A tired little citizen of Hamilton, went away last week, to that far country where rest abides. Bethel Acuff, at 87, her last few years in a nursing home, rebelled almost to her last weeks, at forced idleness; action ceased only when a broken hip and the subsequent trials that enforced rest took over and that fighter's spirit, seemed to withdraw even with kindness and the best of care for all hours.
When Bethel Acuff, widow and mother of two school-age children came to Hamilton in 1936, taking ownership of the Hamilton Hotel that was almost as old as the town (circa 1890), her ready friendliness made her and her children well-liked from the start. She contributed more than money, supporting in spirit whatever came up in the way of community development. Perhaps her most significant civil effort was as a member of the Business and Professional Woman's Club with its state affiliation in 1953-1954 when the Hamilton BP&W latched onto the Ravalli County. It organized in June 1953, a county-sustained unit for equipment necessary in rescue work, pertaining especially to drowning hazards.
Bethel Acuff, backed by the two BP&W groups in Stevensville and Hamilton, escorted another club member to the Montana BP&W convention in Livingston in 1954, where B.K. Monroe and the club as sponsor received state honors for civil action. The two of us tripped to the convention, Bethel at the wheel of her small car, sharing expenses of the convention week and successfully returning home with honors for Ravalli County and its towns.
Bethel Acuff was never a quitter. She still hoped the history-sheathed building might serve her adopted Hamilton and the good people as a city center or some other useful community headquarters. That hope was lost. Bethel Acuff spearheaded other community activities, using her good business sense, and always boosting fellowship.
The purchase of the two-story brick hotel and its three-story west wing, proved to be a good deal for the years before motels began to take over transient support. From the start though, the ancient brick hotel was only semi-modern as to conveniences. Still it was the main rooming establishment in town. The Hamilton Hotel that Bethel Acuff took over in 1936 had a history. Before Hamilton was founded in 1890by Marcus Daly, a village with Riverside as central post office and commercial pioneering, had a frame hotel built and owned by H.S. Page.
When Hamilton took shape and main street lots were being offered for enterprising trade, Page took a chance. He moved his frame structure known as The Page Hotel, from its original site, Riverside, to the east end of Main Street where it served until fire destroyed it. Brick walls for a new hotel, still with Page the owner, soon replaced the Riverside-built frame hostelry. Sturdy and neatly conforming to the architecture of the times, the hotel served through several ventures of owners and landlords. Bethel Acuff tried hard to maintain the old-style hotel that had so long offered hospitality, like "The House by the Side of the Road". Finally, she saw the best thing meant selling the out-moded building. Retirement meant buying a home, but after her son and daughter, with families of their own began living in other towns, apartment living became the way of life for Bethel. Even so, the hospitable spirit of Bethel Acuff kept on until after 80 years the valiant little citizen yielded to nursing home living, still maintaining hope that health and enduring strength would come again.
Back in 1940-1960 years, this writer recalls many good times with our BP&W club that finally dropped the active for a purely social "Friendship Club." The good times with car trips to Medicine Springs for an over-night cabin holiday where once she and I wakened at 6 in the morning to gaze from the window at a mother moose and her calf, taking a morning splash in Spring Creek.
On another homeward trip from the upper valley, we had reached a meadow stretch north of Lost Horse Hill, driving at a moderate speed, when without warning, a bull moose with a beautiful spread of antlers, loped out of a timbered space to race our car the length of the field before he took again to the hills. Only a fence separated his wild grace of motion from that of our "store-bought" way of moving and both of us marvelled at the bit of wildlife context. We reached home in time to send a wire story to my then main paper, the Spokesman Review. Our experience with "moose power" got from page in black-face type in the S-R, next day. Bethel Acuff honored wildlife always. A long span of womanly friendship, for which I thank our best friend, God. Hamilton is the better for having her years of good citizenship.
("Bethel Acuff Served Well While Here" by B.K. Monroe in the Ravalli Republic, April 10, 1979)
When Bethel Acuff, widow and mother of two school-age children came to Hamilton in 1936, taking ownership of the Hamilton Hotel that was almost as old as the town (circa 1890), her ready friendliness made her and her children well-liked from the start. She contributed more than money, supporting in spirit whatever came up in the way of community development. Perhaps her most significant civil effort was as a member of the Business and Professional Woman's Club with its state affiliation in 1953-1954 when the Hamilton BP&W latched onto the Ravalli County. It organized in June 1953, a county-sustained unit for equipment necessary in rescue work, pertaining especially to drowning hazards.
Bethel Acuff, backed by the two BP&W groups in Stevensville and Hamilton, escorted another club member to the Montana BP&W convention in Livingston in 1954, where B.K. Monroe and the club as sponsor received state honors for civil action. The two of us tripped to the convention, Bethel at the wheel of her small car, sharing expenses of the convention week and successfully returning home with honors for Ravalli County and its towns.
Bethel Acuff was never a quitter. She still hoped the history-sheathed building might serve her adopted Hamilton and the good people as a city center or some other useful community headquarters. That hope was lost. Bethel Acuff spearheaded other community activities, using her good business sense, and always boosting fellowship.
