P. 376
MR. AND MRS REED WEST
Mr. and Mrs. Reed West lived in Roy in it's early
days and were here for several years. West ran the Farmer's Elevator. Mrs.
West clerked at Buechner and Weedel's, era 1928-29. She was very active
in community affairs.
They sold their house to Wass's in 1931 and left.
They lived in Moccasin for a number of years and were in the mercantile
business, before they moved to Seattle, Washington where he passed away
on July 11, 1947.
Reed's sister, Pheobe West, also lived in Roy,
for a time.
WILLIS FAMILY HISTORY
by Homer R. Willis
My parents, Nora and Homer Willis and their daughter,
Eunice Cinderella, came to the Roy-Valentine (Kachia) area from Browning,
Missouri, homesteading about 1916 or 1918. After proving up on their 320
acres Dad went to work for Santa Fe Railroad in Colorado and New Mexico
as a telegraph operator, until 1934, at which time the family moved back
to the Roy area from Springer, New Mexico, arriving in Roy on June 17,
1934. They moved a house from Roy that fall to the Butterfield Ranch 1
1/2 miles east of Roy on the Wilder Valentine road.
The water supply was from a spring on the place
until a well could be dug closer to the house.
Dad had an older brother, Charley Willis. They
had some cattle they ran together sometime in the years before 1934, running
them north of Roy in the Missouri River Breaks. They put up winter hay
on the creek bottom, east of Roy. Charley also had a 320 acre homestead
east of Roy, probably about 1915.
I remember in the 1950's how my parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Claude Satterfield, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Stepan and Mr. and Mrs. C.
T. Plumb, who was the Milwaukee agent in Roy, would have get-togethers
occasionally at each other's homes.
Dad passed away in November of 1960 and Mother
passed away in December of 1979.
The family: Homer B. Willis born in Latah, Missouri
August 21, 1888. Nora L. Bailey born August 17, 1889.
They were married March 1, 1908.
Children: Eunice Cinderella Eddy, Homer Raymond,
Charles Lee, Alene Loraine (Mrs. Hall Cowen), Robert Leon, and Joyce Joan
(Mrs. John Rindal).
I left Roy January 1941, returning to Roy in 1950
with my wife, Inga, and daughter, Diane. I worked with Dad on the ranch
and in 1954 took over the gas station and garage in Roy. Built a new station
in 1962 and continued business in the new building until 1966 when we left
Roy.
We have two children: Diane Louise Willis Scharpp
and Michael Eugene Willis. Michael was born in Lewistown, Montana. Diane
graduated from high school in Roy and Michael went through grade six in
Roy, graduating from high school in Bremerton, Washington. Diane is married
and has four children, two boys and two girls. My wife and I now live in
Washington state.
June Marsch lived with the Willis family in Roy
and graduated in 1964. She married Warren Staples son of Betty (Mrs. Milford
Rellick). June was a sister to Mrs. Gordon Anderson.P.
377
LOIS WOODARD FAMILY
Lois Jackson was raised in the Dovetail area, the
daughter of Carl and Mae Jackson. She came to Roy in 1947 and attended
RHS when her mother came to teach at the Bohemian Hall school.
In June of 1950, shortly after her graduation
from high school, she and Jack Woodard were married. They made their home
on the Red Barn Ranch, south of Roy, until 1965 when Lois moved into Roy.
Lois purchased the Roy Grocery from Bill and Ruth
Winkler in 1969. She has operated the business since that time except for
3 years, from 1978 to 1981, when she and her youngest daughter, Paula,
moved to Billings. During that time Sherry and her husband ran the store.
Carl Jackson passed away in February of 1969.
After his death Mae lived with her daughter for several years. She now
resides in Billings.
All of the Woodard children graduated from Roy
High School with the exception of Paula.
Sherry, class of 1970, married Jim Warneke, the
son of Fred and Betty Warneke. Jim graduated from RHS in 1966. His parents
had the Roy Grocery for several years during the sixties. Jim and Sherry
now live in Watford City, ND where he is employed in oil fields. They have
three sons: Jimmy John, Justin and Chad.
Greg, class of 1972, married Yvonne Westover from
Lewistown. They live in Billings where he owns and operates his own repair
business. They have three children: Karry Jo, Clinton and Loni.
Steve, Class of 73, lives in Billings where he
is employed in the mine equipment repair business. He is married to Judy
Siroky, daughter of Jim and Ruth Siroky. They have a son, Jordan, and a
daughter, Amber.
Carla (Irish), class of 1976 married Doug Irish,
son of Glen and Esther Irish. They are separated and Carla now lives in
Sheridan, Wyoming with their two daughters, Becky and Carmen.
