3/06/2004
Hi, sorry I'm slow about getting back to your letter. It looks
like you have more snow than we do! We got another 5-6"
yesterday. We had planned to go to Kalispell (120 miles East of
us) to see my brother, in the hospital after an accident, but
decided to stay home and glad we did.
We live in the very Northwest part
of Montana, close to the Canadian border and only 2 miles from
the Idaho border. Our actual address is Troy, Montana, but we
live 16 miles from Troy. We are the first paved road off of Hwy
2 after you cross the Montana border, from Idaho. Turn left and
come straight up the hill. We're the first mailbox on Rocky
Draw. I do hope you and your husband will come see us, if you
take the hi-line route sometime on your way to Ennis. How did
you decide on Ennis? That is East of the divide and we are West
(as I'm sure you know). Sometimes East and West Montana are as
different as North and South CA.
Troy, Montana is the lowest
elevation in Montana (1800 ft)! We are about 2,500 feet, so I'm
sure we don't get near as much snow as you do now. We lived in
Libby, MT, for almost 20 years where Gene ran his own automatic
transmission shop "The Transmission Magician". We also lived in
Missoula, MT, for 3 years, where our youngest son, Shane, was
born in 1976. We liked the smaller town, slower pace of
Libby. Gene had a heart attack in 1995, which prevented him from
lifting the heavy transmissions anymore. We sold our home in
"town" and moved out to the "boonies", where we had 27 1/2
acres, which he was going to use as a airstrip for the ultra
light aircraft that he was selling and training people to
fly. That all died away before we moved out and Gene could not
use his pilot's license anymore (because of heart attack). We
are now semi-retired and enjoy the slow pace of life on Rocky
Draw.
Between us we have 8 children. I had
twins (Kevin and Dodie) from my 1st marriage (to Larry van Uden). Gene
had 3 children with his 1st wife and two foster boys. We have 15
grandchildren and 1 great granddaughter (born this Jan.). We
have another great grandchild due next month. Our children are
all in Montana, Kalispell, Livingston and Emigrant (over by
Yellowstone park), except for Bill, in Medicine Bow, WY. My
parents live in Troy too (about 16 miles from our house). My
brother, Cliff, lives in Kila (near Kalispell). He had a severe
accident and has been in the Kalispell Hospital for some time
now. My other brother, Gene, still lives in CA (Magalia).
I've really enjoy going to the
website you've put up for our school. It is so good to see the
faces again of those I went to school with. I was so sorry to
see that so many have passed away. I would like to invite any of
them (and you) to stop by our house, if they get to the
Northwestern part of Montana. Our address is 1201 Rocky Draw,
Troy, MT 59935 and the phone # is (406) 295-9277. I plan on
writing to some of those with e-mail addresses.
Thanks again for keeping our class
in touch.
Your classmate, Connie (Frazier)
Frederick
4/18/2005
Hi Sherry,
