Sprouting Sinnemas: Visiting Malta 10/2013

Mom and Aunt Eva ~ next door neighbors

Out enjoying the fall colors. Blake loaned both Matthew and Kaitlyn his bikes! They were so happy the entire visit - even more than usual!

Great Grandpa and Grandma Paul's old neighborhood

The old 'Women's Clubhouse' with beautiful rockwork. The same stonemason did the work on Grandpa & Grandma's old home as well as out at the 'Sleeping Buffalo' near Saco.

If you get a chance, go look on 'Facebook' and look at renovations currently being done on the Sleeping Buffalo Hot Spring Resort! The owner's of Bozeman Hot Springs bought it and it looks like the Buffalo is going to be even better than Bozeman's!

The last of the old high school....

and the old band and choir building next door; the 'Music Box.' With the old superintendent's house next door to that. It's a unique stone house, but hard to see with all the trees.

Always a hot spot! Papa's John Deere he's restoring. Get's played on every visit!

Over to Aunt Eva's for a visit.

Dad took us for a little tour.

A stop at the Dodson cemetery. He talked of pretty much every one in there. Some tragic stories, along with old neighbors, a lot of friends, and some family.

His Dad and Mom

North of there, about 10 miles, he pointed out where he and his siblings used to walk to and from school every day. To the left of this little grainery, they walked from their house, and turned close by here, across this fence-line and road we were driving on, to school; just a few yards more.

This the Kienenberger's place; who farm and ranch northwest of Roger and Shari about 20 miles. From their home on the far left is the old schoolhouse that they still take care of - the next white building over.

The Solberg homestead. Now Uncle Harold (deceased) and Aunt Virginia's old home. From this back view it most looks like it once did. They even had a wind charger just out front here for a while when they were growing up.

Going in the front door. Harold and Virginia put a lot of work into their home over the years! It looks a lot different, of course, from when Dad lived here as a boy and young man.

Dad's old room upstairs, which he shared with some of his brothers.

In the same yard a few yard away, is Uncle Sid and Aunt MerriMae's old home. All their kids grew up together and attended Dodson school. We came up quite a bit visiting and have a lot of memories here. Dad is up at the front door to see if Sid's hired help is home.

We drove around the yard and Dad had something to say of each old building.

Actually, this is Grandpa's original homestead. It's located right behind Harold and Virginia's house. It too, was fixed up from what it had been. So great seeing all the history and having such a wonderful tour guide! Montana's dry climate is much to be thanked for a lot of the preservation of all these places.
Earlier, Dad took Mom, Debbie, Blake and Shari around looking and talking about all these same places. I'm sure he'd be happy to do the same for you, if you'd like! He's very good at reminiscing.