Old Missoula

 

The obituary below for Elmer Frame appeared in the Missoulian on May 7, 2004

 

 

Elmer Morris Frame

 

MISSOULA – Elmer Morris Frame of Missoula, died Tuesday, May 4, 2004, at the age of 80.

 

He was born Dec. 1, 1923, at his family home in Kane, Wyo., to George and Beulah Frame. Elmer grew up on the Big Horn River near Lovell, Wyo., with his seven younger brothers and one older sister. He graduated from Lovell High School in 1941, after attending grade school in Kane, Wyo.

 

During his freshman year at the University of Wyoming, he had the opportunity to spend the summer fighting forest fires with a “hotshot” crew in Missoula. He worked out of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp near the Nine Mile Ranger Station.

 

Elmer’s summer in Montana proved to be a long one, 1942-2004. He found that he liked Missoula, so in the fall of 1942, he enrolled at the University of Montana for his sophomore year. He had broken his arm in Devil’s Canyon at the age of 7 and due to the nine mile horseback ride home, his arm healed at a peculiar angle. This kept him from being accepted into the Army after Pearl Harbor. He spent the next 2 1/2 years working for the Forest Service and attending UM. However, he was finally accepted into the Army after the third attempt in October 1944.

 

Elmer was trained for the field artillery at Fort Sill, Okla. He spent two years in France, Germany, Austria and England. While in England, he attended the Shrivenham American University in Swindon. In Germany, he attended the Friesing Agricultural College. He returned to Missoula and the University of Montana in October 1946 and was employed at the Highlander Brewery for a short time.

 

Elmer met his future wife Marjorie Trucano in 1947 in Missoula, where she was attending the St. Patrick School of Nursing. They were married on May 22, 1948. Elmer and Margie spent the next eight years traveling throughout Montana and Idaho while Elmer worked for the Bureau of Public Roads on location survey, design and road construction.

 

During this time, their two oldest daughters were born, Kathy in 1951 and Julie in 1953 at St. Patrick Hospital. Their youngest daughter, Laurie, was born in 1959 in Missoula after they had purchased land on the “far” west side of Missoula. They designed and developed El-Mar Trailer Village, which has grown to 100 mobile home spaces.

 

In 1962, Elmer saw the need for transportation to Hellgate Elementary School on Flynn Lane. He purchased one school bus, creating Hellgate Transportation Co., which has grown to a fleet of 18 buses, and is now managed by their daughter, Kathy Riley.

 

Elmer and Margie expanded their business in 1965 to include campsites for tents and RVs. They became a part of the KOA network in 1967 and the Missoula KOA still continues to serve vacationers on North Reserve Street with 200 campsites. Their daughter Laurie Wisby and her husband Dale manage the KOA. The Missoula KOA has been named Campground of the Year and received the KOA Award of Merit for Outstanding Service for 15 consecutive years.

 

Elmer and Margie’s daughter Julie Frame is managing shareholder of her law firm in Burlington, Vt. Julie continues to advise and support the family in legal matters and returns home to Montana whenever possible. She has made possible some wonderful vacations for her family. Elmer and Margie especially cherished their time with Julie and family in Vinalhaven, Maine.

 

Elmer was responsible for design, construction and sale of 417 residential lots at El-Mar Estates during the years of 1975 through 1992. He also held the public office of Missoula County surveyor from 1971-1975. He was active on the Missoula County Study Commission in 1974 and 1975.

 

Elmer held many volunteer positions throughout his long career. He served three terms as a member of the National KOA Kampground Owners Association Board of Directors. From 1970-1975, he was a member of the Missoula County Planning Board. He was a member of the Governor’s Tourism Advisory Council. In 1993, he was chosen as Tourism Person of the Year by Governor Marc Racicot.

 

Elmer enjoyed helping young people whenever he could and worked enthusiastically with the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Committee including providing bus transportation for HOBY ambassadors over a period of 14 years.

 

In 1985-1990, he was a member of the Missoula City-County Planning Board. Elmer was a member of the Missoula Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors. He was a member of Glacier Country Board of Directors. Other positions that he held were on the President’s Advisory Council for KOA Inc., president of the Campground Owner’s Association of Montana, member of Missoula Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, board of directors for the Montana Tourism Coalition, advisory council for Water Quality District, Open Space Advisory Council for the City of Missoula and a member of the board of directors for Five Valley Land Trust.

 

Elmer was an eternal optimist and continued to seek new adventures throughout his life. He loved the mountains of Montana and it was an annual ritual when his grandchildren were young to visit Mary’s Frog Pond and Surveyor Lake. Even with his busy life, he always made time to take his daughters camping, teaching them to enjoy the woods and the mountains. He supported them in their riding endeavors and spent many hours at horse shows and Junior Rider events.

 

Elmer loved to watch the Grizzlies and attend football and basketball games for 35 years. He enjoyed any sporting event in which his grandchildren participated, especially their basketball and football games. He taught his children and others the value of hard work and the importance of pride in one’s work. He also loved to travel. He and Margie visited hundreds of KOAs over the years and enjoyed traveling to many foreign countries as well. He leaves a huge void in our lives on this earth but we know we will see him again, smiling and at peace, doing good works on the other side.

 

He is survived by his wife, Margie Frame of Missoula; daughters, Kathy Riley and grandsons Nate and Ben Riley of Missoula, Julie Frame (Kenneth Peck) and grandson Gabriel Peck-Frame of Charlotte, Vt., Laurie Wisby (Dale Wisby) and grandchildren Tyler and Jenna Wisby of Lolo; sister, Georgia Close of Powell, Wyo.; brothers, Ralph (Peggy) of Missoula, Hugh (Sylvia) Frame of Missoula, Tom (Evelyn) of Frenchtown, David of Dayton, Wash., and Warren (Glenda) of Ronan; sister-in-law, Patricia Rice of Hamilton; and many beloved nephews and nieces.

 

Elmer was preceded in death by his parents, George and Beulah Frame; brothers, Charlie and Glen Frame; son-in-law, Doyle Riley; nephew, Charles Jr.; and brother-in-law, Harold Close.

 

For those wishing to offer memorials, the family suggests Five Valley Land Trust, 211 N. Higgins Ave., Missoula, MT 59802; St. Patrick House, 501 W. Alder, Missoula, MT 59802; or a charity of donor’s choice.

 

Visiting hours will be from 6-8 p.m. Sunday, May 9, at Sunset Memorial. Services for Elmer will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home on Mullan Road. A reception will follow at the same location.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a link to the Missoula KOA website which features an article Elmer wrote before he died. Although many of the facts featured in this website also appear in Elmer’s obituary, a short history of his property is featured here that has information about the first settlement on the acreage occupied by his campground. A cabin on this property likely dates back to the 1860’s and actually still exists. It has to be one of the oldest buildings in Missoula. This property is not far from the original Hell Gate settlement and one of Frame’s visitors (Vern Huckaba, who lived there once & who is one of 6 siblings born in Missoula) believed this old cabin was originally built as a stage station.

 

 

 

http://missoulakoa.com/about-missoula-koa/history/