30 Years Ago

From the Examiner Files

 


Thursday, June 29, 1989

Largest-ever Fourth of July parade ready to roll

The Centennial Fourth of July Parade in Broadus will rival any in local history, and will no doubt set a mark for future parades to shoot for as Montana passes into its second hundred year of statehood.

Mike Copps has organized the parade for the past three years and his hard work and experience are paying big dividends. About 12 horse drawn wagons will be included this year along with some 14 floats that have thus far been promised along with various other entries, including and antique car display. Eighteen local pioneer residents contacted have accepted the Commercial Club Centennial Committee’s request to share honors as Grand Marshals in this year’s event.

Accepting the offer to ride as Grand Marshals are Harry Mitchell, Everett and Jeff Riter, Ruth Newmiller, Carl and Inez Smith, Joe Dent, Florida Linville, George Daniels, Eva Sullivan (who’s birthday falls on the Fourth), Lena Trucano, Nellie Irion, Alpha Irion, Mary Barbero, Lydia Capra, Amalia Gosselin, Hazel Burnsides, and Alvin Jurica. Honorary Marshals, who declined for various reasons, were Oral Lei, Tom Daily, Della Wice, and Alex Denson.

The senior member of the elite group, Florida Linville, is 95. She came to Broadus in 1915, during the town’s infancy, as a school teacher. She met and married Doc Linville. They had six children. Mrs. Linville remembers being “terrified when she heard her first wolf howl.”

Eva Sullivan will celebrate her 88th birthday on the Fourth of July… a cause for triple celebration. The Fourth not only marks her birthday and the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is also the anniversary of the date she first came to Powder River County, on her fourteenth birthday. She arrived at her father’s homestead. She taught school and married Greek Sullivan, also a homesteader. The couple owned and operated the Broadus Merc for many years. She has one son, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

The selection of Grand Marshals would not have been complete without Ruth Newmiller. Mrs. Newmiller, 87, came to the area in 1911. She was one of the two members of the Broadus High School graduating class of 1923. Mrs. Newmiller homesteaded on Horse Creek before graduating from high school. That homestead is now a part of the Randall Ranch. She taught school in the area for 39 years and is remembered, with respect, admiration and fondness by the many generations she taught. Mrs. Newmiller retired from teaching in 1972. She and her husband Carl were married 63 years ago, by the Justice of the Peace at the Kingsley Post Office (Mr. Raynor).

Carl and Inez Smith, 87 and 86 years young, will share a rightful place in the parade. Carl will, as in past years, ride his horse while his wife will be on one of the horse-drawn vehicles. Carl, who served for many years as State Representative to Powder River County was born in Iowa. He was six weeks old, in 1901, when his mother brought him to his father’s homestead in the Sonnette area, by train to Miles City and by wagon the rest of the way. Inez was born in the Moorhead area. She taught school for two years before marrying Carl. The couple continues to reside on their Olive area ranch.

The Chiesa sisters, Mary Barbero, 88, Lydia Capra, 84, and Amalia Gosselin, 81, were also among the Marshals. The ladies, with one brother (the youngest brother was born here) came with their mother directly from Italy in 1912 to their father’s homestead. Father Seconda Chiesa had been here for two years. The family came by boat to New York, by train to Whitewood, SD, and by wagon to the Boyes area. None could speak English when they arrived.

At age 88, Hazel Burnsides also still lives on her ranch, on the North Fork of Taylor Creek. She continued to ride horseback until she was 75 years old. Mrs. Burnsides, did the ranch work when her husband was ill, and since 1966 she ran the outfit alone. She is a true western rancher.

Nellie Irion, 86, came to the area in 1920 as a school teacher. She met and married local resident Ralph Irion. The couple lived the first five years of their marriage in a sheep wagon. Nellie has a son, a daughter, three grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Alpha Irion, at 82, still remains independent. She was born in Iowa and came to the Mizpah area with her parents, in 1913. One spring after she and Carl Irion were married, they went to the “north side” where he was a night lamber and she cooked for the herders, who expected her to have fresh-baked bread every day, which she did. That was in 1925, and their combined wages were $5 a day. When Alpha lived in her family’s soddie, she and her children would sit on the couch and she would shoot bullsnakes as they poked their heads through the mopboard. Mrs. Irion continues to work as a mail carrier, something she has done for over 50 years.

Alvin Jurica, 86, moved to the area by way of Texas, California and Idaho. The homestead his folks filed on in 1916 is still part of the Jurica Ranch. Alvin remembers winters on the ranch when the family almost starved. He married Mary Leo in 1937, and they had four children.

Everett and Jeff Riter, 75 and 73, were both born and raised in this area. They lost their mother in 1919 and their dad raised the children alone. Both have, for the most part, lived their entire lives in Powder River County. Everett continues to live on the family ranch south of Broadus, which has been in the Riter name since 1907. Jeff lives in Crane Acres.

Joe Dent, 87 years young, was born in Wheatland, MO, on May 14, 1902. He came to Montana in 1917 with his parents and they homesteaded on Wild Bill Creek near Biddle. In 1921, he married Peggy Scott and filed on a homestead. They moved to Broadus in 1939. Joe held a variety of jobs, from dirt contractor, W.P.A. supervisor, surveyor, employee of Yellowstone Lumber for 17 years, cowboy, saw filer, gun smith and musician, playing for dances for many years with his sons. He still keeps busy with his music, entertaining at various community functions, and with his family and friends.

Lena Trucano, 87, was born in the western part of the state and came to the area in 1920. She was postmaster at Boyes for 34 years. She married Jim Trucano and they raised four daughters. Mrs. Trucano continues to live near daughter Linda Rogge and her husband, Joy, just west of Broadus.

Also joining the parade will be popular long-time Broadus resident George Daniels. George was born and raised in the Daily Creek area of Powder River County. He married Betty Steadman, who lived in the area since she was three years old. The couple ranched on the Mizpah and later ran the liquor store in Broadus. They had three children. George retired to Bozeman in 1987, and will return especially for the parade.

Two other special Grand Marshals not previously mentioned were Powder River Manor Centennial King and Queen Charlie Wellman and Irene Penson.

 

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