Big Sandy High School - Pioneer Yearbook (Big Sandy, MT)

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ERMA BUCHHOLZ REICHELT Box 516 Big Sandy, MT 59520 (406) 378-2237 My first eight years of school was at the Prairie City country school, which was located only four miles from our farm that I grew up on. During my high school years, I lived in Big Sandy in a small house my parents owned. We only stayed there during the school year and then back to the farm for the summers. In the fall of 1945, I married Donald Reichelt, who had just been discharged from the Army after 3 years. We bought a farm about nine miles west of Big Sandy. He is now semi-retired from farming. We have seven children. Our oldest son, Russell, is now living in Yuma, Arizona, with his wife, Elaine, and three children. He is a civil engineer working for the Federal government. Les, our second son, is living in Glendive, Montana, with his wife, Lisa, and three children and is a Biology teacher at the Dawson Community College. Verlin, our third son, is currently living in Big Sandy with his wife, Patty, and he farms west of Big Sandy. Lenore, our daughter, is living in Big Sandy with her husband, Earl, and three children. She works for Big Sandy Activities and manages two group homes for adults with developmental disabilities. Our next two children were twins. Curt and Corinne. Corinne is living in Frederick, Maryland, and is an accountant for Bionetics. Curt is living with his wife, Janice, and four children in Whitewater, Montana. He manages the Farmer's Union. Our youngest son, John, and his girlfriend, Mary, are living in Billings and he is a hairstylist. He owns his own salon, Park Place. When my son, John, started first grade in 1963, I decided it was time for me to experience something besides taking care of kids. I started working at the Sande Convalescent Home as an aide. Over the next four years, I was able to get licensed as a Licensed Practical Nurse and have continued working for Sande1 s over the past thirty years. I have gone from full-time to part-time and now just work occasionally there. I am now working for Big Sandy Activities as a LPN. I I belong to V.F.W. Auxiliary, Homemakers Club, Sr. Citizens and our local W.C.G. ladies group of the Church of God. I enjoy flower arranging, collecting cookbooks, ceramics, and reading. I also enjoy going on tour bus trips that the local travel agency sponsors. 31

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farm. I then came back to school and joined the class of '45. I again dropped out my junior year to help on the farm due to my father's health, never to return to finish my high school education. In 1945 I married Ann M. Fisher of the Iliad community. Not only will I be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the class of '45, but Ann and I will also be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. Ann and I have four children: Gary, Ron, Wayne and Luanne. To these marriages add twelve grandchildren and four great grandchildren. My wife and I have retired from farming but still own the farm which has been leased out to a nephew. Happy 50th to the class of '45 from Louis and Ann Beeler. LOUIS V. BEIRWAGEN HCR 67 Box 41 Loma, MT 59460 (406) 378-3125 I was born on the farm where my father homesteaded and still live there. For my first three years of school I attended the Ray school on the prairie, eighteen miles west of Big Sandy. Then I went to school in Big Sandy with the class of '45 from fourth grade through ninth grade, and dropped out the following year to help on the farm when my brother Art went to the Army. I never returned as later served on the Big Sandy school board for I met June Zanto from Highwood, when she came to Big Sandy to teach Home Economics in 1952, and we were married in 1953. We have three daughters, one son, and seven grandchildren. Our son is now managing our farms and is the third generation on the home place. A daughter and her husband have recently moved out to join him. Our oldest daughter and her family live in Portland, North Dakota and our youngest daughter and her family live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I I feel fortunate to have been involved in the occupation of farming all my life which I enjoyed and it has been good to me. I am now semi retired. a student, but nine years. 30

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Over the past several years, my husband and I have visited Arizona several times to visit our son, Washington D.C. to visit our daughter and Richland, Washington, to visit my sisters. Several years ago as a Christmas gift, our children gave us a trip to Hawaii. My three sisters and their husbands also went on the trip. We have also been to Colorado Springs. Colorado; Spokane, Washington; and St. Louis, Missouri to attend my husband's Army reunions. I am looking forward to seeing all my classmates on our 50th year class reunion. This is also a special year for me, since I will be celebrating my golden wedding anniversary. Born Ted 17, 1928 Erikson (exactly Wally...conceptions celebrations), my 1934 to Fred Kluck stead ranch about Big Sandy. I was grammar school in Sandy BSHS to in Chicago on February 7 years after my brother were Ma' s birthday mother's marriage in carried us to his home- 40 miles southeast of graduated from Eskay 1941 and attended Big was graduated from Chicago), transferring where I was graduated in attended Northern Montana before enlisting in the U.S Service). High School for one semester (Wally in 1938 and already had left for South Shore High School in Chicago 1945. Returning College in Havre Navy in 1946 for to Big Sandy, I for one semester 2 years (Submarine TED ERIKSON 1226 E. Madison Park Ave. Chicago, IL 60615-2915 (312) 538-4454 From my marriage to Loretta Moss in 1949, daughter Pam Ellen was born in 1950 (now living in Burke, Virginia with husband Captain Kevin Perkins and their children, Kelly and Sean) and son Jon Allen was born in 1954 (now living in Boca Raton, Florida with wife Debby and son Blake). I pursued my education at the Illinois Institute of Technology earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering in 1952 and a Master of Science Degree in Chemistry in 1959. From 1952-1974, I was employed at the IIT Research Institute where I worked to a position of Senior Chemist doing rocket fuels research. A dozen technical publications and three patents highlight my work. In 1974, I transferred to teaching chemistry, physics, and mathematics as a tenured teacher in the School City of Hammond, Indiana. After early retirement in 1989, I continue occasional substitute teaching in Chicago Public Schools...quite an experience! 32