation until they sold out in the 1950's.

Bertha (Fluss) Fulton and Carrie Fluss (Mrs, David Bickle, Sr.) were
sisters.

Eight children were born to William and Bertha Fulton: Vivian L. (Mrs.
Lee Castleberry), Helen (Mrs. Bob Askin), William Jr., Mary M. (Mrs.
Warren St. John), Danial A., L. Louise (Mrs. Frank Bun Castleberry,
Mrs. Joe Riley), Robert B., and Frank.

Greenlee by Genevieve Greenlee Leischner

My father, Amos McPherson Greenlee, was born at Cummings, Kansas, on
December 20, 1872. His parents, James and Mary Lambert Greenlee had
homesteaded in Kansas where they raised livestock and ran a farm. As a
boy, my father shucked a lot of corn and was the Champion Corn Husker
in Kansas. He got his schooling at Cummings, Kansas, and could have
taught school, but he preferred becoming a farmer and rancher.

Father first came to this part of the country in 1910, after working
in Kansas and Colorado for a time. He was thirty-eight. He arrived on
the train and settled southwest of Baker in the Lame Jones Community.
He worked for Amos and Reuben and Johnny 'Kid' Lambert. He told of
breaking up sod to plant 100 acres of flax in the spring of 1911 for
Johnny Kid. He filed his own homestead claim in 1913. My father and my
mother, Helen Ethel Molstad, were married at Miles City, Montana, on
May 19, 1914. In 1917, Amos and Helen sold out by auction and moved
back to Kansas for about a year. In 1944, they sold the farm to son
Vernon.

My mother was the daughter of Edward and Wilhelmina Thompson Molstad,
who lived at Fosston, Minnesota, at the time of her birth on September
22, 1894. In 1910, when she was sixteen years old, she came to Montana
with her folks. They came by railroad train and took claim on land in
the Webster Community close to the Traweek Ranch. Mother had received
her education in Minnesota, so after coming to Montana she worked on
the homestead with her folks and later, when she was a little older,
worked for Johnny "Kid" Lambert.

Page 48

After their marriage, the young couple continued living on my father's
homestead. They reared all their children on the ranch. There were
three of us Harold LeRoy, Vernon Lawrence, and myself, Genevieve
Wilhelmina Greenlee Leischner. Arlene Sidney Molstad Kope, my cousin,
also lived and grew up with us. Her mother had died when she was just
a little baby, so my folks took her in as a member of our family. Jim
and Ronnie Molstad, Arlene's brothers, lived with us for awhile, too.
Later Jim went to live with Uncle Bill and Aunt Alice Lambert. Ronnie
lived with us until he was out of the 8th grade and then he lived with
his Grandpa Finch and later lived with his father Roy Molstad.

Mother was a good housewife and mother. In season, Mother always had
fresh flowers and a tablecloth on the table. She enjoyed going to
church services in the country school and belonged to a Mission Circle
in the 1930's.

Mother passed away August 19,1972, after a lingering illness. She was
a wonderful homemaker and a good neighbor back when they lived in the
country and later when they lived in Baker. While my parents lived on
the farm, mother raised turkeys and milked cows to help earn the
living. She used to tell how during the depression the grasshoppers
came in clouds, and how poison was put out to kill the grasshoppers.
Her turkeys ate the poisoned grasshoppers and she lost her whole flock
of turkeys. During Mother's years in Baker, she was always sewing on
quilts, embroidering, knitting, tatting and crocheting. She was always
willing to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever needed by family
or neighbors. She believed in the old adage "A friend in need is a
friend indeed."

My father, Amos Greenlee, was probably one of the oldest "Old Timers"
ever to live in Baker. He was active up until he was 97 years old when
he suffered a third stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side.
Up until that time he walked to the post office every day to get his
mail. In his later years he was a gardener. His garden and flowers
made their home the showplace of the neighborhood. Although he was
handicapped by poor hearing, his eyesight was good and he was an avid
reader until that third stroke. Amos was well known and liked by
everyone. He passed away in April, 1973, at the age of 100 years,
three months.

The Greenlees had eight grandchildren.

Harold LeRoy Greenlee was the first son born to Amos McPherson and
Helen Ethel Molstad Greenlee on January 18, 1915, at the homestead
south of Plevna. Harold died of a heart attack November 14, 1966, and
is buried at the Bonnievale Cemetery in Baker.

Harold went to the Red Hill School for his education. He worked on the
NYA (National Youth Association). Genevieve, his sister, was in high
school in Baker when Harold went to live with the Ted Schuetzle's. He
left for the service on January 5, 1942, and served in the Army in
World War 11. He received high ranking in the Army as an airplane
mechanic.

Harold never married. He collected stamps and model airplanes. A true
mechanic, he also loved to square dance and liked to cook. Harold had
a love for cats, one of which would ride on his shoulders back and
forth to do the milking. He loved to garden, usually had strawberries
or other items to share. His flowers were wonderful. He was also good
at building things. At one time he had a pet deer.

Page 49

Harold was a good story teller and had a good sense of humor. He was a
practical jokster beyond the ordinary. I remember seeing tiny rocks on
the kitchen floor but when you stepped on them they went off like
firecrackers! One time after an arduous diet, he called Meleta to the
bathroom scale--it was off its upper end. He had stuffed not 1, but 2
sacks of oyster shell in the front of his bibs!! He loved his nieces
and nephews and was good with children.

A helpful neighbor, Harold was also the local overseer of the Ground
Observers of the Civil Air Patrol during the 1950's. This was a
surveillance for the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air
Force. Those involved were the Billingsleys, Bud MacKays, Raymond
Fosts, Harry Hansons, Bucklins, Rabes, Schuetzles, Frank Sparks',
Hanleys, Neumanns, Mackay and Mackay Ranch, and the Fulton Ranch.

Vernon Laurence Greenlee
 
Vernon Laurence Greenlee was the second child born to Amos M. and
Helen Molstad Greenlee on May 26, 1919, on the family homestead.
Vernon died January 27, 1976, of a heart attack.

Vernon attended school at Red Hill through the 8th grade. One of his
teachers was Stacia Whalen Corey. Vernon and Genevieve would ride a
horse named "Esther" to the Red Hill School when it was south of its
last location. Often, they would get in the lane by Doc Foster's-she
would shy and off they would go. There were several families who
attended the Red Hill School, including the Treweeks.

Vernon worked with horses and dogs. He made a harness for his dog and
it pulled a wagon for him.

He worked in the CCC in the late thirties and early forties. There, he
was stationed in Washington, Oregon, and at Thompson Falls, MT. They
worked alot with fire-fighting. He told of one time taking strips of
handkerchief and tying wire which they would let hang over the water
in a river and the trout would bite them. He loved to kid us kids
about who would be the 'truck-driver' and who would be the 'dragline
operator' on our projects. He said everyone in CCC camps wanted to be
the 'truck driver' (wheel barrow pusher) and the 'dragline (spade)
operator'. After the first time, though, there weren't so many suckers
for those jobs. It didn't seem like we had that choice of jobs!!

On October 10, 1940, he married Lillie Pearl Sparks at Baker, MT.

He liked to hunt and play cards, was an avid reader of western
history, and had a great sense of humor. He and Glen and Harold would
dance around the stove at Schuetzle's to celebrate the new yea r. He
adored children. He would kid his grandchildren when they'd get in his
lap, "What's the matter--did your chair get too hard?"

I can never remember Vernon saying anything bad about any person.
Known for being quiet, he loved to visit with people.  He liked being
an "observer" of people. He liked good food and was a great cook. I
still try to make gravy half as good as his was.

Page 50

He liked to work, but he didn't consider himself 'a hand',
mechanically, with livestock, or otherwise. He helped with any job, in
or out of the house and made the work interesting.

He was Secretary for the Red Buttes Cooperative State Grazing District
for many years.

Vernon kept good livestock records and was calm around animals. He
thought good horses and good dogs were good because they were used. He
was not fond of long-haired or white cats.

Vernon was an excellent steward of the land. If you hunted with him,
you'd better be prepared to ride horseback or walk - miles, or sit for
hours, waiting. And, you'd have a hunting plan. He refused to post any
land for hunting because he believed everyone had a right to hunt
public game, even on private land. He watched the pastures and
wildlife, and didn't overgraze, or hunt, if the numbers were down.

Their children:

•Lawrence 'Larry' Sparks born November 14, 1941, in Baker, MT. He
married Erna Buerkle on April 12, 1964 at Plevna. They have three
sons: Larry, John, and Jeff.

• Bernettie 'Bee' Helen born December 14, 1943, in Baker, MT. She
married Kerry Irvin Burns at Red Lodge, MT on March 5, 1966. She is
divorced. She has a son, Robert, and a daughter, Kara.

• Georgiana 'Faye' born April 6, 1946 in Baker, MT. She married Gerald
'Jerry' Gaskin at Moorcroft, WY, on August 23, 1976.  They have a son,
Justin.

• Lucy Jane born December 22, 1947, in Baker, MT. She married Richard
'Red' Lovec on January 15, 1972, at Baker. Their children are Laria,
Roxanne, and Lane.

•Nancy Dee born January 26, 1950, in Miles City, MT. She married
Arthur Lee 'Tyke' Curry on November 25, 1969, at St.  Anthony, ID.
They have a daughter, Janelle.

Genevieve 'Gene' Greenlee Leischner- I grew up in the Red Hill and
Lame Jones community. I attended Red Hill School until my sixth grade
when the school closed. I attended school in Baker and graduated from
Baker High School in 1943.

I have fond memories of growing u p. Memories of riding horseback to
Lame Jones and Milk Creek Schools for 4-H meetings. Sometimes there
would be card parties for the community in the school. I especially
remember one particular party at Lame Jones in the early 1940's. It
was winter time and my folks and brothers, Harold and Vernon, pushed
more than we rode in the old Model A Ford to get to a Valentine party
at the school.

