Teton Diaries: Big Sky Christmas

Continuing a family tradition: Fauneil's Mom had to wait at the top of these stairs for her father, Great Grandpa Ely, to come back from milking the cows before she could come and see what Santa had brought her. Fauneil had to wait at the top of these same stairs as a kid, waiting for her Dad, Grandpa Gleason, to get done with the milking. Now our kids have wait at the top of the stairs...not because I am milking cows, though.

The stockings were hung by (or laid next to) the chimney with care...stuffed with goodies from Santa./;

Hey! Look at the gift bag that Fauneil wrapped my present in. Pretty original, right?

Continuing another family tradition, in honor of Fauneil's sister, Heather, who used to get so excited on Christmas morning, that she would start throwing up. That is why Fauneil's Mom started making Cream Of Rice cereal every Christmas morning. She would add either red or green food coloring to make it festive.

Grandpa opened his gifts from Stacy and Jessica.

Later that day we went to the rest home to see Fauneil's mom, Grandma Gleason. She had a great day today. Her head was very clear and she was happy. It was great to see that.

Of course, Lily had to, right away, tell Grandma about her Baby Alive Doll.

And McCann had to show her how he builds his Legos.

Here is the finished product.

We finally got to her gifts. She started on her stocking.

Yay! Lindor chocolates! Boy does Santa know his stuff.

Grapefruit in the toe, of course.

And a toothbrush? Maybe Santa doesn't know his stuff...or maybe he's a dentist. Maybe Kirby from the movie "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer" took over the Santa roll. Anyway...

Mom loved Jessica's crystals which we will hang in her window.

McCann was waiting and waiting to hand Mom her gift from Stacy.

Mom loved it, of course.

Mom immediately recognized the milk wagon in Uncle Jim's gift to her.

The Ely's Swiss Dairy Milk Wagon.

Fauneil read the letter on the back of the painting which is as follows:

In 1944, Rolland and LaRue Ely (Mom and Dad) purchased the Eastwood Dairy in Fairfield, Montana. Cows had been a part of Mom and Dad's lives since the day of their marriage when Grandfather Arthur G. Ely eloped with his house keeper, Elisie Embry, on the same day. On the first evening of their honeymoon, Mom and Dad were left to milk Grandpa's cows, and they milked cows almost every night and every morning for the next fifty years.

Dad especially liked the gentle nature of Brown Swiss cows, so they named their new enterprise Ely's Swiss Dairy - though most of the cows were Holsteins.

The United Stated had been drawn into World War II in 1941. It was almost impossible to buy rubber tires, gasoline and motor trucks, so they delivered the milk to the town of Fairfield by horse power.

Mother wrote, "We had two gray saddle horses, Punch and Judy, and broke them to drive. We bought an old milk wagon truck that had no motor from Ayshire Dairy (in Great Falls), put a tongue on it, hitched the horses to the truck and delivered our milk via horse wagon"

Dad had the old truck painted bright yellow and "Ely's Swiss Dairy" lettered on each side.

Punch and Judy slowly pulled the wagon down the center of each street in Fairfield while Dad took a carrier of six quarts of milk, or whatever the customer ordered, to each house on the street. The horses responded to Dad's verbal commands.

This picture was taken in 1946 by a customer while Dad was delivering milk to their house.

Punch and Judy patiently pulled the old yellow truck through the streets of Fairfield from 1944 to 1949 at which time the folks purchased a Chevrolet delivery van with a motor. This new van occasionally doubled as the town ambulance.

The old yellow truck was eventually pulled to the town dump and ignominiously pushed over the hill where it rested on its side. That yellow van was visible for a number of years until it was eventually buried from view.

The bottling and delivery part of the operation was sold to Hansen Brothers' Dairy in Choteau, Montana in 1950.

The folks maintained a heard of 50 to 60 head of milk cows for the next 30 or so years.

The frame for this picture is made from the roof purlins of the old loafing shed that protected the cows from the bitter Montana winters. The original oil painting from the old photograph was done by Aaron Harker in Salt Lake City, Utah and was commissioned by David Ely, grandson to Rolland and LaRue Ely.