Mehlings named 2023 Days of '85 parade marshals

submitted by Charlene Mehling

Frank Mehling was born at Bayard, Nebraska to parents Irving and Gladys Mehling. His brother, Harlan, was born there also. The area is farming country and Irving wanted to do ranching. At that time there were ranches available in the Ekalaka area so they moved to the area in 1949 and purchased the Pruess ranch 10 miles north of Ekalaka. They named it Medicine Rocks Ranch due to the beautiful neighboring scenery which later became a state park.

Frank attended country schools through 7th and 8th grade. He elected not to attend high school and stayed home to help his dad who was in failing health and passed away when Frank was 18.

Frank married Charlene Knipfer, daughter of Oscar and Alice Knipfer, who lived east of Mill Iron, Montana, on Box Elder Creek. Charlene's brother was Ronald.

Charlene's family raised cattle and sheep. She worked outside with the livestock, rode horseback three miles to one room Hilmont school in all kinds of weather. At that time there was no electricity, telephones or indoor plumbing. Water was carried to the house in a pail filled by a hand pump in a well.

Hay was processed with horse drawn equipment. Charlene enjoyed driving a Percheron team on a dump rake and a buck rake to help.

4-H began in the area at that time and the local club, Prairie Pals, provided enjoyable social activity for those of us 30 to 40 miles from any town. Charlene had fat steers, Hereford heifers, took photography and the horse project at the fairs. Charlene attended the 4-H congress in Bozeman on a livestock judging team twice.

Charlene trained horses for some income and helped uncles Vernon and Ernest Knipfer trail cattle and sheep from Mill Iron to the CY pasture at Camp Crook and back home at the end of summer. This was all done on horseback and no horse trailers were involved then. She attended High School at Baker, Montana.

Frank And Charlene raised Hereford cattle and then began raising Angus cattle in 1970. Their annual bull sale takes place in April.

Frank has served as a reserve sheriff's officer for Carter County, law enforcement duties in Fallon County during the fair and worked for Custer County during the Bucking Horse Sale.

After nearly losing the ranch to a lightning-caused fire, Mehlings built two one-ton wildland fire trucks that worked all over the state of Montana, North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Washington.

Frank did a lot of trapping coyotes, fox and raccoons during the 70s and 80s to supplement income. He guides hunters in the fall and built a log lodge to accommodate his clients.

Charlene was a 4-H leader for 20 years with horses being her favorite project.

Frank and Charlene participated in Montana's 100th birthday in 1989 which involved moving 2800 horned cattle and a large wagon train group from Roundup to Billings.

Their daughter, Marcia, and son, Paul, helped a lot on the ranch, attended school in Ekalaka, and were involved in 4-H and FFA; with horses, cattle, sewing, shooting sports, and entomology. Paul also did BLM fire fighting one summer.

Paul married Michelle Schillinger. They lived near Moorhead, Minnesota where Paul had a large lawn service and was a sales consultant for Gateway Chevrolet. Michelle earned her Doctor of Pharmacy in Fargo and has worked as the Pharmacist for Dahl Memorial in Ekalaka.

Marcia helped on the ranch and worked for the weed board in Ekalaka one summer. She married David Monforton and they have a daughter, Kaylie.

After retiring from the Gallatin county Sheriff's Department, she now works at the airport in Belgrade handling the rental automobile services.

Their children like the ranch and are very much appreciated.