May 19, 2013 We went to Kalispell. Had trouble

May 19, 2013

We went to Kalispell.  Had trouble finding Conrad Memorial Cemetery itself.  Had to ask at convenience store and use bathroom.  Graves were easier, except Carol Catherine Bonde’s.  But Penny found it.

Then library.  I got the Flathead Co. High annuals for 1937 thru 1941.  Went through all of ’em page by page.  All but 2 had inscriptions.  I found an inscription by my Aunt Carol Judd in the 1938, when she was a senior.  I took a photo.  Carl Ralph Bonde, Jr. was a freshman and I found his pic x 2 or maybe 3.  In 1939 found a Carl Ralph Bonde, Jr. pic x 1.  The 1940 had no inscriptions.  The 1941 had a photo of Carl.  Also he was listed as having been a member of several organizations:  Marionettes 1, 2.  Band 1 [I could not find him in any band picture or list of members], Freshman and Sophomore assembly (?) and one other I can’t remember now.  A librarian, who probably didn’t like the way I helped myself to the materials by her desk in the back, wasn’t particularly helpful either.  I found a 1941 Polk City Directory that listed Carl T. Bonde as living at the S end of 5th St. W.  I found an historical list of houses for that street, but I couldn’t identify one for sure.  I did find one that had a fire and then had subsequently been moved.  For one reason or another I didn’t think that was the one.  I got no real information except the lack thereof.

Penny drove through Seeley Swan to Missoula.  We bought flowers at Safeway (lilies) and took them to the Struckman and Orr graves at the Missoula City Cemetery.  I then drove to Lolo Hot Springs.  Getting late, hadn’t eaten.

By 7 or 8 hard to tell  because our phones didn’t work to tell us the time we reached the site of a raucous techno pop music festival.  We checked into a room across the highway.  Women in bright pink and green.  Men wearing black.  Hula hoop.  Drunk-acting cursing women.  Laughter.  We ate at the only available place:  a bar half-full of cursing women and smoking.  Penny and I sat on either side of Katie, as protection against the vile and filthy clientele.  A drunken waitress brought three pieces of German chocolate cake and in a slurred voice apologized for her behavior and told us she was sorry and here is some cake baked by her with her grandmother’s recipe.  

The best part:  we watched “Young Frankenstein” after supper.  Supper was two orders of chicken strips, one burger.  It is certainly helpful to be the only sober one in a room full of drunks, talking with a sober bartender named Jake.  “Hey Jake,” I said in a loud voice….

Next morning we could still hear the throb of the techno music.