Category: Family History

Colorful packages with ribbons and bows are piled under the tree that is decorated with twinkling lights that cast their dancing glow on the ceiling and walls. Shiny Christmas ornaments and balls show the reflection of those gathered around the tree, but the greatest reflection is seen the eyes of a child. It is the magic of Christmas.

The years go by and yet memories of Christmases long ago come to mind. One such time was a Christmas Eve when a newborn baby lay under the decorated tree in Bethlehem. The baby boy, just ten days old, kicked his legs, cooed, and smiled. His gray eyes glistened as they reflected the sparkling lights. He amazed all who saw him because he was so bright and alert. His smiles were contagious, and his coos brought laughter to all those gathered. 

We were given the gift of Christmas in a baby boy that brought such great joy.

A few short years later, on another Christmas Eve in Bethlehem, a three-year-old little boy smiled as he ran around and played, anxious to see what was in the bright packages under the tree. Another child, a baby girl, had joined the family. This little girl did not lay under the tree and smile. No, she cried with colic. Her eyes did not dance with the lights. She brought a different gift.

There was another visitor that year – Mrs. Hunt. One would have thought she was handed the world when she took a fussy little girl into her arms. The two of them, a matronly Southern lady and a colicky three-month-old baby girl rocked in the rocking chair as the runners squeaked and creaked.

There were gifts for all under the tree, but I think Mrs. Hunt got the best present of all – the unconditional love of a newborn baby – the gift that was wrapped in a blanket.

Now that’s a Christmas story!

The events of these two Christmases did indeed take place in Bethlehem – Bethlehem, Georgia. One of the highlights of our time there was the live Nativity complete with sheep, shepherds, Mary & Joseph, the wise men with their gifts, and even an angel who shown brightly atop the wooden stable under the star of wonder. It was a reminder of the gift that was given those many years ago in another Bethlehem, the magic of Christmas, a baby boy wrapped in swaddling clothes. 

I stood on the hill among tombstones that hid in the tall grass and wildflowers of the old Silver City Cemetery. Helena could be seen in the distance just to the Southeast. Though the streets of Helena were busy with the comings and goings of all kinds of folks, the little town of Silver City wasn’t much more than a name. Had events taken a turn years earlier, she would have won the right of being called the capital of Montana. But that wasn’t to be.

The cemetery was quiet except for the sounds of the mower being pushed by the kind gentleman who was trying to clear the weeds from around the gravestones and markers of those who were buried there with their memories. With my boots on, I walked around and snapped a few pictures of forgotten names and stones that had been so worn away no inscription could be read. Sunken places in the earth whispered stories of those whose remains lay all but forgotten.

As I stood there pondering the tales that would never be told, wondering about the lives of those who had come to this harsh and beautiful land, a van turned up the trail. It slowly made its way to the top hill. A young lady got out of the driver’s seat, walked around to the other side of the van, and opened the door. Out stepped an elderly slightly stooped gentleman with a cap on his head. 

He was gently led by the young lady who held his elbow in her palm, her other hand on his arm. He spoke to the man who had turned off the mower, “I just came to put a flower on her grave.” In the elderly man’s hand, he held a purple flower on a single stem.

The lady guided him through the newly chopped clumps of grass and into the weeds yet to be trimmed. “Watch out for rattlesnakes, Grandpa!” They made their way to the grave of his beloved wife. He bent down, pulled a few weeds from the front of the tombstone to reveal her name, then stooped lower to place the purple flower on her headstone. 

A warm gentle breeze blew as the yellow wildflowers danced in the magic of the moment. I brushed away a lone tear that slid down my cheek as I turned and slowly walked away.

Note: The Silver City Cemetery is now maintained and has gained a place in the National Register of Historic Places in Montana. One of my great aunts is buried there as well as Old Moss – but that’s another story. You can read some of the history of the cemetery at these web links:

https://mhs.mt.gov/shpo/docs/NRnoms/SilverCityCemetery.pdf

https://historicmt.org/items/show/3221

The road to the old home place was not much more than a beaten path riddled with rocks and potholes that led into the mountains, and we managed to find every one of them. We jiggled back and forth when we forded the creek, the sound of stones crunching under the tires. 

History lived there in the trees and behind rock piles along the trail. We heard it whisper old tales as we passed by. Laughter sang through the boughs of firs and pines as images of children played outside the old schoolhouse that once stood in the woods. If one knew where to look, there might even be faint visions of children pulling on the reins of the horses that stomped their hooves and swatted flies with their tails. Kids hid behind sagebrush while one rode an imaginary horse that looked like a dried-up stump. In the distance was the sound of the shrill whine of a sawmill. Smoke rose from the chimney as a greeting to any that made it that far into the heart of the mountains.  

Though no one had lived at the place at the end of the road for some time, memories still lingered. As we pulled into the yard, we were greeted by Quaking Aspens waving their shimmering leaves in the summer light as if anxiously awaiting our arrival.

