I must have written a story and in it mentioned the name of Ella Ling Anderson because I got a letter back from Jerry Halter who had a lot to say about Ella.

Here is what I know. Ella’s mother was a Gros Ventre and a charter member of the Van Orsdel Methodist Church. She married a Ling and they had quite an early life as they were picking up and moving from one place to another. Finally Mr. Ling became the weatherman here in Havre. Ella ran the sheet music department at Buttrey’s Department Store and also played the piano or organ for the silent movies that would come to town. Ella’s mother got her the job of playing the pipe organ at the Van Orsdel Methodist Church and when that church burned down in 1957 Ella had the job of picking a new organ for the new church. Ella married Harry Anderson, who also worked at Buttrey’s store and they started a store where the Donovan Jewelry store is today. The store was called Harry’s in Havre. I knew them both from the church but they had a cabin on Clear Creek and I knew them well there as well.

Jerry Halter has much more interesting history than I do. Here is what he has to say about Ella Ling.

“In the November 9 issue of “the Mountaineer” you mentioned the old pipe organ in the Methodist Church. You must remember the lady that played it for over 40 years, more like 50 years, Ella Ling. Here is some interesting history about Ella.

She was a Métis born in the Indian camps in a teepee along the Musselshell River. Her mother was an Indian and dad was a white man. They moved camp every 3 or 4 days depending upon the grass for horses and fire wood and to have a clean camp. In a few years they were in the Judith Basin and moving north. When Ella was about 5 years old they were camping on the mouth of the Judith River a little west of old Camp Cook. It was an old army base for several years then deserted. Dobie buildings were still standing. The old muzzle loading cannon was still there. They moved up to the Bear Paw Mountains then to Havre. Camp Cook was close to the Missouri River on the south side.

In Havre her dad got a job working for the railroad and Ella started school. She had two brothers that I know of but she probably had more. One was Joe and the other was Tinny Ling. They were both working for the train service. Of course Tinny was a big guy. One time when Ella was about ten or twelve she was in the Lou Lucke Company with her dad and they got to talking about Camp Cook and the old cannon that was there. Lou Lucke got several friends and Ella and drove to the Judith Landing on dirt roads a long way. Then 75 miles. They found the cannon and took it. It was mounted on wagon wheels and the barrel was about 1200 pounds. They had to tow it and could not go more than 3 to 6 miles an hour. Old Hans Lehfeldt was living in the area at the time and told me about it. I lived at the Judith Landing for 50 years, on the north side and the west end. I moved there after World War II. Ella Ling played the organ when my wife and I got married in the old Methodist Church in Havre.”

Wow! What a story that was. I knew Ella so very well until they retired and moved to Whitefish where she played the organ for the Presbyterian Church there.

Had I known then what Jerry has shared with us now, I would have had about 80 dozen questions at least!

Once again, thanks and a tip of the hat to Jerry Halter!