After graduating from high school, I attended college in Billings and
taught that first year at Lame Jones School. World War 11 was on and
there was a teacher shortage. By attending summer school, I could
teach on a permit. I taught three years at the Tonquin School and one
year at Snowy Basin. After I married, I taught 5th and 6th grade in
Plevna until 1948. I married Isadore 'Izzy' Leischner in 1948. As our
family was growing up, I substitute taught and later taught
kindergarten for eight years.

Page 51

I've always enjoyed working with children. I have been a Den Mother in
Cub Scouts, 4-H leader, Sunday School Teacher and was a baby sitter
for 13 years for Steve and Jan Stickney's four children while Jan
taught.

Izzy and I had three children:

• Clyde, who married Kathy Buerkle, has two sons Brent and Aaron.

• Cheryl, who married Martin Draper, has two sons, Kelly and Kory, and
is now divorced.

• John, who married Joyce Coddington, has a daughter, Timbr, and a
son, Ranger.

My husband passed away in December of 1987 of cancer. I still make my
home in Plevna.

Lawrence (Larry) Spark,, Greenlee, the first child of Vernon L. and
Pearl Sparks Greenlee, was born in Baker, Montana, on November 14,
1941. He married Erna Buerkle (born May 7, 1945, at Wassec Mungenau,
Germany) on April 12, 1964.

Larry attended the Red Hill School through the 8th grade. He stayed at
Grandpa and Grandma Greenlee's during school until his sister Bee
started high school at which time they rented an apartment. He
graduated from Baker High School in 1960. Larry worked at the grain
elevator and on oil wells right after graduating. Eventually, he
worked a trucking business in Baker, Plentywood, and back in Baker.
After selling that business he now does custom farming.

Larry remembers get-together with other schools where playing baseball
was one of the favorite games because the parents got involved too.
Larry's teachers at the Red Hill School were Carolyn (Mrs. Virgil)
Abbot, Hulda Olin, Mrs. Ruby Gillard, Miss Mildred Johnson, Mamie
Honstain, Mrs. Patricia Horton, Mrs. Magdalene O'Connor, Mrs. Bernice
Talevson, Alvin Schuetzle, Mrs. Jerry Smeltzer, and Mrs. Anna Peck.

When Larry was about 2 years old, his mom and dad went to milk. He
woke up from a nap and walked to Fosters, crying.

Grandpa Greenlee told of a couple of Indian ladies who taveled through
the 'gap' on the Foster place every year going southeast to the Black
Hills.

During the prohibition, Grandpa, Harold and Vernon, told of having a
still in the old log shop. They would take their moonshine to Willard
before the dance and hide it. Of course, they would have to wait until
it got dark before they could go 'find' their hooch!!

Grandpa also told of having several acres of good watermelons one
year. Someone else thought they were good, too, and he got raided. He
happened to go to one of the neighbors one day a while later and all
of the kids were in the barn eating watermelon.

Larry and Erna have three boys: Larry Allen, John, and Jeff. All
graduated from Baker High School. Jeff was a member of the Livestock
Judging Team at Casper College.

Page 52

I, Bernettie Helen Greenlee Burns, was born December 14, 1943, the
second of Vernon and Pearl Greenlee's five children. I was named after
my grandmothers: Bernetta Sparks and Helen Greenlee, but have been
called 'Bee' by my relatives and friends as long as I can remember
(except when my Dad called me Bernettied knew I was in trouble then!).

I attended Red Hill School for eight years, then attended Baker High
School for four years, graduating in 1961. 1 went to college at
Eastern Montana College in Billings for one year. I ran out of money
so I worked at Ben Franklin's in Baker for one year and then returned
to Eastern, graduating in June 1966, with a degree in Secondary
Education with endorsements in Business and Library Science.

In March, 1966, I married Kerry Burns of Red Lodge, Montana. Robert
MacPhearson Burns was born April 28, 1967, in Roundup. Kara Kay Burns
was born May 13, 1969, in Columbus, Montana.

Between 1966 and 1976, we lived in various parts of Montana, Wyoming,
Missouri, and Wisconsin, where Kerry either taught school or went to
graduate school. I held positions such as Junior High English and
typing, 3rd and 4th grade science, library aide and Avon salesperson.

In 1976, Kerry and I were divorced. Robert, Kara, and I returned home
to Baker. I went to work part-time as a Library Aide in 1977 and
became Librarian in 1978. I held this position until 1991.

Robert graduated from Baker High School in 1985 and graduated from
Grinnell, Iowa in 1989 with a degree in Chemistry and has been working
towards his Doctorate at Utah State University.

Kara graduated from Baker High School in 1987 and from Luther College
in Decorah, Iowa, in 1991 with a Bachelor's Degree in History and
English. She joined the Peace Corps in 1991 and was assigned to Turek,
Poland, where she teaches English.

Memories of my early days include the cloth doll my first grade
teacher made and stuffed with newspaper. (That doll is now in the
local museum.) This same teacher tried to teach us how to play the
piano using a board with the keys painted on.

Recently while sorting Mom's possessions, my sisters found the
hospital bill for my birth-about $43.00, and in those days, both
mother and baby usually stayed in the hospital ten days.

I faintly remember when the Lame Jones School house was moved from
"down by the creek" to the present location.

Other memories include the annual Christmas dinners at our place and
the New Year's Day dinners at the Schuetzle's. The men ate first, the
kids had a separate table and the women ate last and then did the
dishes while the men played cards.

I will never forget the annual school Christmas programs. Usually us
girls wore "overalls" to school everyday, but for the program we wore
dresses and those long, ugly brown stockings. The other girls at
school got to wear long 'white' stockings, but we didn't because they
were "too hard to keep clean".

Page 53

I remember riding horseback to school, One time in the early fifties,
the snow was very deep and very hard. Larry and I were riding double
on our Shetland pony, Jumbo. He couldn't quite make it over a drift -
and we slid right off his backside. Jumbo was a very dedicated
servant. He rarely left the trail between the schoolhouse and the barn
each morning and evening. Years later, you could still see the
remnants of the trail.

I can remember many cold rides home in the winter, and frozen faces.
We didn't have 'chill factor' in those days, so we really didn't know
how cold we really were.

Memories by Faye Greenlee Gaskin

Living in the Lame Jones Community brings a flood of memories-I'll try
to record some of them here.

I can't imagine not being influenced by my grandparents -Greenlee and
Sparks. I truly believe that all these pioneers of the community lived
by Life's Clock. I remember this poem among the numerous poems, songs,
and rhymes, told us by Grandma Sparks and Uncle Ernest. I write this
one as she recited it for me to copy sometime in the late 1960's (and,
of course, I wish I had written down others):

LIFE'S CLOCK (author unknown to me)

The clock of life is wound but once, And no man has the power To tell
just where the hands will stop, At late or early hour. To lose one's
wealth is sad indeed, To lose one's health is more, To lose one's soul
is such a loss As no man can restore. The present only is our own.
Live, love, toil, with a will. Place no faith in "Tomorrow", For the
clock may then be still.

We girls would often be recruited to help hoe Grandma's garden. We
would pile the hoes and buckets into the old green Ford coupe and she
would floorboard it in the same gear up over the hill to her garden.
At their brandings was the first I can remember pop (soda). She would
buy a variety of the bottles in the metal six-pack carriers and we
each got to choose our own flavor.

Grandma had plenty to say and lived by her own code: she refused to
have the road to their house graded (it would change the terrain too
much and be too permanent). Yet, the very first I knew of the new
disposable dishrags, such as Handi-Wipes, was through her. "Faye," she
said, "these are the best inventions ever -they last, yet they dry
quickly and don't sour." She was in awe over the new plastics and
improved baby clothes She taught us how to clean wheat quickly to
grind in the coffee mill, how to clean and cook chicken's feet, and
how to judge wear on clothing to be cut up for quilts. What I remember
most about Grandma was standing over the hot woodstove, making soap. 
Here is the recipe she once sent at my request (you can tell she knew
I knew nothing about it!). These are the exact directions.

GRANDMA SPARKS'HOMEMADE SOAP

1 1 pound can of lye 1 gallon water, use rain water if you have it,
otherwise well water will do about 5 pounds rinds, lard cracklings,
other grease Don't use salt or salt rinds or the reaction won't
happen. If your lard cracklings get a dark brown and make your soap a
dark color, that will not darken white clothes.

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Put this in a tub (wooden tub is best, then stone, then iron), stir to
dissolve. Let this stand for a couple of weeks, stirring often. To
cook the soap, put it all in an old wash boiler, start your fire and
get it cooking slowly for two hours, stirring some. Do not add any
water until the mass is uniform. Then add rainwater until the soap is
the consistency of good, thick honey and your soap is done. I use an
oiled cloth to line a wooden box, but you can use oiled paper, too.
Pour into the box. Cover the box to prevent too rapid loss of heat and
set it to cool. Do not let fresh soap freeze. Before the soap becomes
hard, mark into pieces. After one or two days, take the soap out of
the box and break it or cut it into pieces. Pile these pieces so air
can circulate and set in a good place to dry for a month or so.

Grandma Sparks used one soapcake, about the size of Ivory, for one
washing machine full of clothes. Sometimes, she made the soap in the
spring and added scents, such as wild rose petals (with borax and
ammonia, I think). Unfortunately, I never got her directions for that.

In contrast to Grandma Sparks' verbosity, Grandpa Sparks was very
quiet. It seemed that he was always working with cattle, sheep or
horses. In the summer, they would take us to the drive-in to see
movies such as "Ma and Pa Kettle". We loved those occasions.
Frequently, they were also drafted by my parents to take us to 4-H
events. One such occasion is memorable. We were all to meet at Raymond
and Jessie Fost's place to drive in caravan to Medora for a picnic and
to "see the sights". Well, as often happened, Grandma and Grandpa were
running late. When we got to Fost's, it didn't appear, from the
highway, that any cars were there. So Grandma said, "Step on it, Dad."
He did. We were in Medora for about two hours before the caravan
showed up.

