Collie

David Collie was born on the 2nd of September of 1884 in Monkton, Scotland. When David was 25, after coming to America, he came to Montana by train. He worked as a cowboy until he got his U.S. citizenship and married Edna Marshall in 1915. Edna and David then worked and lived on Edna’s land.

Edna moved to Montana from Wisconsin in 1910. She then decided to file a claim on O’ Fallon Creek. Edna worked in Ekalaka and Ismay for the 5 winter months of the year, and spent the rest of each year on her own land. On her homestead, she lived in a small shack that she later improved with help from her neighbors.

David and Edna began farming crops and raising a family. In 1927, David Collie set the record for farming when he and Moses Mireau threshed a total yield of 380 bushels of wheat, or 63 bushels per acre. The Ekalaka Eagle reported that “his straw stack looks like Wilder butte.” Farming became difficult with complications such as hail, drought, and grasshopper infestations. David and Edna spent a lot of time with their neighbors, going to events such as picnics and brandings. At the Mc Lean Ranch, there were rodeos and picnics, at school houses there were dances, and the Collie family also attended a church in Ismay.

In 1951, David and Edna retired and moved to Baker. They spent a while in Scotland visiting David’s family. David passed away in February of 1962 when he was 79, and Edna died many years later in 1985 at age 97.