An old fence that at one time surrounded and protected the log cabin was all but gone except for a few worn pieces of wooden rails scattered on the ground. A weathered gate cheated time and stood defiantly in its place. Its rusty hinges gripped tightly to the posts that held the gate. Patches of faded green paint clung stubbornly to the brittle slats. A round piece of old machinery chained to the gate hung heavily to keep it closed and to signal the comings and goings of family and friends. Though I could have easily walked right past the gate, I opened it anyway and was not disappointed to hear the clang clang as it slammed behind me. 

I stepped onto the walkway that led to the sagging door of the cabin. As I entered the doorway, a light breeze stirred remembrances along with the dust and dirt that danced across the floor with a breath of the wind. Memories came to life. 

Thoughts and images flashed before me and soon the chill in the air dissipated. I looked around and was amazed at what I saw in my mind’s eyes. The wood cookstove was fired up and the cabin filled with warmth. On the kitchen floor was a washtub filled with hot water where a teenaged girl had just soothed her aching muscles after her trek in the mountains. At the sound of the clank and clang of the gate, weary backpackers trudged down the walkway into the house to be relieved of their burdens and greeted with the aroma of meat and potatoes cooking on the old stove. After dropping their packs and other gear, some plunked down on the long wooden bench and rubbed their aching feet. Some backed up to the crackling fire under the watchful eyes of the old deer mount that surveyed the scene with the shifting eyes of a sentry. At another glance, I saw little girls sipping hot tea out of fancy teacups with their grandmother. The slam of the gate caught my attention again as kids ran in and out of it as they played. 

I think those who went through the gate just liked to hear that resonating tone, for you see, it signified something greater than just a clanging clanking noise. It symbolized hospitality, an ever-encouraging word, family, friends, love, laughter, and tales of life in the mountains. It meant safety, and protection from the rest of the world.

All too soon, it was time to go. The gate clapped one last time as it closed behind us. With one look back at the place in the mountains that had once teemed with life, I knew that on another day, we would make that journey again.

Though the green wooden gate no longer stands in the mountains, it remains a portal to a place of serenity, a place to recharge, and a place to visit in my memories when all else in the world seems wrong. 

The side road between the Big Horn and Pryor Mountains abruptly came to an end. I cautiously stood on the precipice and peered into the Bighorn Canyon below thinking it could swallow me at any moment. 

Massive rugged walls of colorful layers of rock rose 1000 feet from the riverbed. Time and unrelenting forces of wind and water carved the canyon leaving stone sentinels to stand guard along the pea soup green algae water of the Bighorn River that winds through the curvy gorge. 

Not far away in this high dry country between the mountains, I walked along a trail where teepees once stood in the shadow of a rocky cliff. I looked across the valley and could almost envision the camp of teepees, fires burning, little ones playing and helping the women and men as the buffalo harvest was under way. Though the teepees no longer point toward the big sky, the stone rings that once secured them still remain, and so does their story. Wild mustangs, descendants of Spanish horses brought to the area by the Crow Indians, still make their home in the Pryor Range and stand watch over their homeland.

It is said that several hundred years ago, the Crow Chief was instructed in a vision to take his people and “find the mountain range where the sacred tobacco plant grows.” They eventually came to the Bighorn Mountains where the treasured plant continues to live. This area which includes parts of Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota, became the historical homelands of the Crow Nation. Through this journey, they became known as the Apsáalooke. 

Through an exhibit, “Apsáalooke Women and Warriors,” currently on display at the Museum of the Rockies, we were able to walk through part of their journey. It was a fascinating trail exploring their beginnings in this historical homeland and traveling with them past works of art, and into modern times ending with contemporary clothing intricately designed. My mother would have been in awe of their artistic creations and seamstress expertise. 

The exhibit began with the story of how the Crow tribe came to the area. As I read their brief account, I was amazed to find that the place upon which I had stood among the teepee rings just days before in view of the Bighorn Mountains was in the land the Apsáalooke called home. My thought was, “It is indeed a small world.”

Several miles away from the site of the teepee rings, a baby boy was born into the Crow tribe at the-cliffs-that-have-no-name in 1848. His name was Chiilaphuchissaaleesh, or “Buffalo Bull Facing The Wind.” When he was just a boy he made his way with others to the Crazy Mountains, known to the Crow tribe as Awaxawapiia. The mountains were a sacred place to them. For four days, the young boy fasted and prayed for a vision that would strengthen and guide not only himself, but also the Crow people. He was granted his desire. Later, as the boy grew to a man, he was called Plenty Coups and he became Chief of the Crow tribe.

The Crazy Mountains are still considered a sacred place for the Crow nation as well as those who have lived in the heart and shadows of the mountains. It has been a place of refuge for some, a place to relax and reflect and enjoy beauty beyond description. Many still go there for guidance and to seek a vision.  One writer put it this way: 

“The Crazy Mountains overlook so much more than a landscape. They are keepers of the stories of the past, and they could provide keys for the future. Those who live in the shadow of the Crazies know of their beauty, and others, those who’ve experienced or heard stories of their power, can feel their presence from afar.”

And so it is in a sacred land…