Gladys Featured in 1994 Powder River Examiner

GLADYS ORT FLETCHER

Gladys Ort Fletcher was born October 15, 1908 on Diamond Island in the Yellowstone River, the fifth child of Jenny Mae and Edward Ort.
They moved to a small farm 10 miles from Lambert, Montana where they lived until 1916. The family left Lambert in 1916 when the last land was opened up to homesteading. They came with three wagons. One covered wagon the girls slept in was driven by Jenny. Emily, the oldest child drove a wagon with furniture on it and her father drove a wagon with blacksmith and farm equipment. They settled on Indian Creek in the Sayle Community in November. They rolled up a cabin around the old Majestic range and the family of seven lived in that over the first winter.
The five children in the family walked about three miles to school, which was located between the Fred Yonkee and Ralph Rhea places.
The next spring, they planted three acres of garden and lacking jars, most of the vegetables were dried.
In 1924, Gladys moved to Broadus to attend high school. She boarded for two months at Lee Warren's and then moved to Bert Wilson's where she worked for her room and board for the rest of her high school years.
Gladys moved to Dickenson, North Dakota immediately after graduation from Broadus high school in 1928 to attend Normal School for her teaching certificate. She taught school that fall in a Russian settlement where the kids couldn't speak English. She came back to the Sayle Community after that school year to help her parents on their place.
On November 21, 1932 she and Merle Fletcher were married in Miles City, and moved to Merle's homestead on Indian Creek. In 1935, they traded land with a neighbor and moved to Ed Clark's place.
Merle worked at the Triple A office in Broadus. In 1943, they purchased the Fred King place on Otter Creek. Gladys was expecting their fourth child and spent many days alone while Merle was working on Otter Creek getting the fields ready before the house was theirs.
Merle and Gladys had five children: Ted, the eldest married Peggy Hurley; Joyce married Sam Lei; Jack and Dick lived at the home place, and Jane married Augustine Lopez.
July 1959, Merle was killed in a plane crash along with Dean Reder and Jerry Butcher. Gladys,
along with her sons, Ted and Jack continued to operate the ranch on Otter Creek.
Gladys spends much of her time enjoying playing bridge with her bridge club, working in her flower beds, cooking for her family and friends, and hosting her grandchildren.

UPDATE TO FOLLOW