Dusty files: Politics and the Polsons

I’ve had enough politics for a long while, but I wish someone could help dig up as much information about the Polsons as they do about their opposing candidates. In this case, I’m sure it would be positive as with 3 years of digging, I haven’t found an unkind word about the Polson family.

I will for the third year become the person of David at the annual “Stories and Stones” program at the old Missoula cemetery. This year it will be Oct. 26 between 12:30 and 3:30.

Almost nothing is known about David and Mary’s son George, other than he had a weak heart and died in the Missoula hospital at age 20. I surmise that logistics and the fact that Missoula had an established cemetery was why he was buried there in 1892, and Mary thought it proper to bury David alongside their son 8 years later. Information is very sparse about certain aspects of the family. For example, David’s headstone reads, “I have suffered, Jesus has come for me.” I only have the one photo of him, and two different ones of Agnes with her mother Mary. Some historic records listed Agnes as being buried in Polson. I spent several hours searching both of the old cemeteries to no avail. Finally, I appealed to the caretakers in Missoula and they found the flat stones of both Agnes and her husband Lyman Hitchcock sunken below the grass level in the family plot. They have since corrected the sinking problem. Research has also brought out more info about Agnes who was the favorite Nanny of the Peter and Mary Ronan children.

As popular as the family was, there must have been more photos and history. I have a couple of pages, one from the Camille Bisson family that I will be sharing next to the gravesites at the program. I welcome any more information, no matter how trivial it may seem, and hopefully more photos will surface.

Please contact me if there is any interest in doing a stories and stones program at the Lakeview cemetery perhaps on Memorial Day Sunday. Ever since I was invited to do the Missoula activity, I’ve thought it would be a neat thing to do here. I would be happy to help organize it if there is sufficient interest. Contact me at 883-6264.