Left to right: Albert, Esther, Gertrude, Ruth, Dick, Karl, and Frieda.

Herman met Frieda in Miles City, Montana when he was working as a blacksmith for Frieda's half-brother Fred Krueger. She was working as a maid at the time. They got married on July 20, 1911 in Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Miles City. Herman had been raised as a Lutheran· but became a converted Catholic during his marriage. Herman continued his blacksmith work for about a year after they were married. Their first child, Richard, was born on April 2, 1912 while they were living in Miles City. Later that year they moved to Wason Flats in Garfield County, north of Miles City. They homesteaded a 160 acre plot of land. When they first got there, there was no house on the land so they lived in a tent until Herman built their stone house. He also built his own blacksmith shop, the only blacksmith shop for miles around. He shod horses for all the neighbors, in addition to farming his land. 5 more children were born in Wason Flats: Esther Anne born October 4, 1913, Ruth Ann born July 3, 1915, Gertrude Elizabeth born May 11, 1917, Karl Herman born January 28, 1921 and Frieda Agnes born January 17, 1923.

Herman became a U.S. citizen on September 3, 1920. Herman and Frieda both served on the school board of District 33, Herman as a trustee, and Frieda as a clerk.

In 1927 the family moved to Broadus, Montana where, on May 1, Herman bought a 792 acre farm from Bud Devasher. Herman used his blacksmith skills to shoe horses and sharpen plows for neighboring farmers. Their youngest child, Albert, was born there on September 21, 1929.

 

 

During the winters Herman worked with Harry Luann sawing cottonwood lumber at a sawmill they dug out of a sandbar on Powder River. When St. David's Catholic Church in Broadus was built in 1931, Herman brought his team of horses to help break up the ground for a foundation and a partial basement.

Two miles northeast of the farm was a small country school called Durst School, named after Mr. Durst, an early homesteader. All the children except for Richard attended school there. Mrs. Ambuel was one of their teachers. Pearl Nash taught Gertrude, Karl and Frieda. She lived in one of the bunkhouses on the Ullrich ranch. Ruth and her Mom babysat for Pearl's infant son Don while she was teaching. When it was extremely cold or snowy, Karl, who was 9 at the time, would walk to the school just in case students might be there and need to be kept warm. Students often suffered from frostbite walking back and forth from school.

In 1937 there was a drought and an infestation of grasshoppers and Herman had to sell all his livestock. The family leased out their farm and moved to Billings, Montana where they had a 10 acre truck garden. In 1941 they moved back to their Broadus farm. In 1946 they built a new home on the land. The old log house was used as a garage and a blacksmith shop. Herman was a very hard worker and was extremely honest. He loved to talk and entertain people with his stories.

The Good Neighbor Club was started in July of 1949. Neighbors gathered for visiting and providing help for anyone who needed it. Frieda was a member. Later on the club became part of the Kingsley Aid Club.

Left to Right, Ruth, Gertrude, Esther and Frieda Ullrich.

 

 

Frieda was a good cook and she and Herman often invited neighbors and family to join them for a multi-course meal. They usually played cards (Pinocle or Hearts) afterward. Visitors were also often encouraged to help, using the tiniest stitches they could manage, make the home-made quilts Frieda always had on the go. There was almost always a jig saw puzzle (1000 plus pieces) on a table to entice anyone willing to put it together. Frieda raised a huge garden every year and would get up at 4 or 4:30 every morning to go out and weed and water it because it was too hot in the middle of the day.

Herman had a heart attack on October 18, 1954 at home and passed away. After Herman died Frieda moved to Broadus in 1956 with her daughter Frieda. The ranch land was sold to her son Karl and his wife Ruby in 1958 and Karl continued to raise livestock on it.

Church was a big part of Frieda's life and she was an active member of St. David's Catholic Altar Society. Shortly before she died the following newspaper article appeared in the Broadus paper. "A 73 year
old Powder River Montana ranch woman, Mrs. Frieda Ullrich, made her first visit to a physician's office. And she had had seven children. After her checkup she apologized "I hope people won't think Powder
River County women are sickly." She suffered from sugar diabetes and died of bleeding ulcers on March 13, 1959. Both Herman and Frieda are buried in the Valley View Cemetery in Broadus.

Excerpts from History

Humpy McDonald

Sedition in Eastern Montana

One of those off and on guys – more off than on.

Warm Springs, from Sacred Indigenous Ground to Resort to Asylum