Paula graduated from Huntley Project High School.
She and her husband, Kyle Morken, and daughter, Alisha, live in Dagmar,
Montana.
K. W. AND KATHERINE WRIGHT
K.W. Wright was an early day homesteader in Roy
and also owned and operated a furniture store in Roy.
Kerridge William Wright was born in London in
1860. He received his education there and after college immigrated to the
United States in the late 1880's.
He built up and operated an extensive teaming
and storage business in Chicago, where he settled.
In 1885 he married Katherine Elizabeth Mooney,
an Irish girl born and reared in Chicago. To this union were born eleven
children, 8 boys and 3 girls. Their first born, a daughter named Laura,
was born in 1889 and lived only a couple of months. All of the children
were born in Chicago.
Wright came to Roy in 1913. He retained his business
interests in Chicago and opened up a furniture store in Roy. August Diamond
bought the stock in 1917 and moved it into his furniture store, and J.E.
Cox moved his office into the vacated building. Wright then moved out to
his homestead north of Roy, which adjoined the homestead of his son, Joe.
He farmed for grain, using horses for power.
Walter remembers that they went into Roy for mail
and groceries with horse and buggy, and once in awhile they would go on
into Lewistown on the train. His first sight of the lights in town were
an astounding thing! "We got off the train and on the platform we walked
out towards the street and here were these big electric lights on tall
poles and each had four big bulbs! The electricity for them was generated
by the creek in Lewistown".
In 1930 the children of K.W. and Katherine were
listed as: William Kerridge of Chicago; Joe F. of Roy; Esther, the wife
of Charles Soper, who continued the transfer and storage business in Chicago
built up by K.W.; Harry, a homesteader in Roy; Viney, who was connected
with the Western Electric Company in New York City; Charles who was employed
in Bermuda; P. 378 John
and Welter who ranched along the Missouri River and Stanley who was a student
in Chicago.
K.W. returned to Chicago in 1928 where he passed
away in February of that year. Katherine returned to Chicago in the 30's
and she died there in December of 1936.
Joe, Harry and Walter all remained in Central
Montana.
John married Elna Brumfield and they left the
area in 1936 and went to Nevada with Joe Bell. They never returned.
Stanley married Leta Mae Cottrell. He lived in
the area periodically. His son, Gene, now deceased, attended school in
Roy.
Walter, Melvina (Vina) and Stanley still survive
as well as many descendants who live in the Central Montana-Roy area.
HARRY WRIGHT FAMILY
information by Esther Wright Irish
Harry Wright was born in Chicago, Illinois June 4, 1896.
He received his schooling there and at the age of 22 he came to Montana,
with his father and brother, Joe, and homesteaded north of Roy and worked
for his dad. A couple of years later his mother and three younger brothers
came to Roy. His father, K.W., had started a furniture store in Roy. Harry
stayed out on the homestead.
In 1933 Harry married Ruth Kauth.
Ruth was born November 2, 1913, the daughter of
Lawrence and Margie Kauth, homesteaders in the Kachia area. Their three
eldest daughters were born in Roy, while they were still on the homestead.
Esther was born on April 24, 1934; Harriet on December 22, 1935 and June
on June 9, 1937. They left the homestead in 1937 and went to Flint, Michigan
for two years.
Returning in 1939 they took over the Chevron gas
station and bulk plant from Mr. Lane, which Harry operated until he retired
in 1978. Two more daughters were born: Elaine on January 29, 1951 and Carol
on Apri16,1952.
The Wright's marriage ended. Ruth married Doyce
Woodiweiss and moved to Winnett. She passed away on September 11, 1980.
Harry married Ruth Stephens Carr in 1964. They
moved to Lewistown in the fall of 1979. Their property and buildings in
Roy were sold to Ralph and Shelly Willmore.
Ruth passed away in the fall of 1985 after a lengthy
illness. Harry died the following year on August 29, 1986.
Esther, a registered nurse, married Glen Irish
Jr. They ranch at Fergus. Harriet married his brother, Jim Irish and they
live in Lewistown. June married Larry Larson, son of Carl and Leona Larson
and they reside in Billings. They had three children: Joanie, Cheryl and
Terry. Elaine is married to Ray Goetts and they live at Stockett. She has
one son, Tim. Carol married David Martin.