I remember several things about Grandma Greenlee. Mostly, she got
after me for being such a tomboy. But I really loved the apple snowmen
she would make each of us at Christmastime.

APPLE SNOWMAN 1 large red apple 9 (or 5) large marshmallows 6
toothpicks red and blue food color Push 5 of the toothpicks into the
apple for the head, arms, and legs of the snowman. Onto the
toothpicks, place the marshmallows.  Smaller apples look better with 1
marshmallow for each limb; large apples need 2 marshmallows. Use the
remaining toothpick and the food coloring to draw blue eyes and a red
mouth on the last marshmallow and place it in position for the head.

Grandma's beet pickles are the best in the world:

GRANDMA GREENLEE'S BEET PICKLES 1 C. sugar 1 C. water 1 C. vinegar 1
t. cloves, whole 1 t. allspice 1 t. cinnamon spices may be varied for
preference (can substitute pickling spice and horseradish) Boil beets
Just until the skins slip. Peel and place in the above liquid and
bring to a boil. Seal in sterile jars. (This is for a 2 quart jar.)

Grandma and Grandpa had a large garden and beautiful flowers. In the
fall, Grandpa Greenlee usually spent some time with us. If we had
corn, he helped pick, and he usually took time to hunt. He hunted
grouse, pheasants, and ducks; sometimes one of us would get to go
along. This was an event to fight over! He never did drive, so it
always meant a long hike, but worth it for the lucky person who got to
go. It was our responsibility to carry the game and to float the ducks
to the edge if they landed in the water. He didn't take the dog. (if
you hunted birds with my dad, you nearly always took the dog to
retrieve.) Grandpa whittled wood as he sat visiting. He made each of
us a beautiful basket from filbert shells.

Page 55

Other than my grandparent remembrances, I recall several other
memories. In terms of seasons, summer was the busiest for us.  In
earlier days, Bee and I had the job of shocking grain. This meant
following the binder in the grainfield and standing two bundles of
grain upright so that they would support each other. We then placed 5
more bundles around and on top of those to make a cone-shaped
arrangement which would cure the grain but shed water if it rained.
Then later it was really busy when the thrashers came -- we had to
cook for the thrashing crew. We girls also had the job of picking
potato bugs and hoeing spuds and melons. We frequently would go
fishing on Sundays. Each summer, Dad would cut us a new willow or ash
pole for us to tie our string, hook and bobber on. We returned home in
late afternoon to skin and clean the bullheads. As I got older,haying
became my favorite summertime task. The smell of newly mown or curing
hay is irresistible. Little is so satisfying as having gotten a field
of hay in the stack without it getting wet.

Of course, there were things we did that bought to light the "empty
space between our ears", as Dad would say. Here is a one spectator
sport. The recipe: We milked about 12 cows so there were at least 6
large calves (my mother liked Brown Swiss) in the summertime. Take all
the calves, and a bull or dry cow, if present, and put them in the
small pen. The bull and cow and small calves take up space and make a
tighter fit. You need all the kids and enough 'bull' ropes for each
kid, minus 1 (I'll explain why in a minute). Place the ropes on the
largest calves and put one kid on each, that's why it's good to have a
tight fit. The remaining kid, the spectator, is responsible for
swinging the gate open and watching the show. The volcanic reaction
spewed kids and cattle everywhere. I don't think any of us lasted more
than two jumps out the gate, and I wonder how we weren't hurt, with
being stepped on, knees bruised, dunked on the ground, and all.

Before the grazing district was fenced, gathering cattle was quite a
job and a long day, but it usually was rewarding. We would start our
circle at the Enberg place, counter clockwise to Wagners, Saskus, and
the Ash Creek corrals, then to the Drews place. One time, we were
gathering yearlings for Sparkses and us, and for some reason, Bud
MacKay. On this particular day, we had quite a little 'gather' when we
got to the north side of the divide. At that time, the road still
curved around to the east of the present route. At the base of the
divide we started the yearlings up the road where it was pretty steep
up on one side and a big drop off on the other. After we had a pretty
good start, a big ol' dust cloud formed ahead of us. Things were still
good. About that time, though, the dust settled and a car emerged. The
ol' boy inside picked that time to lay on his horn. Yearlings left and
in a hurry straight up and down, and in every direction. We had some
pretty tired critters: kids, ponies, and cattle when we got the bunch
collected together, again,quite a long time later.

Page 56

When fall came, we were off to school again. Getting 'to school
involved riding horseback each way. The horses were tied in the school
barn each morning until school was out for the day. In the very
coldest weather, Dad would meet us with the pickup and we would turn
the horses loose at the top of the last hill to go home by themselves.
Sometimes, he would meet us at the schoolhouse. We girls got to ride
home in the pickup while Larry rode to the last hill by the gate. Then
he could, again, turn all the horses loose.

Fall after-school jobs sometimes involved feeding melons to the pigs.
All the melons were picked, the best were buried in the south side of
a haystack, the rest loaded into the old wooden grainwagon. In
addition to other chores, it was our job to break some melons open and
throw them over the fence for the hogs. If the melon looked good, one
could eat out the heart before tossing it.

On Wednesdays, we could go to Ted and Meleta's after school to watch
Rin Tin Tin or Lassie on the only television in the community. That
also meant we got in on Meleta's great cooking.

The big event of the winter was always the. Christmas program. The
teacher chose skits, plays, and poems for the kids to perform. After
much practicing, the big night would finally arrive. I remember one
embarrassing occasion. As a first-grader, I had practiced diligently
to memorize the poem Mrs. Honstain selected for me. Finally there I
was, "onstage". The poem was something about ... Santa being
'unaware'.... In my effort to enunciate everything correctly, I
changed ‘unaware' to 'underwear' which brought down the house! Only I
didn't understand my mistake.

Winters were spent sledding and tobogganing. If the snow was really
good we could go to the top of the hill west of the house. It would be
a good run with the climax of a drop-off at the cutbank into the
creek. If the snow was too soft for sledding, we could pull the
toboggan behind a saddled horse; Fox was the best for this. Later a
favorite winter pastime was jackrabbit hunting. Dad's condition for
this was that we'd pay for our ammo and the gas by selling the
rabbits.

For several years, my mother threw a big 'whole hog' birthday party in
January as there were many members of the community who had birthdays
in December and January. She would instruct Dad to pick out the 'lucky
feeder pig' for this occasion which he would diligently do.
Invariably, upon her inspection, his choice would be 'too small'.
Without any comment (maybe a big wink), he would dispatch her choice
and dress it only for her to find that it would not fit whole into the
oven.

My parents were determined that we should have lots of 'experiences',
especially food. We ate raccoon, porcupine, turtle, but never
rattlesnake.

My favorite time of the year was spring because of the birth of all
the young animals and the new growth of plants. Page 57

We were free to use our spare time riding and, in general, we were
free to ride anywhere, with one exception. Lame Jones Creek was to be
crossed in only two places because it was known for being boggy. I've
never known if that was just cautionary, but it worked for us. We
could cross above the Smithy Hole and above the Old Lambert Barn.
Moving baby calves was a challenge because of that crossing at the
Smithy Hole.

I owe immense gratitude to Babe Billingsley and Uncle Ernest Sparks
for their dedication to our 4-H Club for so many years.  Our community
of friends and relatives shaped my future and my interests.

Personal History

We attended the Red Hill School through the eighth grade. Then we kids
lived in apartments in Baker for our high school years. After
graduating in 1964, 1 attended college in Bozeman, getting a degree in
General Studies in 1968 and returned in the fall to receive my
teaching endorsement. I have a Master of Science in Natural Science
from the University of Wyoming. I've taught sciences in Bozeman and
Cut Bank, Montana, and Gillette, Wyoming, where I now teach junior
high science, and have been involved in the science curriculum, and
teaching adult classes for UW and Sheridan College.

It was in Gillette that I met my husband, Jerry Gaskin, who is a
social studies teacher. A graduate of Black Hills State, Jerry
formerly worked in the gold mine in Lead, South Dakota, and taught in
Waubay and Kennebec, South Dakota. We live near Moorcroft, Wyoming. We
have a son, Justin.

I still love plants and animals. I have a horse broke to buggy and
sleigh and spend time in our hobby greenhouse.

Lucy Jane Greenlee Lovec

• Born December 22, 1947 in Baker, Montana • Parents: Vernon L. and
Lillie Pearl Sparks Greenlee • Married Richard (Red) Frederic Lovec on
January 15, 1972 • Children: Laria Joy, born 12-281975 in Butte,
Montana Roxanne Jill, born 1-29-1978 in Sidney, Montana Lane Lavern,
born 3-9-1982 in Sidney, Montana

I grew up on my parents farm west of Willard. Our main social activity
was the Red Butte Ramblers 4-H Club, where we raised and fattened
steers as a way to help finance our college education. My uncle,
Ernest Sparks and neighbor, Babe Billingsley were our leaders.

I graduated from the 8th grade at the Red Hill Rural School in 1961
and from Baker High School in 1965.I attended Montana State University
in Bozeman, and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Home
Economics in 1969. During high school and college I had a summer job
at the Fallon Agricultural Stabilization	and Conservation Service in
Baker. I boarded with Mrs. Edna Collie and Mrs. Daisy Barkley.

