The obituary below appeared in The Missoulian July 31, 2001. Many Missoulians remember Bill fondly for his unwavering attention to his customers and his warm, friendly manner. I and several friends often waited in line at the Liberty after school for his ice cream cones before walking home. Later, bowling at the Liberty was the same thing, a great experience. He always had time to take care of us.

 

William W. “Bill” Morrison

 

MISSOULA – A pioneer of bowling in Montana and the Intermountain West has died. William W. “Bill” Morrison, known to many as “Mr. Bowling,” passed away of natural causes on Friday, July 27, in Missoula. He was 91 years of age.

In his almost 50 years of owning and managing bowling lanes in Missoula, he brought the game from a basement establishment on East Broadway to the up-to-date, modern Liberty Lanes of today. Along the way he provided jobs, advice and help to many and through his initiation of youth bowling leagues and instruction, introduced thousands to the pastime. Many of Missoula’s fine bowlers of today will remember bowling as young men and women on Saturday mornings at the Liberty Lanes.

He was born on Aug. 16, 1909, in Livingston, the second of eight children born to Irish immigrant parents, John and Catherine Hickson Morrison. He was educated in Park County schools and graduated from Park County High School in 1928. He came to Missoula in the autumn of that year and enrolled in the University of Montana where he became a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, an affiliation which he valued to the end of his life.

Bill worked at a number of jobs to support his college education, and in 1931 he leased the lunch counter operation at the Idle Hour Bowling Alley located in the 100 block of East Broadway. In November of that year he dropped out of UM, leased the six-lane Idle Hour establishment, and entered the bowling business.

The next years were momentous for Bill. In 1932 he married Doris Lundberg with whom he spent 67 years until her death in 1999. His two sons were born, and in 1940, with two partners, he began planning and construction of a new 10-lane bowling establishment in the old Harnois (Liberty) Theater building in the 200 block of East Main. The Liberty Lanes opened in the fall of 1941, and in December Pearl Harbor was bombed and the U.S. entered World War II.

With the advent of WWII, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to Camp Roberts, Calif. After basic training he was selected for Officer Candidate School and in 1943 was commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry. In early 1944 he was deployed to England with the 79th Infantry Division, and on June 7 landed on Utah Beach with his unit. He fought in campaigns in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and at war’s end, was in Czechoslovakia.

He was separated from the Army in October 1945 as a captain and returned to Missoula to resume management of the Liberty Lanes. He remained in the Army Reserves, rose to command of the Missoula unit, and in 1972 retired as a lieutenant colonel.

The postwar years saw increased interest in bowling, and in 1950 eight additional lanes were added to the Liberty for a total of 18. In 1951 he founded the Missoula Eight-Game Singles Classic bowling tournament, the first of its kind in Montana which, with its first-place prize of $500, attracted bowlers from throughout the Pacific Northwest, Wyoming and Utah. In 1965 the Liberty added six more lanes and moved to its present location on the corner of West Broadway and Russell.

In 1978 Bill was inducted into the Montana Men’s Bowling Association Hall of Fame. He was also honored by selection into the Montana Women’s Bowling Hall of Fame for his efforts in promoting women’s bowling in Missoula and the state. He is also a member of the Missoula Men’s Bowling Association Hall of Fame.

Throughout his life he regretted not completing his education, and in 1979, after retirement, he enrolled at the University of Montana where he had a daily coffee break with two of his granddaughters who were also students at UM. He received a degree in history in 1981, some 53 years after beginning his studies.

He was a member of Missoula Elks Lodge 383, American Legion Post 27, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Retired Officers Association and the 315th Infantry Association, WWII. He was also a past member of the board of Missoula Manor Homes and a past member and chairman of the board of the Missoula County Cancer Association.

He will be remembered by the many people he helped throughout the years of his life and for his unswerving devotion to God, his family, and his country. He will now rest in peace, with God welcoming him home with the words: “Well done, Bill!”

He was preceded in death by his wife, Doris, in 1999, granddaughter Mary Eileen Morrison in 1963, three sisters and two brothers.

He is survived by his two sons and loving daughters-in-law, William and Shirley Morrison of Huson and John and June Morrison of West Riverside; his six grandchildren who, with their spouses will be his pallbearers; and five great-grandchildren, Jim and Joe McCollum of Vancouver, Wash., and Laine, John and David Anderson of Spokane. His brother, John, of Big Timber and sister, Esther Whelan, of Spokane also survive him.

 

The following article, by Evelyn King, appeared in The Missoulian, January 30, 2005:

Missoula’s bowling history the work of one dedicated man

ALMOST! THOUGHT YOU HAD IT! SHOULD-A-BEEN! DOWN THE MIDDLE! SPLIT! SPARE! STRIKE! TURKEY! YEA TEAM! WAH-HOO!”

 

Why do otherwise intelligent folks keep torturing themselves week after week, trying to knock down 10 tough, inanimate objects?

Bowling. It’s called a game. It can also be an addiction. An affliction. It’s been on my mind. Perhaps, because much to my surprise, I received a decorative pin last week for a certain series.

