The Rest of The Crowley Family

 

                                                              "Tex" and his friends

                                                        From the Tex Crowley Collection

 (John) Arthur Crowley, Son of Daniel and Lizzie, born April, 1895, served in World War I and upon discharge from the service, married Lydia Marie Ryder, March 21, 1921 at Miles City, Montana and lived in Ravenna, Ohio until his death August 30, 1960. Before his military service, Arthur drove wagon’s and after discharge became an insurance salesman according to the 1930 and 1940 census records. They had a daughter Jeanne Eloise Crowley who is pictured with Tex Crowley in a picture July, 1982 in the Tex Crowley picture collection. 

(Henry) Arthur Crowley, son of Tom and Mary, was in training at the Naval Base at Mare Island ( near Vallejo, California), and was married to Miss Maude Edna Manhart, stated an article sent to the Philipsburg Mail, by a shipmate of Arthur’s and published August 16, 1918. Mr. Crowley would be leaving the naval base, sometime in September, for over seas duty. When he returned from overseas, they resided in California and had a son Thomas Arthur in 1921. Arthur worked as an electrician and lineman. Born in Montana on May 13, 1896, he died August 2, 1966 and is buried in California. 

(Herman) Daniel “Mugs” Crowley born to Daniel and Lizzie on May 18, 1890, attended the Philipsburg schools, and was called to duty in April 1918. He fought in three major battles: Meuse-Argonne, St. Mihiel and Lepschelds. He was a patient in Fort Harrison Veteran’s Hospital several times, while working as a rancher and teamster, after the war. “Mugs” never married and he made the final sacrifice on July 23, 1923 when he succumbed to the effects of Mustard Gas poisoning that he had received during his combat time, according to his obituary. Ironically his death certificate states Mitral Regurgitation with no contributing factors and was signed by Dr. Knight, not a VA physician. (This is something that always gives me pause as a retiree from the VA system. When this currently occurs the family does not receive benefits entitled to them and the battle over casually filled out death certificates is often never won.) Survivors were: his mother Mrs. Elizabeth and brothers: Arthur of Ravenna, Ohio and Louis “Tex” of Philipsburg. Burial was in the family plot in the Philipsburg cemetery July 25. 

Daniel and Lizzie’s youngest son, Louis “Tex”, born June 13, 1906, served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corp, during WWII for thirty-seven months in the southern Philippines and Western Pacific.. He loved the rodeo’s and spent considerable time following the professional riders. His employment was driving teams and later heavy trucks. Pictures show he loved his horses and dogs, A large collection of pictures, that were in the possession of LouAnn Fessler Sichveland belonged to Tex. He was Sichveland’s next door neighbor for years. Many of his collection state they were copied from Wilma Bruns. She took over the local historian task when Fan Titus Harrington died. 

A story often told by LouAnn was about Tex and his woodcutting. In his later years, everyday Tex sawed and split wood and carefully stacked it by his home. One day, LouAnn casually mentioned that he had enough wood cut that they could certainly use some of it that winter. His very firm response was that “He was going to need it all.” Evidence of this wood pile are in photo’s dating July 1982 on Poverty Flats. 

                                                 Tex and his niece Jeanne July 1982 

                                                     from the Tex Crawley collection

Even though a very large amount of stacked wood was remaining when he was taken from his home to a care center, this task provided him with purpose for a number of years. Louis “Tex” Crowley died July 19, 1996 in a Deer Lodge Nursing Home at the age of ninety. Tex was cremated and buried in Philipsburg.