After college graduation I was employed by the Montana Cooperative
Extension Service as a Home Economist for 2 1/2 years. I trained in
Dawson County before transferring to Lake County at Ronan, Montana. I
married Red while he was County Agricultural Agent with the Extension
Service in Livingston, MT. We spent 2 1/2 years there before moving to
Philipsburg in July 1974. In 1977, we moved to Sidney. Red is the MSU
County Agricultural Agent for Richland County. Currently, I am a
full-time homemaker with sewing and the children's 4-H activities
taking priority. I am the publisher of the Montana Home Economics
Association Newsletter and teach adult education classes periodically.

Page 58

Some of my best memories of growing up in the Lame Jones neighborhood
were of holiday celebrations. Thanksgiving would be hosted by one of
several aunts and uncles. Christmas was always at our house with
families and grandparents from both sides of the family attending. New
Year's Day was always at Ted and Meleta Schuetzle's for a
community-wide celebration. Every family had its delegated 'chore
hands' to go home to do evening chores, while the rest of the family
stayed on to visit. On those nights the cows got milked in a hurry.

One of our family oriented activities in the fall was raccoon hunting
at night. We would seek out a corn field and use a spot-light to find
them, as they were not well appreciated for their destruction of the
corn crop. As it got colder and the rabbits turned white, we would
hunt them to sell for their fur. In fact, my parents went rabbit
hunting the night before I was born.

The fifth child born to Vernon L. and Pearl Sparks Greenlee, I, Nancy
Greenlee Curry, was born January 26, 1950, by cesarean section in
Miles City. I talked Mom and Dad into letting me go to school before
my age was up, so I graduated a year younger than most everyone else.
I went to Red Hill School through the sixth grade. Lucy (my sister)
and I were the only students that year, but she graduated from eight
grade, so the next year (my seventh grade) I had to go to Baker to
school. We were the last to attend Red Hill School.

Teachers in order: Mrs. Anna Peck, Mrs. Mamie Honstain (second-fifth
grade), Mrs. Shirley Evans, Mrs. Jean Cameron, and Mrs. Ethel Hanley,
all at Red Hill School.

While a fifth grader, my two sisters and myself were shocked by the
death during school time of our teacher, Mrs. Honstain.  The telephone
was 'out' that day. Eventually we flagged down the REA crew who were
working in the area.

Several evenings a week we would turn on the radio to a certain
station and listen to Fibber McGee and Molly. That was quite an event
of the week.

I recall the card parties, dances and especially the plays put on at
the Willard Hall. We often raised bum lambs which we got from the
Fulton Ranch. In exchange, Dad helped them with branding and docking.
We rode horses to school -- sometimes when a fox jumped out we gave
chase. Once, we went on a camping excursion with Aunt Goldie.

Grandpa Sparks always told of having turtle soup back in Oklahoma and
Missouri. One day while riding, the guys returned with a big snapping
turtle from the Smithy Hole. Mom commenced to make Grandpa his
longed-for turtle soup.

I remember that Grandma Greenlee was a very good cook and, in the
summer, you would always find her canning up something from Grandpa's
and her garden.

Page 59

Probably the thing I was most proud of was the little Brown Swiss
heifer that I bought with my own money from Alvis Tollesrud's dairy
herd at Rhame. I won many blue ribbons on her at the fair. Later when
I went to college, my Dad milked her. When I got married we were
planning to get her, but she died of ergot poisoning.

Each year we had a Christmas program at school. Mom made plum pudding
and basted it with something. Uncle Ernest got the honor of lighting
it. It really lit up and I can't remember if we were able to eat it or
not. That was when Mrs. Evans was our teacher; she was from Texas and
spoke with a southern accent.

I graduated from Baker High School in 1967. 1 attended two quarters of
college at Montana State University at Bozeman. in March, I returned
home to help Mom and Dad, then went back in the fall of 1968 to
Bozeman and attended Mack's Beauty College. I graduated in August of
1969, receiving my cosmetologists license in February of 1970.

I worked at the Museum of the Rockies during college. During the late
summer of 1969 1 replaced my sister, Faye, at the B-4 Ranch near Cooke
City, Montana, so that she could start teaching school in Cut Bank. I
also worked as a housekeeper at the Fallon Medical Complex from June
1988 to May of 1990. I am now a superintendent each year at the Fallon
County Fair.

I married Arthur Lee 'Tyke' Curry on November 25, 1969. Lee worked on
the Barta Ranch (later the Failing Ranch) south of Miles City from
October 1969 to May 1974, when we moved to the Sitz Angus Ranch at
Harrison, Montana. We were there until February 1975, when we returned
to the Failing Ranch until Dad's death. In the fall of 1976, we moved
to the Greenlee family ranch south of Plevna. We were there until
August of 1979, when we moved to the Palm Ranch (formerly Fulton's)
near Ismay, until the present.

I'm a leader of the Red Butte Ramblers 4-H Club and a member of the
Willard Homemakers. In my spare time I work on family and local
history, sew and do crafts.

We have one daughter, Janelle Lee, born October 23, 1970, in Miles
City. She is a 1989 graduate of Plevna High School. She attended all
of her grades in the Plevna School System. Janelle attended National
College of Business, Dickinson State University, and graduated from
Minot State University. She is currently employed in Sidney. She
enjoys all the old time stories told by local people.

Hall

	Glen and Genoa came to Montana in 1912 from Indiana. They filed on
a homestead 23 miles south of Plevna. Glen worked for the Fulton Ranch
and later for Ray Lyman. In 1919, they left the homestead and moved to
Ismay.

During 1919, Glen drove a freight wagon, hauling hay from Ismay to the
Fulton Ranch. During the year of 1921, they moved back to their old
homestead, Glen worked for different ranches and homesteaders in the
area trying to make a living for the family at any job he could find.
They had 8 children. In 1930, Glen and his three youngest children
went back to his old home town in Indiana.

Page 60

Hanley

Clifford Cleveland Hanle rode out to northern Carter County in the
spring of 1914. He filed on his homestead in northern Carter County
and returned to Dale, ND, and married Cora Ethel Dally on December 23,
1914. They came back to Montana the next spring- 1915.

Ethel rode horseback 18 miles to Ekalaka in 1915 or thereabouts to get
her teacher's certificate and rode horseback six miles east of their
homestead to teach at the Morton School. She taught most winters until
about 1926 and then quit teaching. She went back to renew her teaching
credits in the summer of 1952 and taught until she retired in the
1960's. She taught Spring Creek School in those later years and in
many of the rural schools in Fallon County before retirement.

Ethel was in her late 50's when she learned to drive. It was after the
death of her husband, and that way she was able to get to and from the
rural schools.

The Hanleys milked a lot of cows during the depression and she told of
raising turkeys to sell in the fall to help pay the taxes on their
land, like many of the other neighbors did in the Lame Jones and Milk
Creek communities. Cliff also bootlegged whiskey during prohibition,
which was much against Ethel's wishes, but it was one way of making
money.

They had five sons - George, Jack, Jean, Clifford Jr., and Pat. In the
late '30's, George and Jack were in C.C. Camp and then the three
oldest boys went to the service. Jean married Dorothy Frankland (now
Ashley) in 1940. He was killed in Italy in 1944. He is buried in a
military cemetery near Florence, Italy. His medals are in the Fallon
County Museum, where the Armed Forces uniforms are on display.

In the early days, the neighbors would leave early and ride horseback
or take wagons whenever there was a dance in the community. They would
dance until sun-up and go home after breakfast. Their neighbors were
Jim Mulery-1 1/2 miles east, Jim Mulkey-11 1/2 miles south, and Earl
Ketchum-1 mile north. The Hageman's also lived a mile east of the
present Plevna road. Hanleys traded work and neighbored back and forth
with the Ketchums, Bucklins, Sparkses, Collies, BrandemihIs. Nesses,
Cretsingers, and Vernon Wilmot. There were homesteaders on almost
every section before the 1930's and the depression hit.

Cliff bought and sold horses in the middle 30's and hauled them to
southern Minnesota for work horses. He unloaded most of them at
Montevideo and Mankato. He would then bring back hay for feed. He
bought land around the homestead for tax money, when it was available.
Cliff died in October of 1949. Ethel stayed on the ranch until after
Pat got married in 1951. She lived in Baker and taught school, retired
and passed away in March of 1967, at the age of 76.

George married Ella Jacobson in 1951; they have lived in the Whitefish
area for many years. They are retired and spend the summers in
Whitefish and the winters in Desert Hot Springs, California.

Jack married Roxye Saunders of Tennessee. They had three daughters:
Linda Newman, who lives at Shepherd, MT, Debbie Hagemeister, Kinsey,
MT, and Jackie Anderson of Miles City, MT. Jack later married Doris
Taylor and they have one son, Justin.  Justin, at present, is
attending Miles Community College. Jack and Doris live out of Roundup,
MT.

Page 61

Clifford married Pearl Noftsker (former teacher at Lame Jones School)
in 1943. They moved to Whitefish and worked in the logging business
until retirement. They go to Arizona for some of the winter months and
live in Whitefish the rest of the year. They have four daughters:
Evelyn Kelch of Whitefish, Jeanne Tronstad of Baker, Sharon Hanley of
Kalispell and Judy Hanson of Helena.

Pat married Kay Rountree in 1951. They have lived on the home place
for 44 years. In 1989, they had a celebration to celebrate the 75th
anniversary of the homestead. They have five children: Dave of Miles
City, Allan of Hardin, Kathy of Colstrip, Bill lives in Baker, and Meg
lives in Casper, WY. They have 10 grandchildren. Pat raises cattle,
sheep, pigs, and farms some.

Some of the memories of the Lame Jones School are going to the school
programs years ago. All of the Pat Hanley children attended the Spring
Creek School until the two oldest were ready to go to high school.
Dave had gone to high school already. All of them then went to school
in Plevna: Bill went the last part of grade school and Meg all of her
school years as most of the rural schools around were closed.

