The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

A couple of weeks ago I got a message from Dave Louvar at “The Grocery Store”. The message simply said that he wanted to interview me. I said fine and over he came one morning with some questions. Marlys Edmonds was there too and she had questions as well.

Dave wanted to know the origin or Robby Lucke.

I told him that I came from a Havre family only we had about run out of money by the time I came along. I spent my young years dreaming of and working in the Lou Lucke Company, a store in Havre (where Norman’s is now) and which sold high grade men’s clothing and furnishings, shoes for everyone and had a dry cleaning department and a shoe repair shop as well. Until the store closed in 1964 that was my life. When the store closed I got a degree in education and taught in Glasgow for ten years. Then it was back home to make money mainly by selling mobile homes.

When I was doing my student teaching for my education degree, I did it here in Big Sandy watched over by Lawrence Green.

I got to know a lot of Big Sandy people who bought a lot of things from the Lou Lucke Company so I have always felt right at home in Big Sandy.

One thing puzzled me, I was from a well known family but I was always called Lou or Scotty or Al rather than Robby. It was like people knew of me but few knew me as a person.

This went on for many years until finally I decided to strike out on my own and see if I could do something on my own. I moved to Somers and started to drive a Red Bus over Logan Pass for Glacier Park Incorporated. I found I made a life for myself in driving and teaching others how to drive the Red Busses. I even got the Lounge in Lake McDonald Lodge named after me.

In the meantime for a period of time I started doing the advertising for Western Bank in Chinook. While down there I started writing for the Chinook newspaper along with the Havre Daily News. Keith Hanson, owner of “The Mountaineer” and the “Blaine County Journal” said that I have worked for them for the last seventeen years. I sent them stories all the time I was in Glacier.

When I got back to Havre from Somers, to stay, Keith asked me to write for “The Mountaineer” as he could not get anyone to be a reporter. I did that and here I am.

Dave wanted to know what I do for entertainment. I can answer that easily. Spend as much time in Glacier National Park as I possibly can and drink as much brandy as I possibly can.

Most of you who read my writing know that I have had prostate cancer for a long time. The cancer is all but in remission but the cure has almost killed me. Isn’t

that the way of it? Booze helps!

Marlys wanted to know where my favorite place to be is?

I have several. I love to sit in my living room in an old recliner chair and drink brandy right beside the fireplace. I love fireplaces, I love to sit near one and just feel quite wonderful all the time I am there.

I share a tiny log cabin at Lake McDonald. It is called Bosky Dell. I love to be there but since it is mainly a tent camp and there is no good plumbing for me, I don’t get there very much of the time.

Instead I try to reserve cabin 6 at the Village Lodge in Apgar for at least a couple of times each year. That wonderful little cabin is right at the bend where McDonald Creek comes out of Lake McDonald. A person can sit on the couch in the cabin and look right up to the Garden Wall. It is one of my most favorite of all places to spend time.

I think it was maybe Dave who wanted to know what the future holds for me.

Like most of you I have no idea. I know that cancer has slowed me down a lot but not taken the zest out of living and loving what I do.

I love writing about all of you. It is that simple and I will continue to do it until Keith fires me or I can’t do it anymore.

Thanks for the interest Dave and Marlys.