A Much Kinder Time Part 3 ~ by Grace Augustine

     Do you remember your first job?  I mean other than delivering the local newspaper, mowing lawn, or babysitting?  I did my fair share of babysitting during my teen years. What I'm talking about is your first regular paycheck job after high school...maybe for some it would be during or after college.
     My first paying job was for Maxie's Bakery. It was a mom and pop type place owned by Max, Sr. and Ella Mae Cebula. They were wonderful people and employers. There was one other person who helped with the baking, his name was George. 
     When I was hired, I was the front sales person...in charge of greeting customers, filling their orders, slicing and bagging the fresh bread in front of their very eyes, and making sure the display cases of pastries were clean and filled.
     There were so many wonderful pastries, it was hard to name a favorite. However, there was a favorite...and it was one that wasn't made too often. I don't believe it had a name. It was a miniature cinnamon roll made in mini cupcake pans. The batter was

different...buttery if that was even possible. There were also apricot and cherry filled butterhorns (I see the quizzical looks on your faces.) Butterhorns were round sweet dough with fruit in the centers (similar to kolaches, yet different. In today's world, they equate butterhorns with crescent rolls...in the 70's it wasn't so, they were more like Danish.) 
   

 I hated quitting that job because I loved the people so much, but I left it for a job with First Montana Title and Abstract Company. At the time, the office was located in the corner building that housed Glacier County Bank. The title office was "upstairs" along with Froman Oil and Gas Company. If you look at the very back of the building past the mural, that was the entrance to my offices. There were two huge windows.

     My job was to go to the courthouse daily and record what was called the "take off"-- documents pertaining to land that had been recorded that day. Let me tell you, there were a lot of documents some days...easements, rights of way, quit claim deeds, warranty deeds, etc. 
     I learned the process of writing title insurance, updating abstracts, pulling chains of title on parcels of land for independent oil and gas companies, and met some very interesting characters.
     The first time I met Wilbur Werner, one of the town's attorneys, he made me cry. I don't remember the circumstances, but I remember my boss was furious and went to his office and confronted him. From that moment on, Mr. Werner became a good friend. He taught me a lot about tribal law and life in general. I loved listening to his stories.
     

Another favorite person I had conversations with was the tribal chief, Bill Big Springs. It makes me smile to think of him sitting in my office telling legends of the Blackfeet Nation.
     While working at the title and abstract office I witnessed a tornado (out of these windows--there is no longer a door) go right past the window and up the street--doing damage to the school. 

I attended many men's slow-pitch softball games because the attorneys I worked with played. I made many friends...the ladies at the Clerk of Court and County Recorder offices, the President and VP of the title company, many of the guys who worked for Froman's stopped and said hello and chatted for a few minutes on their way in or out.
     I feet privileged to have lived during a time without computers, without social media, a much kinder time. To this day I prefer face to face in person conversations than typed ones. You cannot replicate the warmth of the person you are speaking with, the laughter you hear, or the joy on their face when you experience it first hand. 
     I left my hometown of Cut Bank, Montana in 1976 and moved to Portland, Oregon and later to Iowa. These tales hold memories as well,  but are best left for another day.

Photo credits to Google maps and Pinterest.

TODAY WE'RE CELEBRATING THE BIRTHDAYS OF TWO FABULOUS LADIES WHO ARE MEMBERS OF ORIGINALITY BY DESIGN...CO-FOUNDER, JOANNE JAYTANIE-DUNCAN AND AUTHOR & COVER ARTIST, LINDA BOULANGER. WISHING BOTH OF YOU A YEAR FILLED WITH MANY POSSIBILITIES AND MUCH LOVE AND SUCCESS.

 





















You can leave your wishes for them by visiting their pages here at ObD. Click their name below, scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your comments.

JOANNE
LINDA

A Much Kinder Time Part 2~ by Grace Augustine

   

Oh my goodness, the antics and stories these halls could tell if only they could talk! See that second window, first floor, on the right side of the main door? That was my Sophomore English class room...where a male student (who shall remain nameless) dropped another male student out the window for "continuously bugging" him. The dropped student suffered a broken arm. Just last year it was revealed to me, by the culprit, the real reason for the incident as well as who did the dropping...yet the accused still takes the blame today. I'm sworn to secrecy.

Not having kids or grands in high school, I'm not sure of the current protocol of classes. In the 70's we had a class president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. We built amazing floats from chicken wire over vehicles and spent the week of homecoming, at secret locations, stuffing colored napkins into said chicken wire, hoping our float would win. The Homecoming King and Queen nominees rode on the class floats and winners were announced at half-time of the football game. It was an honor to win. My class won a couple years in a row because of a team of architecturally minded builders who created marvelous floats. (This was one of the winners.)

Upon graduation, any left over class funds were transferred to the next class. Our president and staff decided that wasn't going to be a happening thing...so, our class purchased this...which still stands on the grounds today. Our mascot...the CBHS Wolf. My class graduated over 100 students.

One of the most unfortunate circumstances for my class, the class of 1974, was the fact that many of our classes were held in army trailers due to the fire that destroyed the beautiful glass and all wood interior gymnasium.  Classrooms, trophies and other memorabilia were gone in the blink of an eye. We were the only class in CBHS history to go all 4 years without a gymnasium.

This structure held many district and state basketball championship games as well as state wrestling matches. I lived 3 blocks from the school and stood in the alley-way, along with all of the neighborhood, weeping over this loss. The fire was so intense it was seen 25 miles away. Fire departments from all of the surrounding communities fought this blaze.

In the dead of the winter months, our Physical Education classes consisted of playing table tennis in the Army trailers or walking to the bowling alley to spend 45 minutes bowling, only to walk back in the sub-zero temperatures and knee-deep snow. You can see a couple of the trailers in this photo.

We had yearbooks...or annuals...that outlined sport successes, FFA, Spanish Club, Home Ec, Shop, Band, Choir, and many other school organizations. It also had photos of every person in each class as well as photos of all the teachers.  It was fun to ask classmates and teachers to "sign" your annual.  It's even more fun reading what was written now, some 44 years later. I smile and wonder where some classmates are, and fondly remember those who've already passed on.

To say it was a much kinder time is an understatement. Cut Bank was an oil and gas rich community with good, hardworking people raising families. In 1974, approximately 6,300 people lived in this thriving town that is the gateway to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and Glacier National Park, as well as being only a hop away from Canada...literally. 

Today, nearly 3,000 call Cut Bank home. Many of the businesses I knew and frequented are no longer there, but many new ones have taken their places. I encourage you to take a trip West on Highway 2 (it's the Main Street of Cut Bank) and experience all the state of Montana has to offer. And visit the amazing Glacier National Park. I guarantee it is one place you will never forget.

You can read part 1 Here.