Hogarty

(From the O'Fallon Flashback Book)

Clyde R. Hogarty, born February 9, 1985, came to Montana with his
parents from Wisconsin in 1912 by train, wagon, and on foot. They
located at the head of Lame Jones Creek. The first year in Montana was
good and crops were fair. Winters were plenty cold with blizzards.
Neighbors were far apart. Our neighbors were my Aunt and Uncle, the
Art Lobdells, Billy Mackays, Gregersons, and the Art Reinholts. Our
home was 20 miles from Baker and 13 miles to Plevna. Some of the
people I worked for are Johnny Lambert, haying for Fred Anderson,
Postmaster of Willard, the 7 UP Mackay Ranch, and the Harry F.
Schlosser Ranch.

I will tell of a never forgotten event. Four of us young "guys" on a
bright and cold morning, after about 2 weeks of snow and blowing
started from Carl Stouts with our destination the Art Lobdell place.
It was a trip of about 35 miles. Mike Martin was 23, the oldest of us
four, I was 20, Harold Lobdell was 16, and Donald was 13 and driver of
our four horse team. It was about daylight that morning when we
started out and it was about noon when we reached O'Fallon Creek. We
were bundled up like "mummies" and you can imagine the circus I had
when it came my turn to open and close a gate. We had to follow the
Ismay-Ekalaka road about 3 miles southeast to the mouth of the Lame
Jones Creek where Albert LaBree's spread was located. We had gone
about a mile on this road when Don came to a point in the road where
he had to skirt a sort of hummock. It was slick enough that it caused
the sleigh to slip sideways and roll over. We had to unhook the
gentlest horse and somehow we managed to make use of an extra length
of chain to get a roll on the load after the horse was put to use. The
sleigh had to be partially reloaded and while we were busy doing that,
Albert LaBree came along on a saddle horse. He wanted to know what we
"damn fools" were doing out in this kind of weather. He asked us what
time it was when we left the hills and we told him it was about
daybreak. He said, "Do you realize what my thermometer registered
about that time at my place?" We told him that we had no thermometer
where we were so we wouldn't have any idea how cold it was. He said it
was 49 degrees below zero and right then at noon it was 25 degrees
below zero. (Mr. LaBree maybe didn't know it but we hadn't figured to
go any farther than his place that day anyway.) Mr. LaBree
emphatically invited us to stay the night at his ranch. The next day
started out with howling wind and blowing snow. It was dark when we,
with our load of lumber, reached our destination. We were thankful for
LaBree's kind hospitality. The 49 degrees below zero wasn't far off as
Jordan, Montana, had 60 degrees below that same night. In 1971 1 made
a trip back to Montana and looked up some of the Lame Jones folks: the
William MacKay's, William Lambert's in Baker and the Adam MacLay's in
Miles City.

Page 62

With a howling wind, I wonder what the wind chill factor would have
been. Good thing in the early days we didn't know.

The Art Lobdell's came from Wisconsin and homesteaded in the Lame
Jones community in 1910. Neighbors were the George W. Sparks', Amos
Greenlees', Gregor Gregersons', and William MacKays'. The Art
Lobdell's were uncle and aunt of Clyde Hogart
	
Honstain

The Honstain name came in from Canada with Edward E. Honstain, as a
young boy of about 16. He met and married Syble Amanda Jane Logue on
February 8, 1850. She, being of upperclass standing, was born in
Clinton County, Pennsylvania, the daughter of George Logue 111, whose
father was the Esquire of Carlile, Pennsylvania, and Lemire Dewey, who
was a relative of Commodore George Dewey of the Spanish American War.

Edward and Syble settled in Grant County, Wisconsin, where the bulk of
their 14 children were born. It was in this state that we believe
Edward served in the Wisconsin 25th Volunteers under Colonel Jerry
Rusk, during the war between the states. In 1886, Edward moved his
family along with many other Union soldiers to Emmons County, North
Dakota. Here he cultivated 400 acres. A small alkali lake was named
after him, Honstain Lake.

Alfred Joseph Honstain, the tenth child of Edward and Syble, was the
only one to make his way to Fallon County. After his marriage and the
birth of their first three children: Arthur Thomas (1892-1947), Marie
Agnes (1895-1982), and Alfred Joseph Jr (1896-1949), Al moved to
MonDak, MT. There Al and his brother, Ike, built one of the largest
motels west of Bismark and east of Great Falls. They named it "The
Great Northern Motel" after the Great Northern Railroad that ran past
this border-line town. MonDak was known for its saloons in the Montana
boundaries and the homes in the North Dakota boundaries and became one
of the most popular towns in the area after the prohibition law went
into effect in North Dakota. Ike and Al persuaded many of their
siblings to join them in this new found fortune and also help operate
this majestic motel. -This "new found fortune" was short lived
(1910-1920) for the prohibition law also went into effect in Montana
and, by 1922, MonDak was no more than a ghost town. In 1926, a
celebration was held in Fort Union and the Great Northern Motel was
once again opened to accommodate the many people who attended, but in
August of 1927, a prairie fire swept through the area, burning this
great landmark to the ground. It was during this era that Al and
Nellie's fourth child was born, Ella Ruth (1907-1984).

Page 63

As early as 1912, Nellie (Mahaney) Honstain, Al's wife, went to work
for Dan C. MacKay, as his cook. On one occasion, she took her
daughter, Marie, and it was here that Marie met Dan's hired hand,
William MacKay. William 'Billy' was only a few years out of Scotland
and only months out of Canada. Billy and Marie were married in April
of 1913. In April of 1917, Billy purchased 40 acres from Dan In the
SW1/4 of Section 3, T5N. R58E, right along the banks of the Lame Jones
Creek. Billy and Marie were fairly well settled and had three children
by the time Marie's parents (Al and Nellie Honstain), her brothers
(Art and Jay), and her uncles (Joe and Billy Mahaney) descended upon
Fallon County.

On December 15, 1919, Art Honstain homesteaded the NE 1/4 of E 1/2 of
NW 1/4, Lots 1 and 2 in Section 30, T6N, R5E7, consisting of 313.37
acres, which was a section and one-fourth west of his uncles, Joe and
Billy on Pine Creek, just north of Lame Jones Creek.

Art married Ollie Moulten from Westmore, and in 1935 they moved to
Mason City, Iowa, where Art worked for the Mason City Cement Co. They
died and are buried there. They did not have any children.

On November 1, 1920, Mary E. Honstain (probably Nellie) purchased land
from Mathias Henkels consisting of 115 acres in E 1/2 of E 1/2 of
Section 8, T8N, R57E, near Westmore. Many of Al's sisters and brothers
lived in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area and most of the family
members are buried there. A few remained in the Fairview, MT, area and
there are descendants still living in and around Sidney today.

Although Al remained here until his death in 1953, Nellie took up her
roots and became a dietitian at the Mercy Hospital in Williston, ND
and lived with her youngest daughter, Ella, who had married a railroad
man. After several marriages, Ella and her mother moved to California,
where they both died and are buried.

On January 22, 1921, Jay Honstain homesteaded Lots 1-2, SE 1/4 of NE
1/4 in Section 4, T5N, R58E consisting of 170.10 acres. By January 31,
1921, Jay had sold his land to Billy MacKay, his brother-in-law. Jay
continued to live just north of the 40 acres that Billy bought from
Dan MacKay in Section 3. It was here Jay raised this family of 11
children. His wife Mamie Cain, became a school teacher in the Lame
Jones area. (1) Nellie Elizabeth married several times and had four
children. Her last name was Herman. (2) Elfrieda Patricia married
Billy Pratt and they had three daughters, all living in western
Montana near Libby, where she died. (3) Patrick Cain married Dee Brown
and they have two children. Pat lives in Miles City. (4) Dorothy Marie
died at age 13 of pneumonia and is buried in Plevna beside her
parents. (5) Lauretta Joyce Jane - 'Joyce' married James Janssen, had
no children and lives in Miles City. (6) Al Vernon married JoAnn Dichr
and they had three children. Al lives in Miles City. (7) Montana Marie
Violet - 'Marie' married Jack Garrott and had two children. Marie
lives in Greenville, South Carolina. (8) Chester Elwood - 'Chet'
married Patrisha Parks and they had three children. They lived in
Seattle, Washington, where Chet developed bone cancer and died in
1962. (9) 'Vivian Ellen married Lyle Perry and they had two children.
Lyle passed away in 1977 and Vivian lives in Glendive. (10) Olive
Charlene - 'Ollie' married Robert Sparks and they have six children.
Ollie and Robert live in Plevna. (11) Arthur Anthony married Leora
Brown and they have three children. Art lives in Wyoming, last heard.

Most of Jay's grandchildren live in or around the Billings area. If
you would like to read more on the Honstain family, a book is
available in the Baker Library.

Page 64

Huber By Frances Schnieber

My folks, John and Anna Huber, lived for awhile on my grandfather's
farm when I was little. I went to school at the Wenz School, just over
the hill. The farm was near Uncle George Huber's. I think we may have
lived in the Lame Jones area about 1920. The Lame Jones Creek ran
through our land and the bridge was on the edge of our land.
	              
I went to Red Hill School and had Miss Hilda Langren as my 7th and 8th
grade teacher, maybe even the 6th grade. Vernon Greenlee was in my
grades. Miss Langren was the best teacher I had. We left there in
1934, when I was 15 years old, just out of the 8th grade.

My brother, Robert, and sister Cathryn, went to school at Red Hill
School, too. Vernon and Doris were too young. We moved to Billings
where my brother, Ray, was born.

My folks are deceased. I am the only one who lives in Montana. The
others live in California. Washington, and Nevada.

Ketchum by Alice Ketchum Riley

Earl and Vera Ketchum homesteaded in the Milk Creek area in 1913 and
1914. By the time they came in the Railroad had taken over some of the
land so the homesteads were not on every one-half section. When I look
back on those days growing up, my parents were naive; they didn't
foresee the hardships. The country was new; it takes a lifetime to
make it what it is today.