The purchase of the two-story brick hotel and its three-story west wing, proved to be a good deal for the years before motels began to take over transient support. From the start though, the ancient brick hotel was only semi-modern as to conveniences. Still it was the main rooming establishment in town. The Hamilton Hotel that Bethel Acuff took over in 1936 had a history. Before Hamilton was founded in 1890by Marcus Daly, a village with Riverside as central post office and commercial pioneering, had a frame hotel built and owned by H.S. Page.
When Hamilton took shape and main street lots were being offered for enterprising trade, Page took a chance. He moved his frame structure known as The Page Hotel, from its original site, Riverside, to the east end of Main Street where it served until fire destroyed it. Brick walls for a new hotel, still with Page the owner, soon replaced the Riverside-built frame hostelry. Sturdy and neatly conforming to the architecture of the times, the hotel served through several ventures of owners and landlords. Bethel Acuff tried hard to maintain the old-style hotel that had so long offered hospitality, like "The House by the Side of the Road". Finally, she saw the best thing meant selling the out-moded building. Retirement meant buying a home, but after her son and daughter, with families of their own began living in other towns, apartment living became the way of life for Bethel. Even so, the hospitable spirit of Bethel Acuff kept on until after 80 years the valiant little citizen yielded to nursing home living, still maintaining hope that health and enduring strength would come again.
Back in 1940-1960 years, this writer recalls many good times with our BP&W club that finally dropped the active for a purely social "Friendship Club." The good times with car trips to Medicine Springs for an over-night cabin holiday where once she and I wakened at 6 in the morning to gaze from the window at a mother moose and her calf, taking a morning splash in Spring Creek.
On another homeward trip from the upper valley, we had reached a meadow stretch north of Lost Horse Hill, driving at a moderate speed, when without warning, a bull moose with a beautiful spread of antlers, loped out of a timbered space to race our car the length of the field before he took again to the hills. Only a fence separated his wild grace of motion from that of our "store-bought" way of moving and both of us marvelled at the bit of wildlife context. We reached home in time to send a wire story to my then main paper, the Spokesman Review. Our experience with "moose power" got from page in black-face type in the S-R, next day. Bethel Acuff honored wildlife always. A long span of womanly friendship, for which I thank our best friend, God. Hamilton is the better for having her years of good citizenship.
("Bethel Acuff Served Well While Here" by B.K. Monroe in the Ravalli Republic, April 10, 1979)
A tired little citizen of Hamilton, went away last week, to that far country where rest abides. Bethel Acuff, at 87, her last few years in a nursing home, rebelled almost to her last weeks, at forced idleness; action ceased only when a broken hip and the subsequent trials that enforced rest took over and that fighter's spirit, seemed to withdraw even with kindness and the best of care for all hours.
When Bethel Acuff, widow and mother of two school-age children came to Hamilton in 1936, taking ownership of the Hamilton Hotel that was almost as old as the town (circa 1890), her ready friendliness made her and her children well-liked from the start. She contributed more than money, supporting in spirit whatever came up in the way of community development. Perhaps her most significant civil effort was as a member of the Business and Professional Woman's Club with its state affiliation in 1953-1954 when the Hamilton BP&W latched onto the Ravalli County. It organized in June 1953, a county-sustained unit for equipment necessary in rescue work, pertaining especially to drowning hazards.
Bethel Acuff, backed by the two BP&W groups in Stevensville and Hamilton, escorted another club member to the Montana BP&W convention in Livingston in 1954, where B.K. Monroe and the club as sponsor received state honors for civil action. The two of us tripped to the convention, Bethel at the wheel of her small car, sharing expenses of the convention week and successfully returning home with honors for Ravalli County and its towns.
Bethel Acuff was never a quitter. She still hoped the history-sheathed building might serve her adopted Hamilton and the good people as a city center or some other useful community headquarters. That hope was lost. Bethel Acuff spearheaded other community activities, using her good business sense, and always boosting fellowship.
The purchase of the two-story brick hotel and its three-story west wing, proved to be a good deal for the years before motels began to take over transient support. From the start though, the ancient brick hotel was only semi-modern as to conveniences. Still it was the main rooming establishment in town. The Hamilton Hotel that Bethel Acuff took over in 1936 had a history. Before Hamilton was founded in 1890by Marcus Daly, a village with Riverside as central post office and commercial pioneering, had a frame hotel built and owned by H.S. Page.
When Hamilton took shape and main street lots were being offered for enterprising trade, Page took a chance. He moved his frame structure known as The Page Hotel, from its original site, Riverside, to the east end of Main Street where it served until fire destroyed it. Brick walls for a new hotel, still with Page the owner, soon replaced the Riverside-built frame hostelry. Sturdy and neatly conforming to the architecture of the times, the hotel served through several ventures of owners and landlords. Bethel Acuff tried hard to maintain the old-style hotel that had so long offered hospitality, like "The House by the Side of the Road". Finally, she saw the best thing meant selling the out-moded building. Retirement meant buying a home, but after her son and daughter, with families of their own began living in other towns, apartment living became the way of life for Bethel. Even so, the hospitable spirit of Bethel Acuff kept on until after 80 years the valiant little citizen yielded to nursing home living, still maintaining hope that health and enduring strength would come again.