FAMILY HISTORY OF JOE AND MARY WRIGHT
-- BILL WRIGHT- TOM AND JENNIE LINK --
JOE AND LAURA MAULAND
In 1930 Joe F. Wright was "one of the most prosperous
and highly esteemed citizens of Roy and Fergus county". Joe by 1930 had
gone broke after 9 years of struggle on the homestead. He had then worked
as a cowpuncher for such big outfits as the PN Ranch and the Murray Deaton
Cattle Company and had built up a stake which enabled him to lease a ranch
of 3,000 acres on which he developed a large herd of high grade Hereford
P.
379 cattle. In addition a herd of milk cows,
tended by his wife and children while he was away working, was built up
and was the important reason that he pulled through. Milk was delivered
to the Roy Creamery and was a steady source of income for the family. Later
on Joe leased the Elmer Turner place at Rocky Point. The government had
bought Turners for the Ft. Peck Dam project.
Joe was born in Chicago, Illinois in August of
1892. He attended school only through the grades and while still very young
went to work helping his father in the teaming business.
In 1913 he left Chicago, came to Montana and filed
on a homestead, 7 miles north of Roy.
He built a one-room cabin of logs on his land
that was home for the family during their nine years on the homestead.
The family consisted of his wife, whom he married in December of 1909 in
Chicago, and three children, Jennie, Laura and Bill.
Mrs. Wright was born Mary Hennessy, a daughter
of Patrick Hennessy, in County Limerick, Ireland and was reared and educated
there. When she was 16 she immigrated to the United States and worked as
a maid in homes of influential Chicago families before her marriage to
Joe. She had a brother, Patrick, in New York, and a brother, Michael, and
a sister, Kate, in Chicago.
Wright was a staunch Democrat. He belonged to
no fraternity or church.
The daughters, Jennie and Laura, were "exceptional
young women of unusual energy and enterprise." Both were accomplished horsewomen
and they both also accumulated cattle of their own and they had their own
brands. Their ranching knowledge and skills were invaluable to their father
in his ranching enterprise.
Jennie was known throughout Fergus county as a
range rider. She broke her own horses, knew all the brands in the Northeast
section of Fergus county and "her experiences and accomplishments have
made her known as far away as Chicago", as reported in "Montana: The Land
and The People", published in 1930 by the Lewis Publishing Company of Chicago
and New York. She was a popular young lady who began her cowboying days
at the age of five.
Jennie married Tom Link in 1936. Together they
leased a ranch from the Army Corps of Engineers along the Missouri River.
They flooded out in 1947 and in the late 40's they purchased the old DHS
and Reese Anderson ranches, south of Black Butte.
Tom passed away in July of 1971. Jennie lives
part time on the ranch, which is now operated by their only child, daughter
Kitty, and her husband, Wayne Wyman and their daughters; Tammy, Dusty and
Wendy. She spends part of her time in Lewistown in the home she shared
with her sister, after Laura became a widow. The Wymans still live in the
house built in 1876 by Reese Anderson. It has been remodeled and today
is an attractive and modern ranch home.
Laura married Joe Mauland in 1946. Joe was the
son of Louie and Annie Mauland who emigrated from Norway in 1896. They
operated a post office from their homestead until 1907 (Two Calf area).
Two other sons were Odin and Oscar.
Joe and Laura ranched along the river bottoms
on the old Mauland-Anderson ranch, which Joe inherited from his uncle,
John Mauland. The couple remained childless, though Laura dearly loved
children and many youngsters growing up in the Roy area called her "Aunt"
Laura. She always had a special gift for every new one that arrived, and
for birthdays for the youngsters. P.
380
Bill ranched in partnership with his sisters,
except for a period during World War II when he served with the Army in
Europe. Later he was in partnership with Tom and Jen when they moved to
the DHS.
Bill did not share his sisters love of horses,
the mere presence of being in the same corral with them would cause utterances
that were "unbelievable". But Bill loved his machinery; he would drive
a tractor or truck all day in complete contentment.
Joe Wright and his wife lived in the Roy area
until 1936, when they moved to Lewistown because of her ill health. She
passed away in 1956. He worked for the city until he retired in 1959. Joe
passed away in April of 1967 at the age of 74 from injuries sustained in
an auto accident.
Bill was in ill health for many years following
his discharge from the service. He never married. He died October of 1975.
In 1968 Joe and Laura leased their place on the
river and retired to Lewistown.
In April of 1975 Joe passed away very suddenly
from a heart attack. Laura and Jen were as close as sisters could be and
after Joe's death they spent their time either in the Lewistown home or
on Jen's ranch, helping out.
Laura passed away in 1985 after a long bout with
cancer.
MEMORIES OF LIFE ON A HOMESTEAD
by Walter A. Wright
Born in Chicago, Ill., I came to Montana in 1913.
I was two years old.
I don't remember much about those early years,
except that everything seemed a long way off, and big in size.
