Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913

Roots Run Deep for Hinsdale Grads

Small communities enjoy the comradely of shared history and traditions. They remain strong through ideals of generations of families sharing similar values, secrets, traditions, triumphs and tragedy. These communities are enhanced through the years as family trees branch with the introduction of spouses or business people. These "recruits" bring with them new ideas, their own traditions and create a dynamic society that grows and thrives.

The Hinsdale High School Class of 2020 has only four graduates. They began kindergarten together in 2006 and their Hinsdale roots run deep. This year graduation will look a little different than in years' past, but their community will be there watching drive-in style as they celebrate this milestone together. They will walk across the outdoor stage not just sporting a cap and gown, but also sharing a legacy of many generations in the Hinsdale community.

Halle Beil, Ryder Jones, Elise Strommen and Cordell Younkin share the distinction of each being in the fifth, sixth or even seventh generation of their family in Hinsdale. Their ancestors came to Valley County over 100 years ago and have survived on the farms, ranches and in businesses through the good years, the droughts, the Great Depression and even the influenza of 1918. They remained strong through six wars, enjoyed the bounty of a booming economy, held on through the 80s and moved into the 21st century with optimism and determination.

Halle Beil:

Parents: Keith and Myla Boucher Beil,

Grandparents: Gene and Evelyn Lacock Beil and Dennis and Roberta Payne Boucher.

Halle's great-grandfather Jim Chittick Beil came from Texas in 1912 and bought a relinquished homestead 12 miles northwest of Hinsdale; land which remains in the family today.

Grandma Evelyn's grandfather Tom J. Lacock came to Hinsdale from North Dakota in 1918.

Halle's mother Myla Boucher carries on the Hinsdale legacy from both sides of her family, the Bouchers and the Paynes. Hoarce Boucher came to Valley County in 1916 and filed a homesteaded on Eagle Creek.

Andy Payne came from Texas to work for the American Livestock and Loan Company known as the Milliron in 1913. He filed a homestead in 1914 on Larb Creek. Andy was awarded the Purple Heart when he survived the French Argonne offensive in WWI. He returned to ranch on his homestead south of Hinsdale then moved to a place on the Milk River. His grandson Gregg Boucher lives on that place now.

Andy's wife, Nellie Mclendon was a true pioneer woman who came to Hinsdale to visit her married sister and filed on her own homestead south of Hinsdale before marrying Andy.

Boucher – Horace – Everett – Dennis – Myla -Halle

Beil: Jim – Gene – Keith - Halle

Lacock: Thomas J - Tom– Evelyn – Keith – Halle

Payne: Andy/Nellie – Roberta – Myla - Halle

Ryder Jones:

Parents: Mike and Teresa Zimmer Jones

Grandparents: Lloyd and Evelyn Jones

Frank Jones I came to Hinsdale from Minnesota in 1889. Frank established his ranch on Willow Creek, then his son Harvey's ranch on Rock Creek. Harvey married Marion Gaasch (Lloyd's mother), a granddaughter of Andrew Sherry. Andrew and his wife Rosa emigrated from Scotland and arrived in Hinsdale in 1887. His daughter Maggie married Dan Gaasch who came in 1906 and was a cowboy until he opened the Palace Inn bar in Hinsdale. Dan and Maggie lived on Andy Sherry's place which is now operated by a great-grandson, Ralph Ellsworth.

Jones: Frank I (Alice – first wife) – Harvey – Lloyd – Mike -Ryder

Sherry: Maggie - Marion – Lloyd – Mike – Ryder

Elise Strommen:

Parents: Justin and Amber Fiske Strommen

Grandparents: Eliot and Penny Jones Strommen

Elise shares her great-great-grandfather Frank Jones I with Ryder. Frank Jones I played the violin, a talent his great, great granddaughter Elise shares. His second wife was Winnie Kent whose father was Horatio Nelson (Nels) Kent. He came to Hinsdale with his parents Newton and Phoebe Kent in 1899. They came from North Dakota with the intention of moving to Chinook. A Hinsdale area development promoter convinced them to get off the train, and unload their belongings in Hinsdale.

Elise's grandmother Darlene Jones also has a history in the Hinsdale. Her father, Albert Nelson, came to Valley County in 1910 from North Dakota. At the age of 21 he filed a homestead in the Genevieve area north of Hinsdale (1910). He was known to be very active in all church and community affairs.

Elise's great-great-grandfather Andrew Strommen came to America from Norway and homesteaded in (at that time) northern Valley County in 1913.

Strommen: Andrew- Andy – Eliot – Justin – Elise

Jones: Frank I (Winnie Kent 2nd wife) – Frank II (Bud) – Penny- Justin – Elise (7 Generations!)

Kent – Newton-Nels –Winnie – Frank II – Penny – Justin - Elise

Albert Nelson – Darlene Jones – Penny Strommen – Justin Strommen - Elise

Cordell Younkin:

Parents: Jeff Younkin and Roubie Cornwell Younkin

Cordell descends from Harry Rutter who brought a herd of cattle up from Texas to Miles City and then reached the Milk River in 1885. He was an Valley County undersheriff and was involved in the 1903 jail break and hanging. The Rutter homestead is still operated by his family.

Harry Rutter's wife Elsie Clough came to Montana from Wisconsin. Her father John H Clough was a bridge engineer for the Great Northern Railroad who first worked with the crew designing the bridge sites then was the foreman of the crews that built them. He was in Valley County before the railroad was built in 1887 he didn't stay but his wife Maggie and his daughters did.

Rutter – Harry – Lewis (Stubbs) Peggy – Roubie – Cordell

Clough – John H Clough/Maggie - Elsie – LaMae Rutter – Peggy Cornwell – Roubie – Cordell

Cordell's great-great grandfather Lee Cornwell brought a band of sheep and settled on Buggy Creek in 1892. His father, Thomas Cornwell also filed on a homestead and stayed until his health failed. The Cornwell Ranch is still operated by their family.

Ida Roub came to Valley County in 1902 with her parents H.D. Roub and grandmother Carrie Carpenter Smith Maybee. They settled on a ranch on Rock Creek until Ida married Lee Cornwell in 1905.

Cornwell – Tom – Lee – Howard- Roubie - Cordell

Roub: Carrie - HD – Ida – Tiny – Roubie – Cordell

Following in the footsteps of over a century of history in the community, Hinsdale graduates Halle, Elise, Ryder and Cordell move forward, carrying on the traditions of their courageous, forward thinking ancestors. Halle plans to attend Great Falls College – MSU, Elise will become a Bobcat at MSU Bozeman majoring in Business Management and Ryder is off to MSU Billings to seek a degree in Business. Cordell leaves for Basic Training with the Army National Guard this summer. Cordell will then be attending MSU Northern upon his return to Montana this winter.

 

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