Many people thinking growing up outside of town would be a dull life. In fact it is the opposite, it is anything but dull, at least it was growing up in Elk Park. My Mom and Dad could write a book on all of the various excitement that has occurred out here over the years.
Today on Facebook a guy who posts a lot of old Montana Standard newspaper articles posted one about a murder that happened up in Elk Park back in 1984. A Montana Tech professor was murdered by his son-in-law.
Below is a snap shot of the Facebook post and Montana Standard Article.
The article has some of the information a little wrong. Like our neighbor Henry Cerise being from Basin. He was from Elk Park.
Also the article has the ranch as being the Joe Sologub Jr (That is me) ranch. My Dad is Joe Sologub Sr, however my grandfather was still alive and he was also Joe Sologub so it is sort of correct, Grandpa was Joseph P. Sologub. Dad and I are Joseph W. Sologub.
Mr. McGlynn was not necessarily a longtime friend of our family. We knew who he was because he lived near one of my mom’s good friends (the Old’s) and Mr. McGlynn worked for the Forest Service in the summers. My Dad worked for the Forest Service.
Here are some of my recollections of the events around this. Of course it was 40 years ago so things may be a little fuzzy.
On that Saturday, my sister Colleen and I were in town for a track meet. It was a warm day that year, but we still had a fair bit of snow around. On the way home I noticed Red Wrecker towing an older distinctive car (I believe it was an old rambler but I could be wrong) towards town.
At this time the Interstate Highway (four lanes) ended right in front of our house and the road went back to a two-lane highway (as you traveled North). I noticed the Red Wrecker just as he had gotten on the four-lane section of road. We were very familiar with all of the local wreckers, due to the number of accidents and break downs that we had in front of the house.
While we were in town, Mom and Cindy were home. Cindy was 7 years old at the time. She was the first person to interact with this guy. He had walked down the two-lane road to the ranch. Cindy was riding her bike in the yard, and the guy asked to use the phone. She brought him up to the house to my mom so he could use the phone.
My mom noticed several strange things about this guy. One is how he was dressed. He had a heavy Jean jacket with the fake wool lining and he had it buttoned up tight, and that his feet were not muddy, there was a lot of mud that year. The other was that whomever he called (my Mom thinks it was his mother) he said to come get him, he would be walking down the road.
That in itself was unusual. We used to get a lot of people who had car troubles and wanted to use the phone (pre-cell phone days), they would usually just wait at the house for whoever was coming to get them (tow truck, friends, etc.). So it was weird that he left and started walking towards town.
When they started searching for Mr. McGlynn they were using our yard as kind of a command center for the search. They mentioned they were looking for his old car. I told them that I had seen Red Wrecker towing an old car into town on that day and that is when they found that out.
This guy had tried to several things to throw the searchers off, he had placed his glasses and a shovel and pick on the old railroad tracks neat the creek, the thought he may have thrown the body in the creek which was raging with spring run-off. But he had buried him in a shallow grave a few miles away.
Anyway, there were some tense months after all of this for my parents, because both mom and Cindy were probably going to have to testify if this went to trial. Fortunately, the guys ended up pleading guilty and they did not have to testify.
Anyway, it was wild to see that post on Facebook this morning and gave me and the folks something to discuss and reminisce on this morning.
Another sign that summer is coming, the elk have started showing back up on this end of Elk Park. Yesterday morning a small herd (12) showed up grazing in the field across the Interstate. They have not yet shown up on our side of the Interstate but we are expecting them any day. People have been seeing elk for about a week on the other end of Elk Park.
I also got the scooter that Dad inherited from Jennifer's family fired up yesterday. Chad and I had charged the batteries for it last week and I got them installed yesterday morning. So, he will be able to drive around the yard, when the weather gets a little warmer (Maybe today). Yesterday the wind was too damn cold and strong for him to be out in.
Well, enough reminiscing this morning, better get to doing something productive.
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