Evelyn Flankey

Evelyn F was born in Glendive Montana on January 21, 1938.  Her father worked for the railroad at the local roundhouse.  As was the tradition, her mother stayed home to raise her 7 children.  Evelyn had 4 brothers and 2 sisters.

Evelyn went to a Catholic School and walked 6 miles roundtrip to school even in inclement weather.  Evelyn and her siblings were never late to school but coming home was another story.  Most days the kids would stop at the local Safeway on the way home.  Their goal was to get cardboard boxes for sliding in the canyon on the way home.  The family lived 3 miles outside of town.  Evelyn and her siblings did not require snow.  The dirt worked just as well! 

Later the family moved into town and Evelyn attended Dawson High School.  Evelyn recalls that back then kids played outside all day long.  All the neighborhood kids would gather on the street and play kick the can.  No need for cell phones!  The kids were all within yelling distance of their homes and when parents called you went running home immediately.

Evelyn moved to Miles City to finish her last two years of High School.  She moved in with her sister who needed help in her cleaning business.  What a nice little sister. 

Evelyn graduated from high school in 1953 and immediately joined the Air Force in Administration.  It was in the Air Force that Evelyn met her husband George.  They were married August 22, 1958.  Evelyn was enlisted for 6 years but her husband was in the Air Force for over 22 years.

And so the life of “military brats” would begin.  George and Evelyn had 1 boy and 3 girls.  The family had to move where the Air Force would send them—Billings, Lewistown, Great Falls, Colorado Springs, CO, California, and even 2 years in Turkey.  While in Turkey, they had the opportunity to travel to Libya and Greece. 

It was in California that the family bought a pop-up camper which they would own from 1970 until 1995.  The family lived in the trailer for 6 months by the river, fishing all the time.  The family would continue to use the trailer every chance they got to camp, fish, explore backcountry roads, hike and picnic.  Evelyn recalls that in 1995 she did not want to give up the trailer but getting in and out was difficult.

George retired from the Air Force in 1971.  Evelyn and her husband then opened Flankey’s Daycare in Great Falls, Montana.  Evelyn owned the daycare for 25 years. 

George died on December 1, 1999 after 43 years of marriage.  Evelyn really misses George but she has 3 of her children living in Missoula, and 1 daughter in Spokane.  Evelyn even has a son-in-law who works right here at VHCC and sees her daily.  Evelyn is also a grandmother 10 times and great grandmother 3 times! And so you see she is surrounded by lots of family who love her very much!

She is very involved in the Life Enrichment program and never misses her Bingo.