Joe homesteaded seven miles north of Roy on the
dry Armells Creek, and it was just that--dry. We had to go six miles, to
Charlie Bishop's place just north of Roy, to get drinking water. We had
to go 40 miles to get wood. Somehow, it seemed that I was the only one
who could cut it up!
I picked lots of sage brush in those early days,
and followed four head of horses on a drag harrow all day.
In about 1924 we moved to Roy, and it was there
that I received my education.
I guess I have done just about everything in my
life. During World War II, Uncle Sam sent me on a "vacation", and paid
all my expenses. I saw a lot of country that I would never have seen otherwise.
About all I get done now that I'm retired
is a lot of nothing. I just live one day at a time, and sometimes reminisce
in rhythm and rhyme:
The good, old homestead days have come and gone,
But memories still linger on.
I wouldn't trade one day back then
For all the money in Washington.
The moon comes up, the sun goes down,
The old world keeps going round and round;
But no matter how long from sun to sun,
A homesteader's work is never done.
Up in the morning before daylight;
Before he sleeps, the moon shines bright.
The rooster crows, the coyote wails,
He starts the chores with the old milk pail;
Slop the hogs, collect the eggs, feed the horses
oats and hay;
Separates the milk in the old Delavell-
Don't turn on, till he cranks like hell,
It's ready to go when he can't hear the bell.
Five-gallon can of cream, a dollar thirty-five;
Five cents a dozen for eggs--if they're nice;
Nineteen-cent wheat, not very much for oats or rye
Took all he could get just to survive!
But time passed and he made his trip to heaven
From that plot of ground,
Just under a mound
Measuring three by seven, by seven seven.
Amen.
ANDERSON, BOSTWICK (BAUSTIC) Mr. and Mrs.--his
nickname was Turkey Red. A homesteader and horse trader, he was here in
1911.
BRANDMETER, JOHN F. (BRANDMEIR)-- came to Roy in
the fall of 1917. Rented rooms in the Summer building and opened a law
office. He was a graduate of the University of Minnesota. He had been associated
with the firm of Kotz and Molumby in Great Falls.
CLOW, BYRON L.-- in 1913 he was U.S. Land Commissioner
in Roy. In 1914 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace. In 1917 he was
secretary of a Federal Farm Loan bank organized that fall. Mrs. Clow was
a daring woman for her day. Her dresses were so short that the toes of
her shoes could be seen when she walked!!
FREDETTE, JOE (FRENCHIE) AND DORIS-- Joe "Frenchie"
Fredette was a dray man in Roy. Later he drove the Lewistown stage for
Stendal. He was a small, chunky man; very nice and likable. He married
Doris Aualey who taught primary grades in Roy. She was a small, very pretty
young woman. It seemed as though every boy in school "had a crush on her."
FORTE, PETER-- was a native of Asiago, Italy and
was a partner of Steve Ghezzo. He lived in Roy in 1936. He had a brother,
Christian, who died in '36 or '37, possibly in Roy. Pete and Chris were
homesteaders on Dry Armells, T 20, R 21 and neighbors of Steve Ghezzo.
O'HARA, BLANCHE-- conducted a business school in
Roy. The school was located in the Hanson Bank Building. Blanche P.
381 was a school teacher. Her sister, Alice
O'Harra, was the Superintendent of Roy schools in 1919-20.
SUMMERS, J.E. "JACK" AND MRS.-- was known as the
Land Man. He was an agent for the Union Central Insurance Company. He maintained
land locating offices in Roy as well as other towns. Homesteaded in Roy
and lived here for 12 years. Jack died in 1930 in Los Angeles, California.
THORSON, ED AND HANNAH-- Homesteaded in the Roy
area in 1914. The 55-year-old rancher died on April 4, 1947, following
a stroke. It was determined that he had been stricken the day before he
was discovered unconscious and near death. A daughter, Mrs. C,A. Johnson,
of Clinton, Minnesota was the only listed survivor.
WEILOFF, BERTHA AND VICTOR-- owned and operated
Weiloff Oil Company at Winnett, Roy and Lewistown, retiring in 1945.
WEYER, ARTHUR- family came from Blue Earth, Minnesota
in May of 1920 when he accepted a position in the First National Bank of
Roy.
WUNDERLICH, FRED- committed suicide in September
1955. He had lived in Roy for more than 35 years. A bachelor, he was born
in March 1885 in Montpelier, Iowa where he received his schooling. In May
1926 he and Frank Bare had their road grading crew working on the Rocky
Point road near Joslin. He lived just west of Roy, raised chickens and
delivered eggs all over. |