I’m only a mediocre, once-a-week participant. I’d rather golf. (By the looks of the weather, that may be soon.) Or shoot pool. Or shoot those contrary pins.

Avid bowlers are at the lanes three times during the weekdays and maybe twice on Sunday. Also, while cleaning out my files (an early attack of spring fever), I came across a brief history of the game. The information has been published before. You may have missed it. Or are new to the area.

In either case, here is a timeline of bowling in Missoula. The story is also entwined with a man who was called “Mr. Bowler,” the late Bill Morrison.

Dates, like the toss of a bowling ball, may not always be accurate, but they are thrown with enthusiasm.

5200 B.C. – Implements of a similar game were found in Egyptian tombs.

1900 – First bowling alleys in Missoula in the basement of the Higgins Building.

1915 – Rochester Alleys opened in the basement of 108 W. Main St., by James Piquette.

1925 – First modern alleys, called the Idle Hours, opened in the basement on East Broadway. The Idle Hours was in operation until the 50s.

1928 – Bill Morrison came to town from Livingston to attend the university. In 1931, he got a job operating the lunch counter in Idle Hours.

1932 – Bill bought the lease and inventory for the bowling alley. He also kept running the lunch counter. Olie Snyder, a onetime baseball player for the Cleveland Indians, supervised the bowling alley.

There were only 30 teams in the city at this time. Bill kept working to get more teams. Today there are dozens, with members of all ages, participating in the three alleys: Liberty, Westside and Five Valleys.

“Operating a bowling alley is a true, learning experience,” Bill once declared. “If you’re in bowling, you eat, sleep and talk bowling. You also keep your mouth shut and your ears open!”

1932 – Bill also organized both men’s and women’s teams through the fraternities at the university.

1936 – Eagles team was organized. About this time, Bill also decided he needed to expand. Idle Hours didn’t have room for all the teams in the rapidly-growing sport.

1941 – Bill, with a couple of friends, purchased the Hanois Theater on East Main Street. The new Liberty Bowling Alley opened with 10 lanes just a few days before the attack on Pearl Harbor.

1942 – Bill went off to war. He was in the Battle of the Bulge in the European Theater. Meantime, Sandy Dukrant and others were left to run the alley. When he left town, Bill owed $6,000. On his return, the debt had escalated to $106,000. He persevered and went out for bowling business all over town. He finally paid his debt. By then, the Liberty had expanded to 18 lanes, but was still cramped.

1954 – Five Valleys opened. Bill also helped organize the business. While looking for property, the late Carl Dragstedt suggested his land of nine acres near the river for the new Liberty. But it was on the flood plain.

“We’ll build it up,” Carl declared. And they did. Construction began in the winter of 1963. The Liberty opened with 18 alleys on Dec. 10. Shortly after opening day, it was operating at full capacity.

1977 – Bill was inducted into Montana Bowling Hall of Fame.

1978 – He sold to a group of Missoula people.

1983 – Westside Bowling Alley and “Fun Center” opened.

1997 – Bill and his wife, Doris, were still bowling twice a week in Senior Leagues at the Liberty. He said his wife had been bowling 63 years and her average at that time was 150. He didn’t disclose his average but said it had “slipped a little after going to a lighter ball.”

“Mr. Bowler” said he got a head start on the game as a kid and had been bowling for 75 years. Doris died in 1999. Bill died in 2001.

A few bowling tidbits:

Before automatic pin racks were installed in the ’50s, bowling alleys hired “pin setters.” Usually, they were teenage boys. At other times, according to Bill, they were “bums from the Smith Hotel. They would work a shift for $4. A dollar to eat, a dollar to sleep and two dollars for booze,” he once said with a chuckle.

Sometimes Italian internees from Fort Missoula set pins, when other workers weren’t available.

Women were not seen in bowling alleys in the early days. The late Kathleen Walford was instrumental in organizing women’s leagues in Missoula.

Also, in those early days, the bowling ball had holes for only two fingers.

According to one story, the lowest score ever bowled in town was a nine. That was said to be achieved by a girl in high heels and a tight skirt.

In 1954, balls cost about $25 and shoes ranged from $7 to $15. Now, balls run from $60 to over $100 and shoes from $35 to $90.

Bowling in the 1950s cost 30 cents a line. Now, the charges run from $1.75 to $2.75, depending on the time of day, and day of the week. Although many things about the game have changed, two are the same. It remains an activity of great

challenge and even greater frustration. (Personally, I think the bowling genies tease and tempt players to bring them back again by finally allowing a good score when a player struggles to climb out of the gutter.)

Bowling stories are legendary. Here is a yarn told about one Lee Terrell. Some may remember. Most bowlers will understand.

“Lee Terrell, one of the city’s better bowlers, once had a very bad night. After the slaughter was over, Lee called a cab and rode to the Van Buren Street bridge. He proceeded to throw both his ball and shoes in the river. After that, the bridge was known among his bowling buddies as ‘Terrell’s Dock.’ ”

Evelyn King is a retired Missoulian reporter. Her column appears every Sunday in the Territory section. Reach her by writing: Evelyn King, Missoulian, P.O. Box 8029, Missoula, MT 59807