There were ten of us; Owen Ketchum, Pearle Barnhait, Carol Schout,
Kenneth Ketchum, and Alice Riley are left. Owen lives in Molt,
Montana, Pearle lives in Harlowton, Montana, Carol lives in Maryville,
Washington, Kenneth lives in Richland, Washington, and I, Alice, live
in Miles City, Montana.

I am not very good at history writing; so many of the folks who were
children are gone. There is much I remember about those early days.

Page 65

Kusler

Edwin and Bertha Kusler lived in Java, S.D., for a few years after
they were married. This is where LeRoy was born. Later they moved to
Artas, S.D., where Idella and Glenn were born. In the fall of 1929
Edwin and his brother Ted came to Montana and rented the Hepperle
place 17 miles south of Plevna. In January of 1930 they went back to
South Dakota to bring their families back with them. The women,
children, livestock, and household things came by emigrant train.
LeRoy and Idella went to the Red Hill School, having Miss Crow and
Miss Langern as their teachers.

The two brothers farmed together until July of 1935, when Edwin died
suddenly of leukemia at the age of 33, leaving four children, LeRoy 9,
Idella 8, Glenn 6, and Arleen 5 months. At this time Ted Kusler bought
Edwin's share of the machinery and Bertha moved into Plevna for
school. These were hard times for everyone, but the family has always
been grateful for the help and kindness shown them by their Uncle Ted
Kuslers', the churches, neighbors and all the people of the community
- or it may have been much worse.

Bertha was not well. She had a kidney removed in March of 1948 and
passed away in December of double pneumonia. At this time LeRoy was
working for Jake Schweigert and Idella was married to Edmund Freier.
Glenn was in the service and Arleen, being only 13 years old, went to
live with Idella and Edmund.

All four children graduated from Plevna High School.

LeRoy married Betty Schuler and they have five children. LeRoy is an
electrician and had his own business until 1988 when the youngest son,
Doug, bought it. Now LeRoy works for his son. The five children of
LeRoy and Betty are Kathy Steig, Darrell, Connie Lang, Carleen Susa
and Douglas.

Idella married Edmund Freier, they lived on the farm for some time and
then moved to Baker. Edmund had a milk business and Idella worked in
the bank for many years. They had three sons: Wayne, Jerry and Kelly.
After Edmund passed away Idella married Pastor Lynn Holm. They are
presently pastoring in Big Timber, MT. She also has a step-son, Jason.

Glenn married Cho Ok Sun. Glenn was in a partnership with LeRoy until
1974, when they moved to San Diego, CA, where he is an electrician for
Bennets Refrigeration. They have three children: Larry, Karen Garcia,
and Debbie.

Arleen married Verle Graham. He has been with MDU for over 30 years
and Arleen works at the Montana Bank. They have two children: Scott,
and Sheila Woolington.

Ted and Jennie Kusler moved to Montana from South Dakota in 1929. They
settled 18 miles south of Plevna on the Hepperle place. They lived
there for five years before moving to the John Huber place for one
year and then back to the Hepperle place. In 1943 they bought the Emil
Leischner place 1/2 mile west. They lived there until 1970. When they
retired they moved to Baker where they purchased a home and lived
there until their deaths. Jennie died January 30, 1986, and Ted died
January 22, 1989.

Page 66

They had four daughters. Shirley married Richard Opp in 1947. They
lived in the Lame Jones Community on the Mikelson place. They moved to
the Willard Community in 1952, retired in 1989 and moved to Baker.
They have two daughters, Sharon and Sheila, both living in Phoenix,
Arizona, and seven grandchildren.

Virginia married Robert Malley in 1946 and is now living in Las Vegas,
Nevada. A son, Dennis, lives in Emmet, ID, and a daughter, Gail, lives
in Las Vegas. They have three grandchildren.

June married Ruben Opp in 1952 and they have lived in Miles City
since. They have two sons. Ronald lives in Portland, Oregon, and
Steven lives in Bozeman, Montana. They have four grandchildren Gloria
married Glenn Follmer in 1958; they lived in Seattle, WA, for nine
years. They moved back to Montana in 1975 and are living on the family
farm. Their daughter, Verleen, lives in Las Vegas, NV, and their son,
Allen, lives in Omaha, Nebraska. They have one grandchild.

Lambert By Mary Ellen Lambert Olson DeGrasse

My father, Reuben Edward (Rube) Lambert, went to Lame Jones to work
for Dan Mackay after our mother died in April, 1904. He took squatters
rights on the land he later filed on when it was thrown open for
filing in 1910.

In 1907 he went to Pierre, South Dakota, where they had sent the older
children, Nellie, Bill, Harrison, and Ed, to go to school, before Mama
died. Harrison passed away just after Mama died. Reubie and I had been
taken to Mr. and Mrs. Tubbs to care for after Mama passed away.

Papa took all five of us and Aunt Kate, Mama's sister, to Lame Jones
where he had a tent and sheep wagon ready for us to live in until he
could get a house built. Papa bought lumber a the sawmill east of
Ekalaka, had Grandpa Lambert come help him build our house. By then,
Uncle Amos Lambert came to Lame Jones, made a dugout to live in until
their house was built, and brought his wife, Aunt Cora, and children.
Grandpa Lambert helped him. Aunt Kate had to go back to Ekalaka to
help her brother who needed a cook.

By then our house was built and Papa hired Aunt Cora's sister, Mrs.
Hatton, to work for us. She filed on a piece of land joining ours on
the west. She had five children so now there were ten of us, and with
Uncle Amos' three, Papa decided we needed a school. He bought the
lumber and had brother Bill who was just 13 years old go with Adam
McClay to haul the lumber. He had Grandpa Lambert come to build a
school house. Mrs. Hatton's father, M.M. Sheffer, came to help, too.
They built desks. Papa furnished the doors and windows, and put in a
heater, and hauled wood and coal.

Josephine Barrere, a niece, was hired to come to teach. Her pay was to
be $25.00 a month.

Papa contacted t h e Superintendent of Schools in Miles City and asked
for materials, books, etc. Josie was bringing her sister and brother
with her to go to school which made fifteen students. Miss Wilson-
asked how many there were for a school. When Papa said fifteen, she
said, "We will send you the books, all new, for first grade through
eighth grade."

Page 67

When the books came, there was more, a blackboard, erasers, a wooden
box of chalk, dozens of penny pencils, pen holders, pen points, water
colors in long tin boxes, art paper, color crayons, a big bottle of
ink, colored papers for first graders to weave, copy books of
penmanship paper, penmanship books, a big globe for the teacher's
desk, and a wall case with maps that rolled like a window shade with
every map of the world. Anything needed was in shipment. Miss Wilson
said they would pay the teacher, too. So Papa didn't have to do that;
they paid her better -$75.00 a month.

Brother Earl Barrere and sister Jessie lived with Josie in the dugout
Uncle Amos' had moved out of.

So, September 1907, "The Lambert School" was in session with fifteen
kids. Our family, Nellie, Bill, Ed, Mary Ellen, and Reuben Jr, and
Mrs. Hatton's Myrtle, Jess, Sakra, Ruth, and Delmer, Uncle Amos' Lyle,
Florence, and May, and Josie's brother and sister, made up the class
roster. Teachers were: First-Josephine Barrere Second-Blanch
Breckenridge Third-Mrs. Bucklin (also her Mina & Kelly came to school
too) Fourth-Miss Ruth Lyman came from back east. She caught a ride out
from Baker with Papa on a load of wire. It was 1910.  Her parents had
come to Montana and filed on land on Milk Creek.

Now being 1910, new people were coming in to homestead: Berry's, with
Ethel and Emery, and Morrison's with Don, Pauline, Mary, Bill, Ruth,
and Fred. Don and Pauline didn't attend school with us. Next were
Frank Stout's, with Hazel and George, Bill Stout's with Jessie and
Lois. Teenager Jessie didn't attend school with us. Uncle Amos had
younger children who grew into school age and attended school; they
were Lillie, Rachel, and Minerva (only Lillie went while I was there,
the others later, maybe). The Berry's daughter, Alma Sparks, had a son
who came to our school, Alfred. May and Gladys James came to the new
school awhile.

In 1911, a new school house was built. Then Josephine Barrere again
taught our school. We had a Willard Meyers, Pauline Hall, a Miss
Canorski, and Mel Schneider. Mel was my last teacher there. He had
basket socials to raise money to help him buy an organ for the school.

In 1910 Nellie got married, then Papa married Mrs. Hatton. She filed
on her homestead, the grandparents built her a house.  When the new
school was built Papa moved the first school house out oi our field
northeast of our house about half a mile down and added it onto Mrs.
Hatton's house (by then she was Mrs. Lambert). So now you can look
across Lame Jones Creek and see the first school house added on the
west side of her house. I have two half sisters, Leona and Hazel.

Just before Mel Schneider passed away, I was visiting with him on the
phone and he asked me if I knew what was done with the organ he bought
for the school. At the time I did not know, then I visited Mrs. Sparks
who told me it had been left in the coal house when they moved the
school house from Lame Jones.

Page 68

The winter Mel taught, he went home for Thanksgiving and got snowed
in. He had said, "if I get caught in a storm, Mary Ellen can teach
until the storm is over if you kids will behave." He did, so I was
teacher for that week and we didn't have to make up time in the
spring. I loved doing it, too. I was in the eighth grade then.

I didn't want to take exams so I quit school just before it was out. I
went to Procter's and stayed for the summer term at the Fitzsimmons
school, and had Miss Lamb for a teacher. I still didn't want to be out
of school so I didn't take the exams there either, but I had a real
good education and loved every minute of school.

