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The Montana Fulbrights

In the early 1900’s the family of Levi Stout lived in Kansas, a short distance from several families of Fulbrights who were then living in Barton County, Missouri. Levi left Kansas in 1910, in favor of a homestead in Montana, settling in the Judith Basin near the then tiny settlement of Coffee Creek; a village named for the appetizing appearance of a small stream of the same name running nearby. At that time homesteads were easy to obtain and he selected 160 acres of fertile and level land.

Soon two brothers, William and Levi Fulbright, also departed Barton County taking homesteads near Coffee Creek. These men, and their older brother, Rufus, much better known as R.O., were sons of William Leander (Lee) Fulbright. Lee was one of the two sons of Wilson Fulbright, who was the ninth child of Uncle Billy and Aunt Rutha, early settlers of Springfield, Missouri.

William Fulbright lived on his original homestead, just east of Coffee Creek, until his death in 1969. Married twice, he outlived both wives and left no issue; but left behind an example of honesty and integrity that might well be emulated by everyone.

Levi Fulbright married Minnie Stout, the charming and only daughter of Levi Stout. After farming for a while Levi Fulbright sold his homestead to his brother, William, and moved to the west coast in search of greener pastures. The family consisted of four girls and one son; two of the girls and the son are deceased. One of the other girls, Mae, lives in Ontario, Oregon and Myrtle, the FFA recording secretary, lives in Astoria, Oregon.

The R.O. Fulbright family also soon left Barton County and filed a homestead near Ingomar, Montana. Their move was in an emigrant car via the new rail line, then across the prairie in a wagon to a barren, desolate and sparsely settled area.

In 1914 my father, R.O. Fulbright and my mother, his wife Nellie, then with ten children, had decided that raising and peddling strawberries was not really the greatest style of life, and they set out to improve their lives by moving to the ‘west’, in distant Montana. Their oldest son, Elmer, was already in Montana working for Levi Stout. Elmer, after serving in the army during the first World War, returned to Coffee Creek and married Emma Rouse; they reared two boys and five girls. The boys and one daughter still live in the same area and the other girls are nearby except for one in Colorado.

By 1914 their oldest daughter, Amelia, was also in Montana, married to Elbert Stout, a son of Levi. This couple reared one son and two daughters; the son Edward, happens to be the FFA historian. One daughter lives in Aberdeen and the other in Colville, Washington.

When R.O. arrived in the Judith Basin the land around Coffee Creek evidently was all taken. In 1915 they settled for a homestead near Ingomar in Rosebud County, near the families of Guy Lakin and John Thomas who also hailed from the same Barton County area. These families failed to prove up on their claims, and soon moved to the Coffee Creek area. R.O. and Nellie, made of sterner stuff, prevailed and in spite of the rattlesnakes, drought and infertile land, remained to make good on their obligation and successfully proved up on their homestead before they, too, departed for a better life in the Coffee Creek area.

That trip was made in a homemade covered wagon, assembled on their old farm wagon, to which they hooked up their team of horses, tied the milk cow on behind, allowed to dog to occupy the safe spot under the vehicle and away they went. Of course it rained most of the way making cooking over a campfire, fueled by soaked buffalo chips, less than pleasant. The writer, then a five year old boy, had nothing to worry about except enjoying the adventure. Arriving in the then thriving metropolis of Coffee Creek, R.O. soon found a fine job hauling school kids in his old covered wagon and the family set out to establish and to enjoy a new home.

Of the other nine children in the R.O. Fulbright family, Flora married Otto Wesche and they reared three girls, one is deceased and the other two live in Great Falls, Montana. Goldie married Robert Handford. They had three boys, one is deceased, one lives in Frenchtown, Montana, and the other in Boise, Idaho. Clarence (Pete) married Helen Strouf and they reared two boys. One lives in Belgrade and one in Great Falls, Montana. Gladys married Bill Strouf and had a family of three boys and three girls. One son is deceased, one lives in Port Angeles, Washington, the other in Moccasin, Montana. The girls live in Lewistown, Montana. Alice married Bill Platts; their one son lives in Deerpark and their daughter in Spokane, Washington. Charlie married Marion Lee, their one son lives in Powell, Wyoming, and their three daughters all live near Marion's home in Belt, Montana. I, Bill, now the only remaining member of this family, married Mae Bell Vaughn and we reared two fine boys, one now living in Great Falls, and the other near me at Dayton, Washington. Jim married Louise Birkland, two children, their son lives in Alaska and their daughter in Illinois. The youngest, Glenn, married Delores Jacobson, a son and daughter live in Great Falls, and two more daughters live in Kalispell, Montana.

So that, briefly, is how it happens Fulbrights are now found in Montana. Most of those descending remain in the northwest today. Looking back over the many years, and the many lives recalled above, I can enjoy my own retirement secure in the knowledge that this paragraph in history, lived by our Montana Fulbrights, like so many others elsewhere is one in which we can take great pride.

--by the younger William Wilson Fulbright,

Uncle Bill, of Dayton, Washington.