1970-1979 MT, Compiled by James W. Blankenship jkblank1(at)sbcglobal.net

 

SSDI, http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi , MT,         Transcribed by Jim @ Blankenshipweb.com

Blankenship, Mildred        60, 21Aug1914 - ??May1975,         (not specified),                                MT-517-09-2136

 

Montana Death Records         

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mtmsgs/death_records.htm

Blankenship, Vern, R.                           03/22/1971

Blankenship, Welleam, M.                  09/29/1973

Blankenship, Leonard,                         03/4/1973

Blankenship, Oscar, H.                        02/16/1979

Blankenship, John, S.                            01/5/1979

From: diane dhrenfrow(at)yahoo.com

 

Big Horn                                                                                                           

 

Big Horn Co., MT, Poem

http://cdm15018.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p15018coll43&CISOPTR=7393&REC=2

Lookin' Back: Big Horn County , 1976, by Big Horn County Historical Society

What’s in a Name [A Tribute to Bronc Savage]

Give him the wild, the snuffy, the mean,

Give him the ornery, the wise, old or green

And soon he’d discover with the some special sense

What they had in mind as they circled the fence

“Just watch them awhile and they’ll show their hand,

Ain’t a horse born I can’t understand.

And as for naming, well leave them alone

And by their very nature they’ll pick out their own.”

He never had money, a home or a wife

For horses and cow camps were the loves of his life.

But we who remember, hope that on a far range

He is still handling horses and won’t fell lost or strange.

There was never a wild one he couldn’t tame

So there is no question as to what was his name.

As he hated “gas buggies”, with their loud brassy honk

His friends in their wisdom, called this cowboy Bronc.

              By Gladys Robinson Blankenship

From: Diane Renfrow dhrenfrow(at)yahoo.com

 

+Big Horn Co., MT, Story

http://cdm15018.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p15018coll43&CISOPTR=7393&REC=3

Lookin' Back: Big Horn County, 1976, By Historical Society

Thomas Blankenship’s Story

              I was born in Weatland, Wyoming, September 14, 1906. I worked for sheep and cattlemen west of Weatland., between there and Medicine Bow, Wyoming. One summer I broke horses at Fort Laramie for Latta Bros. I came to Montana in 1928 and worked for Antler Wagon. I put in the worst winter I had ever seen at Forks of Woody line camp – 2000 out of 3000 cattle winter killed.

              I married Lillian Heller in 1930 and worked for P. R. Krone tending camp and herding sheep. One winter carried mail for Billings to Rapelje. In 1934, I bought a truck and hauled gravel, beets, loose hay, or anything to make a dime. 1n 1937 I bought a livestock trailer and worked up until at one time I had five of them – and headaches! I was arrested by a U. S. Marshall for hauling tile out of Herdin for Mac’s beanery in Hardin. In 1938 I remarried – roped and hog tied a girl from West Virginia, Martha Phillips; best catch I ever made, even if she is related to the hatfields and McCoys on both sides!

              In Wyoming I worked for $35 per month, and at times in Montana for $30, and it was no eight-hour day.

              When I was young and didn’t know any better I might ride 30-40 miles to a dance, where a good time was had by all. It seems like the girls were born knowing how to dance.

              Have hauled in 50 degree below weather, with no heater or prestone – it can be done if you know nothing else. Have been bucked off, kicked by cattle, rolled over in a truck, but the only animal to put me off my feet was a real gentle kid’s pony; he kicked me twice on the knee in the same spot.

              I have seen my first cusstomers slowly fade away and their boys take over. Have a host of friends (I think) in Big Horn County. Have seen the country go from a stock country to a farming country, but my heart is still with the cattleman. I sold out in 1970 and got time to look the rest of the cattle country over, but I never saw any to beat the “Crow”.

From: Diane Renfrow dhrenfrow(at)yahoo.com

 

Gallatin                                                                                                             

 

Gallatin Co., SSDI, http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi ,

Blankenship, Vern             64, 05Jan1907 - ??Mar1971,           Bozeman, Gallatin, MT,                  MT-516-14-6460

 

Richland                                                                                                           

 

+1979, Savage, Richland Co., MT, Obituary

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36905822/john-spencer-blankenship

John Spencer Blankenship was born Feb 28, 1906 at Stigler, OK, son of John and Laura Blankenship. He died Monday morning Nov 5, at Community Memorial Hospital in Sidney of heart failure. He was 71.

At the age of 16 he came to Montana and worked as a cowboy on large ranches throughout the Hardin, Billings and Sheridan, WY. areas. On June 22, 1947 he and Selma Venable Cooksey were married in Miles City, Mt., and lived there for one year. They moved to Savage in 1949 when John began a partnership with J. M. Venable on the ranch west of Savage, which John took over in 1962 and where he has lived and ranched since. John was a member of the Montana Stockman's Assoc. and maintained his life-long interest in ranching and raising Hereford Cattle and Registered Morgan Horses.

John was preceded in death by seven brothers, two sisters and his parents.

Surviving his are his wife, Selma of Savage; five sons, James J Dooksey of Lompoc, Calif., John Spencer Blankenship III, Van Lee Blankenship and Bert Blankenship, all of Savage and William R. Blankenship of Glasgow, Mont.; one brother, Jess Blankenship of Dayton, Wyo., nine grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held at 1 pm, Saturday, Nov 10, at Peoples Congregation Church in Sidney with Rev. Leslie Payne of First Christian Church in Miles City officiating. Interment was in Riverview Cemetery at Savage.

 

Richland Co., SSDI, http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi ,

Blankenship, John             71, 28Feb1908 - ??Nov1979,           Savage, Richland, MT,                    MT-517-22-3067

 

Roosevelt                                                                                                           

 

Roosevelt Co., SSDI, http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi ,

Blankenship, William        79, 31Aug1894 - ??Sep1973,           Wolf Point, Roosevelt, MT,               MT-517-14-3055

 

Yellowstone                                                                                                      

 

Yellowstone Co., SSDI, http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi ,

Blankenship, Leonard        85, 01Feb1888 - ??Mar1973,           Billings, Yellowstone, MT,               MT-517-01-3787

Blankenship, O.                 80, 11Jul1898 - ??Feb1979,             Billings, Yellowstone, MT,               CO-522-12-7123