During my growing up I went to school twice in Iowa at the Audobon
School in Dubuque and in North McGregor, out on Beaver Flat to the
Schofield School when it was in Mr. Schofield's house. I was with
aunts every time I was away from home. I went parts of terms in
Ekalaka, once in the old high school that was the Court House at one
time after that, then one time in the new school as it was called then
(just south of the other one). My last school was in Plevna in 1917
when I came back from North McGregor, Iowa, before school was out. My
folks had gone to Washington so I stayed with the Bert James family. I
used to stay with my mother's folks, the Russell's, south of Ekalaka
summers before I was married.

In April, Dick Olson and I were married and moved out on his farm on
Milk Creek. Old-time friends lived above Dick on Milk Creek, the
George and Dale Morton's. When Dale and Lilly got married, they came
to Lame Jones and lived in a sheep wagon close by us. Dale worked for
Papa. Lilly, not knowing there were live coals in the ashes, put some
out back of her wagon which set the grass on fire. All the crew from
Dan Mackay's hurried down and got it put out. No harm done.

Dick and I moved south of Ekalaka in 1922 or '23; we had George,
Rozella, and Ray, while on Milk Creek. Gertrude, Clarice, Twila, and
Dorothy were born while living south of Ekalaka. We left there in 1936
during the bad drought. We couldn't make it on a small place, owed
$75.00 in taxes. No way could we meet them, with our family to feed
and clothe. We decided to go to Washington; I told Mr. and Mrs. Dillon
if they could raise the money I would give them our place. I owned 240
acres, 80 had been my mother's, 80 had been my uncle George Russell's
and the other 80 was my allotment I had filed on. I kept the Indian
allotment 80 and gave them a quit claim deed to the other two
eighties. They were able to borrow money from a relative. We left
everything we owned there; they wanted the furniture so I said okay,
because we were not going back. Times were still hard there for a
while for them with a big family.  Each time I visited there for a few
years Mrs. would give me maybe two or three dollars until finally I
quit getting any, but she was able to pay me $13.00.

We settled on a farm at Sumas, got a loan, bought a dairy herd, and
rented an 80 acre farm. I went to work, George went back to Idaho. A
lovely baby girl was born to us at Sumas, Washington. Rozella had
graduated at Ekalaka, my last one, Marie, graduated in Vancouver,
Washington. The baby, Clarice, was born in 1927 and died in the Miles
City Hospital in 1928.

Page 69

We made good in Washington; were able to buy a 12 acre farm, sold it
and bought 15 acres and a nice home for cash in 1942.  With the kids
all married, we bought a home in Bellingham in 1959. Dick passed away
in October, 1964. 1 am now married to Fred DeGrasse and live at Ankar
Park Drive. My children are all married, I have 40 grandchildren, many
great grand and great, great grandchildren.

We bought into this place, a lovely retirement sort of co-op,
beautiful. Please come and visit real soon.

Lee by Lloyd M. Lee

I left Fallon County in April 1937 and moved to Bozeman where, with a
few interruptions, I've lived since.

I served in the Army from 1942 to 1945 in Australia, New Guinea, and
the Philippines, as a truck driver for a Signal Corps Construction
crew.

I married Francis Harvey in 1945. We have one daughter, Rebecca, who
lives in Sitka, Alaska, and three grandchildren: Jody 23, Joel 21,
Merry Francis 17.

After the Army, I worked 12 years for the Bozeman Feed Mills and then
for the G.S.A. at the Federal Building were I retired in 1979.

We spend our winters in Arizona, where we park on the desert and enjoy
exploring and rock hunting on our four wheelers.  Part of our summers
are spent in Alaska visiting our kids and fishing for halibut.

My parents: Joe Lee and Mary Morrison, who lived near Lame Jones on
land which now belongs to the BLM.

Loutzenhiser by Dwight Loutzenhiser

Mother, Irena Loutzenhiser, homesteaded the west half of section
325-58 in 1910. They had four children: Jack, Nedra, Dwight, and Ivan.

Mother was a working woman, like most pioneer women. She helped in the
fields when needed plus raising a bunch of chickens and turkeys and a
big garden.

There were very few horses broke on that place that she didn't have a
hand in the breaking. She was as good around stock as came along in
those days and she wasn't, I don't think, scared of the devil, itself.
I recall one time she got piled off a horse, got up and caught the
horse and rode him out, giving him something to buck for. After week
of crippling around, Dad pursuaded her to go to the doctor. She had
broken a collar bone.

Ivan passed away in 1934 and Lewis in 1938. Mother managed to stay on
the place until the fall of 1938 when she and Dwight starved out and
moved into Baker where they worked at various jobs until 1942 when
Dwight went into the service. Mother went to Portland, OR, and spent
the winter.

Page 70

In the fall of 1943, Mother married Jack Staff and they continued to
live around Baker until the spring of 1962, when they moved to
Lebanon, OR, where she passed away in the winter of 1963.

Lewis M. Loutzenhiser was born in Weaverly, IA in 1865. His father was
working for the Union Pacific when Dad was about 8 or 10 years old and
Dad went to work for the railroad as a water boy. I never saw Dad
waste any water he always said he had seen too much wasted when he was
carrying it.

While he was working for the UP Railroad, he got acquainted with John
Howe. This about the 1870's. The boys went their different ways and
never heard from each other until 1916 when John had a Blacksmith Shop
in Plevna, MT. Dad came in to pick up a feed mill he had ordered. John
had seen the name on it in the depot and kept an eye out for the man
who came for it. They had some great times after that as they both
played musical instruments. I've heard them talk of Dale Morton and
several others who played for dances to help raise money for the
improvements in the schools and communities, and for other benefits. A
lot of school improvements were made this way instead of a mill levy
being passed.

Lewis and Irena Loutzenhiser came out here in 1910 and homesteaded 21
miles south of Plevna, MT, on Section 32, T5N Range 58E. To this union
were born four children: Jack in 1911, Nedra born in 1916, Dwight in
1921, and Ivan in 1925. Ivan passed away in 1934, Nedra in 1989, and
Jack in 1991.

The folks started a store after they took over the Calumet Post Office
in 1921. Today's people would laugh themselves silly at this store as
it was in a room ten by twelve with a post office. The folks also
bought cream and eggs. But it helped people tide-over until they could
get to town. From out there with a horse it was a two day trip to
Plevna or Baker. People in those days didn't get to town but possibly
two to three times a year until the cars got more trustworthy. Along
with that and the depression, the folks closed the store in 1932.

Along with the drought and grasshoppers, the depression put a lot of
people under.

In December of 1936, Dad took a header down the cellar stairs from
which he never recovered. I think he possibly had some internal
injuries. He passed away in May, 1937. Mother continued on until the
fall of 1938 when, between the government and the grasshoppers, we had
to move to town to see if we could make a living which was very slim
at times.

Jack and Helen Votruba Loutzenhiser were married in 1938 and they
moved to Norris, MT, where Jack worked on several different ranches
and in the mines. They lived there until September of 1942 when they
moved to Portland and Jack went to work in the shipyard. In 1943, he
went to work in the woods as a faller. He worked at this until 1949
when the man haul in which he was riding missed a curve and went over
an embankment. His back was broke- that laid him up for about a year.
He went to driving logging truck until he retired in 1976.

Page 71

While working in the woods he was able to buy a stump ranch out of
Seaside, OR. Jack and Helen have five childrenthree boys and two
girls. The oldest, Jackie, is a computer -programmer for a bank in
Portland. Doug is a designer for a freightliner and lives in Lake
Oswago, OR. Max, the youngest boy, followed his old man's footsteps
and is a logger. Wanda is a medical technician in Portland. She had
polio when she was four years old, but due to her determination and
the Shriner'sHospital, she is able to make her own way. Christy, the
youngest, is a computer programmer.

Nedra Loutzenhiser and Alton Griffin were married in 1935. They packed
mail on the south route out of Plevna from 1934 to 1938 through those
depression years and the cold, snow and drought. Old Billy MacKay told
a man that Al was the toughest man he ever knew as far as the cold
went. He never missed a trip and those were cold winters. In the
winter of 1936 they said it never got above 20 below zero for six
weeks. One man claimed that at his place the temperature never got
above 56 below for two days.

Nedra and Al moved to Portland in 1942 and Al worked in the shipyards
until the end of the war. They then moved to Lebanon, OR and worked
for Cascade Plywood until Alton retired. They had one child, Darlene,
who is a school teacher. Nedra passed away in 1989. Alton still lives
in Lebanon.

I, Dwight Loutzenhiser, was born in 1921 on the home-place and was
raised in that country. I went to school at the Morton School through
the eighth grade.

In 1938 Mother and I moved to Baker after harvest as there wasn't any
crop after the grasshoppers got through. I went to High School in
Baker. Mother and I worked at anything we could get which wasn't much.
I helped unload car loads of cement in sacks and they were packed out
of the railroad cars two sacks at a time and carried to the warehouse
the same way for $2.00 a car. It worked the same way for lumber.

I worked on different farms and ranches in the country until going
into the service in 1942 until 1946. The first ranch job was for L.D.
Stanhope for $30.00 a month; the days started at 6 in the morning and,
if you were lucky, we may have supper at 7 that evening. In 1940 1
went to work for Matt Munroe for $45.00 a month. I thought I was
getting up in the world. In 1941 1 got on with Stanley H. Arkwright, a
road construction company, building the road from Willard to the
Medicine Rocks. I got $.65 an hour. I thought I was really getting up
in the world until we snowed out early in October and I went to work
for Colman Kroker, feeding sheep and hauling hay.

