Memories

Continuing with families tied to Bob and Grace Renshaw

 


I will have at least one more article on Bob and Grace Renshaw.

I last wrote about how Bob had left the homestead, been elected Clerk and Recorder, rented the Lane property, and eventually moved to their permanent home in Ekalaka in 1931. Like most of us, he reports that they paid “monthly installments.” I remember, especially as a grade schooler, what a beautiful yard and home they had.

There was always lots of work for the new clerk and recorder and he named the following people who helped him in his office: Eddie Sykes (who became his deputy), Royal Sandy, Hazel Larson, and Josephine Lane (Richardson).

As usual, I would like to go down a “rabbit trail” again and share some information about the Hazel Larson family. Hazel A. (Kjelshus) Larson was born on January 26, 1909 in Little Falls, Minnesota. Her parents came from Lisa, Norway to the United States in May, 1893. I remember thinking that she had an odd name—but now knowing where they came from—it makes sense. Her mother passed away in February of 1923 and her father in April 1924. After both of her parents died, Hazel moved to Ekalaka to live with her sister, Mrs. Ted Nelstead, and family.

Hazel was married to Roland W. Larson of Lakota, North Dakota on January 17, 1935 in Little Falls, Minnesota. They were divorced in 1943. Roland was the son of J.P. Larson who owned and operated the Ekalaka Light Plant. The light plant furnished electricity to the Town of Ekalaka.

Roland and Hazel had three sons. The first was James Clair Larson, born February 2, 1936 in Ekalaka at the Bertha Beery residence with Dr. B.B. Sandy in attendance. The other boys were twins, Gale Kjelsus Larson and Dale Roland Larson. They were delivered by the same people.

Tragedy came about in June 1949 when the boys were at the Ekalaka town dump. At the time, the dump was located northeast of Ekalaka. The Ekalaka Eagle from June 24, 1949 reported:

Dale Larson, 11, son of Mrs. Hazel Larson, was accidentally shot fatally Monday evening, June 20, at six p.m. by his twin brother, Gale. The boys had found an old rusty gun at the town dump during the afternoon and were playing with it at the time of the accident. Besides Gale, Janice Harrington, age 12, was probably the only witness, although neighbors, as well as Mrs. Larson and Jimmy, the twins’ brother, were at the scene immediately. Dale died almost instantaneously.

Hazel graduated from Carter County High School in 1926. Some of the other graduates that year included Edwin E. Sykes, Erma L. Hobbs (Albert), Francis Fay Tooke, Myrtle Johnston (Yates), and several others.

Hazel attended business college and returned to Ekalaka where she worked eight years for Ted Nelstead at the Carter County Abstract and Title Company. She also worked for Morine R. Anderson for twenty-five years, for Josephine (Lane) Richardson of Red Lodge for a year and a half, and six years for Richard G. Mitchell of Miles City. Her home was on the corner of Church Street and School Street, west across the street from the Catholic Church. It still stands today.

The article about the family in Shifting Scenes does not tell of Hazel’s passing but it does show a picture of her and the boys in 1957. There is also a picture of James and his family, who at the time lived in Severna Park, Maryland, and a picture of Gale and his wife, who were living in Northridge, California.

I remember Hazel as a gentle, soft-spoken, attractive, mother and business lady.

Well, this “rabbit trail” was rather long and I still have lots of information from Bob Renshaw on the dry, depression years from 1931 to 1940 which I want to share with readers in my next article.

 

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