Back in 1940-1960 years, this writer recalls many good times with our BP&W club that finally dropped the active for a purely social "Friendship Club." The good times with car trips to Medicine Springs for an over-night cabin holiday where once she and I wakened at 6 in the morning to gaze from the window at a mother moose and her calf, taking a morning splash in Spring Creek.
On another homeward trip from the upper valley, we had reached a meadow stretch north of Lost Horse Hill, driving at a moderate speed, when without warning, a bull moose with a beautiful spread of antlers, loped out of a timbered space to race our car the length of the field before he took again to the hills. Only a fence separated his wild grace of motion from that of our "store-bought" way of moving and both of us marvelled at the bit of wildlife context. We reached home in time to send a wire story to my then main paper, the Spokesman Review. Our experience with "moose power" got from page in black-face type in the S-R, next day. Bethel Acuff honored wildlife always. A long span of womanly friendship, for which I thank our best friend, God. Hamilton is the better for having her years of good citizenship.
("Bethel Acuff Served Well While Here" by B.K. Monroe in the Ravalli Republic, April 10, 1979)
When Bethel Acuff, widow and mother of two school-age children came to Hamilton in 1936, taking ownership of the Hamilton Hotel that was almost as old as the town (circa 1890), her ready friendliness made her and her children well-liked from the start. She contributed more than money, supporting in spirit whatever came up in the way of community development. Perhaps her most significant civil effort was as a member of the Business and Professional Woman's Club with its state affiliation in 1953-1954 when the Hamilton BP&W latched onto the Ravalli County. It organized in June 1953, a county-sustained unit for equipment necessary in rescue work, pertaining especially to drowning hazards.
Bethel Acuff, backed by the two BP&W groups in Stevensville and Hamilton, escorted another club member to the Montana BP&W convention in Livingston in 1954, where B.K. Monroe and the club as sponsor received state honors for civil action. The two of us tripped to the convention, Bethel at the wheel of her small car, sharing expenses of the convention week and successfully returning home with honors for Ravalli County and its towns.
Bethel Acuff was never a quitter. She still hoped the history-sheathed building might serve her adopted Hamilton and the good people as a city center or some other useful community headquarters. That hope was lost. Bethel Acuff spearheaded other community activities, using her good business sense, and always boosting fellowship.
The purchase of the two-story brick hotel and its three-story west wing, proved to be a good deal for the years before motels began to take over transient support. From the start though, the ancient brick hotel was only semi-modern as to conveniences. Still it was the main rooming establishment in town. The Hamilton Hotel that Bethel Acuff took over in 1936 had a history. Before Hamilton was founded in 1890by Marcus Daly, a village with Riverside as central post office and commercial pioneering, had a frame hotel built and owned by H.S. Page.
When Hamilton took shape and main street lots were being offered for enterprising trade, Page took a chance. He moved his frame structure known as The Page Hotel, from its original site, Riverside, to the east end of Main Street where it served until fire destroyed it. Brick walls for a new hotel, still with Page the owner, soon replaced the Riverside-built frame hostelry. Sturdy and neatly conforming to the architecture of the times, the hotel served through several ventures of owners and landlords. Bethel Acuff tried hard to maintain the old-style hotel that had so long offered hospitality, like "The House by the Side of the Road". Finally, she saw the best thing meant selling the out-moded building. Retirement meant buying a home, but after her son and daughter, with families of their own began living in other towns, apartment living became the way of life for Bethel. Even so, the hospitable spirit of Bethel Acuff kept on until after 80 years the valiant little citizen yielded to nursing home living, still maintaining hope that health and enduring strength would come again.
Back in 1940-1960 years, this writer recalls many good times with our BP&W club that finally dropped the active for a purely social "Friendship Club." The good times with car trips to Medicine Springs for an over-night cabin holiday where once she and I wakened at 6 in the morning to gaze from the window at a mother moose and her calf, taking a morning splash in Spring Creek.
On another homeward trip from the upper valley, we had reached a meadow stretch north of Lost Horse Hill, driving at a moderate speed, when without warning, a bull moose with a beautiful spread of antlers, loped out of a timbered space to race our car the length of the field before he took again to the hills. Only a fence separated his wild grace of motion from that of our "store-bought" way of moving and both of us marvelled at the bit of wildlife context. We reached home in time to send a wire story to my then main paper, the Spokesman Review. Our experience with "moose power" got from page in black-face type in the S-R, next day. Bethel Acuff honored wildlife always. A long span of womanly friendship, for which I thank our best friend, God. Hamilton is the better for having her years of good citizenship.
("Bethel Acuff Served Well While Here" by B.K. Monroe in the Ravalli Republic, April 10, 1979)
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