I served as a mechanic for the Army Air Force, for 3 1/2 years, all of
it 'in the states. On being discharged from the service, I returned to
Baker and worked at various jobs. I married Erna Mae Wang in 1953 and
in 1956 went to work for Montana Dakota Utilities at their Cabin Creek
Plant north of Baker. I worked for 30 years before retiring and moving
to Plevna. I saw a lot of changes in MDU. We started with just over
1400 horsepower in 1956. The Cabin Creek Plant was just under 14,000
horsepower when I retired, the largest one MDU had.

We have two children, Laura Brewer and LaVerne, who live close by.

Page 72

MacKay by Mary (Babe) MacKay Billingsley

On March 23, 1903, Willian MacKay and his wife, Mary Grant MacKay,
packed up their belongings and their children: Anna, Kenneth, Rodrick,
William (my Dad), John, Mary, and Isable, and left their home at the
Muir of Ord, near Inverness in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland to
come to St. Catharines, Ontario, near Niagara Falls. Rev. James MacKay
(their other son) was already in Canada for three years before the
rest of the family came. A cousin, Kenneth McLean, came to visit the
MacKays in Canada and said there were plenty of jobs in Montana. When
he left he took Rodrick and Billy MacKay (my Dad) with him.

When they arrived in Miles City, my Dad thought that this was the land
forgotten: greasewood, sagebrush, wild and lonely.  But a land he
stayed with all the rest of his life.

Dan Mackay, of the Seven-Up ranch on Lame Jones Creek, came to see
Kenneth McLean. He needed a man to work for him.  Kenneth McLean told
him to take his pick of the MacKay boys, and the other one was his.
Dan took my Dad home with him and he worked for Dan for many years. I
went to see Dan when I was in Miles City in 1929 and he told me he
couldn't have loved a son any more than he did my Dad.

My Dad and Adam Maclay trailed horses to Fort Keogh. The horses that
passed for the cavalry were kept there and the rest were taken to the
packing plant in Miles City. My Dad said that Adam and he would ride
out and, in about three hours, gather 65 to 100 head of horses for
their trip. They would pick horses to ride out of the bunch, then
leave them in Miles City with the rest of them, unless they liked the
horse and thought it would make a good tough horse for the ranch.

One time Adam and Billy were coming home, Adam got off his horse to
open a gate, and as he was getting off, his horse began to buck. Adam
had a bottle of beer in his hand and he had to throw the bottle in
order to handle his horse. My Dad jumped off his horse, jammed his
thumb in the bottle and saved most of Adam's beer. Adam and my Dad
were like brothers to each other all through their lives until Adam
passed away in Miles City.

Adam Maclay was a nephew of old Dan Mackay's and came from Canada in
1903, worked for old Dan, and homesteaded west of the old Seven-Up
Ranch in 1910 on Lame Jones Creek. My Dad homesteaded at the head of
Lame Jones Creek in 1910 and he lived there the rest of his life. He
married Marie Honstain on April 2, 1913. Marie came from Mondak,
Montana, with her folks who came to work for old Dan.

My Mom and Dad had six kids: Mary (Babe), Arthur (Bud), Ella, Alfred
(AI), Nellie, and Anna Mae. They raised us well and we had a very
happy childhood. We always shared with each other. Never, never was
there anyone allowed to argue at the table and, until my Dad passed
away, this was always his rule; a pleasant memory to all of us kids,
we live by this same rule.

Page 73

My Dad also liked good manners. He always said to take the smallest
piece of pie, as little is always the best, and the second piece of
pie is never quite so good. I have found this so true in life. He
always taught us to do things you were told to do the best you could
and the next time would be better. I guess this is why we've all
learned to do so many things throughout our lifetime. We all worked
hard and we all like the work we do. I've always felt that hard work
never hurt anyone, and it keeps you out of a lot of trouble. Four of
us kids have liked ranching all our lives. Ella was an R.N. for 43
years until she passed away on May 26, 1981. Al, a vet of World War
11, has worked for Douglas Aircraft over 25 years, and is still
working for them. I'll leave the rest of this to my dear brother Bud's
family to write about him. No One and I mean No One could have had a
better brother than Bud was to me, and life will never be the same
without him.

The rest of the family will add their own bit to this MacKay history.
Now for me. I am Billy and Marie MacKay's oldest daughter, Mary "Babe"
Billingsley. I was born January 14, 1915, at Westmore, Montana. My
folks brought me home to live in Fallon County on old Lame Jones Creek
most of my life. I've never set the world on fire in my 75 years, but
these old hills on Lame Jones Creek know me well. My cattle and other
livestock agree, it's a very special home. My family, nieces and
nephews and their families have been very special in my heart and also
my friends and neighbors. So, as my load of life dims with the many
sunsets and with only one headlight, an almost worn-out carburetor,
faulty spark plugs and a wornout chassis, old Babe will add these
poems. The first one, I try to live by and the other one I wrote when
I looked at a picture of my dear old Dad's barn.

KEEP ME WORKING

Lord, keep me working, keep me fit. At windows I don't want to sit,
Watching my fellow, by. Let me stay busy till I die--

Grant me the strength and the breath and will, A need to serve, a task
to do. Let me each morning rise anew, Eager and glad that I can bear
My portion of the mornings'care.

Lord, I don't want to set about, Broken and tired and all wom out,
Afraid of the wind, the rain and cold- Let me stay busy when I am old.

Although I walk at a slower pace, Still let me meet life face to face;
This is my prayer as time goes by, Lord keep me busy till I die.

Babe

THE OLD BARN

The old barn stands almost forgotten Beneath the Montana skies. 
Windows broken, their sashes sagging Through their unseeing eyes.

There are many years of memories Behind its sagging walls.  Tired work
horses softly sighing, As they are tied in their stalls.

Mangers filled with new mown hay. Oat boxes filled with grain. Horses,
cattle, sheep, and pigs, It has sheltered from snow, wind, and rain.

Kids singing as they did their chores, Happily playing in tons of hay:
Hard times, good times, memories, All lost to yesterday.

Yes, one whole side has fallen down, The roof is caving in. Silent and
still with its memories. With nothing more to win.

Over 65 years have come and gone, Since Dad opened that new barn door.
My Dear Dad has passed on, years have passed by, And that old barn is
a new barn no more.

Babe 2/12/83


by Carol MacKay Dyke

"Bud" MacKay was the second child of William and Marie Honstain
MacKay. As a small baby, his sister Babe called him her little
"Budder" and the name stuck. His legal name, Arthur William MacKay was
not well known but speak of Bud and you would see recognition in the
listener's eyes.

Bud attended the Gregerson School until the 8th grade and then he
worked with the men from then on. Bud said he never missed school
because the schooling he received from his older coworkers helped him
out more throughout life than that "Old School Mom" ever did.

Bud served in the Civilian Conservation Corps at Fort Missoula from
September 1934 until May 1935 when he was honorably discharged.

Bud was a short stocky fellow and stout for his size. In April of
1938, Bud went to work for Dan Fulton on Milk Creek and here is what
Dan had to say: "Bud MacKay was one of our favorite ranch hands. He
was a top stockhand, with horses, cattle or sheep. He could handle any
kind of livestock and had a very kind and friendly disposition. As you
know, so many of the "top hands" get a little conceited and may be
hard to put up with. Mary Ann always especially appreciated Bud
because he liked children and knew how to be nice to them. Our George,
Dorothy, and Louise were small when Bud was with us so that was very
gratifying to us. We were especially appreciative of Bud when he was
working for us .......	Dan Fulton
	
On June 1, 1940, he married Mary Margaret Collie, the daughter of
David and Edna (Marshall) Collie. Edna had homesteaded on O'Fallon
Creek and was well known for her pranks during her single years while
proving her homestead. Mary was the eldest of six children, then the
twins-Daisy McNaney of Hardin, and David of Baker, Vivian Celander of
Baker, Goldie Sparks of the Lame Jones country, and Alex Collie living
on his mother's original homestead.

In June of 1941, Bud and Mary left Fulton's and c6me to live on Lame
Jones Creek next to William and Marie. Here they raised their seven
children; (1) Mary Margaret -1ittle Mary' married Stanley Ketchum and
had two sons. Loyd married Mary Otto and they have one son, Casey.
Loyd is currently a professional Wrangler Bull Fighter on the Pro
Rodeo Circuit and he and Mary live in Miles City. Bruce married Tena
Ekerud of Glasgow. He is a shop teacher and Carter County's FFA
Instructor. Tena works as Deputy Carter County Assessor. They live in
Ekalaka. Bruce and Tena also help Mary operate the family ranch where
they raise registered Red Angus cattle under the name "Milk Creek
Ranch." Stanley passed away in 1977.

(2) Betty Ann MacKay married Lester Whitney and they had one daughter,
Sandy. They divorced in 1974. Betty lives at the home place. Sandy
lives in Glendive where she works at Eastmont Correctional Center.

(3) Jimmy William MacKay married Vivian Mulkey and they had two sons.
Gerold "Jerry" is in the National Guard and lives in Miles City. Scott
just graduated from Ekalaka High School and is attending Laramie
College in Laramie, Wyoming. Jimmy and Vivian live in Ekalaka.

Page 75

(4) John David MacKay married Carolyn Mann and they had two children.
Sharlene graduated in 1989 and is working for a Science Degree. David
is still at home and loves baseball. John and Carolyn live in Cypress,
California.

(5) Carol Jean MacKay was married and had two children. William
(Billy) just graduated from Glenclive High School and is employed by
Schwartz Construction of Glendive. Juanita is at home and loves to
rodeo as her Aunt Mary does. Carol took back her maiden name and
changed Billy and Juanita's last names to MacKay before she married
Dolan Dyke in 1980. They have one son, Dalon, who enjoys just being a
boy.

(6) Donald Rodrick MacKay married Laurie Reiger and they have three
children. Roderick enjoys playing basketball, Brea enjoys riding,
dancing and talking, and Daniel is just trying to act all grown-up.

(7) Edith Evelyn MacKay resides with her mother, Mary, at home.