Memories

With my article about the Ekalaka Independent Basketball Tournaments giving information about scores, players, referees, businesses, etc., I never presented who placed in the top four during those nine years. I will include it at the bottom of this article and, as you will see, there were some close games and high scores. In the list of individual high scoring games published previously, I overlooked Dan Marinkovich who scored thirty five in a game in 1956 and was an all tourney player that year. Marinkovich was a teacher and basketball coach at Miles City. He was married to Colleen Elmore, daughter of John and Susie Elmore and a graduate of Carter County High School.

Now I want to continue about old and special neighbors that Phyl. and I had after we moved into out current home, which V.E. Figg and crew built in 1956.

The first one is Christ and Emma Ness. In Shifting Scenes Vol. 1, page 618, Emma has a short, interesting report. Emma was born in Billings County, North Dakota on November 20, 1891 with both parents from Germany. In 1911 Emma joined some family who had come to Montana and in May she selected a homestead which was three miles southwest of Medicine Rocks Park. She states, “With the help of her brother Ernest she built a one room cabin.”After reading this I decided she must have had some carpentry skills, besides others.

Christ Ness was born in Kenyon, Minnesota on September 13, 1888 and moved to Hettinger, N.D. in 1905 with his parents. In 1909 he came to Montana via Baker to homestead. He hired a team out of Baker to bring him his childhood friend, and all of their lumber and belongings to the homestead ,which was twenty five miles from Baker.

There is no mention of them having horses or livestock. They built two cabins within 150 yards of each other. Christ’s cabin was one mile west and one mile north of Emma’s cabin.

It always amazes me how God brings people together for their future lives.

Emma stated that Christ sometimes was a caller for meals, which consisted of tomato soup, but stated that “after they were married, no more tomato soup.”

Christ and Emma were married January 26, 1915 at Baker, M.T. — traveling to Baker with a team and buggy, The temperature was 25 degrees below zero.

Well, things have changed, and those electric heated vehicle seats should be appreciated.

Life was very tough and life was good as Emma reports. Entertainment of the day was walking to the rocks for picnics with family and friends. They also attended dances which were held north of the homesteads. They thought nothing of dancing all night and walking seven to ten miles home at daylight.

Fuel and wood were extremely scarce at the time. Once, one homesteader cut off the tops of Emma’s homestead fence for fuel.

Christ and Emma had five children. Like many homesteaders, there was a tragedy in the family. Raymond died at birth, Walter and Clifford were killed in separate truck accidents. They had one girl, Louise, and another son, David. At the time her article was written, Louis lived in Ekalaka and David lived on the homestead.

The Nesses farmed, had pigs, horses, cattle, and raised large gardens. The garden was a necessity during many of those years.

One of my memories of Emma is that she almost daily gave a sack of groceries to people in need. Christ was always full of laughter and ready to visit anytime, and as long as you wanted. What wonderful neighbors, long gone, but not forgotten.

Another neighbor next time...

Ekalaka Independent Basketball Tournaments

TEAMS, PLACING, AND SCORES OF CHAMPIONSHIP AND CONSOLATION GAMES FROM 1956-1964

1956

Teams: Ekalaka, Plevna, Ismay, Baker, Broadus, Circle, “600” Miles City, Belle Fourche, S.D.

Placing/(Score): 1. Ekalaka (66), 2. Belle Fourche (62), 3. Baker (86) 4. “600” Miles City (81)

1957

Teams: Ekalaka, Plevna, Baker, Broadus, Glendive Moose, “600” Miles City, Rhame, N.D.

Placing/(Score) 1. Ekalaka (63), 2. Glendive Moose (61), 3. Rhame, N.D., (72), 4. Broadus (59)

1958

Teams: Ekalaka, Plevna, Baker, Broadus, “600” Miles City, Bowman, N.D., Rhame, N.D.

Placing/(Score) 1. Bowman, N.D. (63) 2. Ekalaka (41) 3. Belle Foruche, S.D. (57) 4. Rhame, N.D. (47)

1959

Teams: Ekalaka, Plevna, Baker, Broadus, “600” Miles City, Bowman, N.D., Rhame, N.D., Belle Fourche, S.D.

Placing/(Score) 1. Belle Fourche (80) 2. Bowman, N.D. (76) 3. Plevna (57) 4. Ekalaka (56)

1960

Teams: Ekalaka, Plevna, Glendive, Broadus, “600” Miles City, Bowman, N.D. Belle Fourche, S.D., Casper, W.Y.

Placing/(Score) 1. Bowman, N.D. (68) 2. Belle Fourche, S.D. (67) 3. Glendive (75) 4. “600” Miles City (74)

1961

Teams: Ekalaka, Plevna, Terry, Glendive, Brockton, “600” Miles City, Bowman, N.D., Belle Fourche, S.D.

Placing/(Score) 1. Belle Fourche (89) 2. Bowman (69) 3. Glendive (81) 4. “600” Miles City (80)

1962

Teams: Ekalaka, Plevna, Broadus, Wibaux, Broadus, Glendive, “600” Miles City, Bowman, N.D., Rhame, N.D.

Placing/(Score) 1. Glendive (94) 2. Bowman, N.D. (88) 3. “600” Miles City (87) 4. Rhame, N.D. (76)

1963

Teams: Ekalaka, Plevna, Sport Center Miles City, Glendive, “600” Miles City, Beach, N.D., Bowman, N.D., Rhame, N.D.

Placing/(Score) 1. Sport Center M.C. (92) 2. Glendive (88) 3. Plevna (87) 4. Rhame (76)

1964

Teams: Ekalaka, Plevna, Baker Lions, Glendive, Buffalo, S.D., Bowman, N.D., Rhame, S.D., Beach, N.D.

Placing/(Score) 1. Bowman (99) 2. Rhame (81) 3. Beach (115) 4. Buffalo (102)