Seventy-seven years ago in mid-December of 1942, Gladys informed her husband Sal that the baby was coming and coming fast. They loaded into the old red pickup and headed down the trail from their ranch near Home Creek Butte, hoping to get to Miles City. But as the old pick rattled along the bumpy road, Gladys knew the baby was coming and she said maybe we can get to Broadus. But then the expectant Mother knew that she wouldn’t make it much further, so Sal turned the pick up off the Big Pumpkin Creek Road into the driveway of his brother Mike’s place. There he carried Gladys to the door step where a baby girl came out crying and kicking. That baby girl was Margaret Carol Cain. She joined two brothers Donald and Gene, and a sister Helen. A second sister for Carol, Ella Mae was born in 1947.
Carol grew up on the family ranch. She went to the Loesch School on Big Pumpkin Creek where she very much enjoyed Mrs. Huckins as a teacher, but never had much good to say about Mr. A.B. Burrows who taught her and Ella Mae one year. The round trip from the Nefsy Ranch (now the Samuelson’s Place) was twenty four miles. Sal taught Carol to drive the family’s black forty eight Plymouth, so he didn’t have to make the daily trip. Carol and Ella Mae, in the big old black car were quite sight and neighbors knew to give Carol plenty of room when they met her. She was not a good driver and Ella Mae remembers very vividly the many times Carol drove the car off the road into the barrow pit and then back up on the road.
Carol graduated from high school in Broadus and then took bookkeeping classes in Billings. She went to work for L. P. Anderson where she did some book work, but mostly she answered the telephone, greeted customers and kept the all men crew in line. It was a rough and tumble place where the boss ran businesses that sold tires, parts, moved dirt and drilled for oil. Carol was with L. P. for more than forty years. After that, she worked for Sam Ohnstad and United Parts. Carol loved working for Sam and L. P. She got to know many folks in the Miles City community and was active in most of the going’s on there. One of her fondest events was the hundred year celebration of the Montana Stock Growers parade which on the first day featured just horse drawn vehicles. She helped Nibs Allen get this organized.
Carol was big on keeping track of family. And with fifteen children in Sal’s family, there were and are a lot of Cain folks to track. In the eighties, she organized a Cain family reunion which saw more than a hundred relatives in attendance. Carol liked family dinners. When the meat was served it had better be done, or we all knew that she would raise a fuss about the rare prime rib.
When Gladys’s health began to fail, she moved into Carol’s Miles City home. And for nearly five years, Carol took care of her Mother right up until she passed away. For several years as her health permitted, Carol flew to Phoenix to see Gene’s son Wes and his wife Vicki. Carol and Wes went to a lot of pre-season baseball games. One of her prized souvenirs was a baseball that Albert Pujols signed for her. She also stayed in close contact with David, Gene’s youngest son. When David’s daughter started getting into horses, Carol managed to manipulate things at the ranch so Socks, one of the ranch horses could be given to Sierra. Through out the years, Carol kept in close contact with Socks and his life with the David Cains in North Platte, Nebraska.
Ella Mae’s son Joe was very close to Carol. Joe was with her when Carol battled cancer thirteen years ago and he was holding her hand when she passed away December 17, 2019 at the Friendship Villa in Miles City. Carol was also close to Ella Mae’s husband Michael. In her many, many phone calls to the ranch, she always asked about Mike and wanted to know what he was doing.
Carol was active in the local Garden Club and was a certified flower judge, judging the Montana State Fair in Great Falls for many years. Seeds from Carol’s “Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate,” got spread around to many of the Garden Club members in Miles City. Carol was also a collector of vintage hats. Her collection can be seen in the Range Riders Museum in Miles City.
As the family goes through her things, we were quickly reminded that Carol was into hats, flowers, the color white, and always coming up with projects that she wanted you to help with.
We are grateful to Kim Jerke, RN from the Council on Aging, the St. Vincent Hospital staff and most especially to the good folks at the Friendship Villa.
We will sure miss the old girl we called Carol.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 19, 2019 from 1-6 p.m. at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 20, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Interment will follow at Custer County Cemetery. Condolences to the family may be sent by visiting www.stevensonandsons.com.
Sandy McFarland Hays says
Oh Ella Mae, I was in total shock when I read this. I should have kept in better touch with Carol. Sending prayers and condolences to you and all of Carol’s family. She leaves behind a great and at many times a very funny legacy. A part of our past is gone with her passing and may she Rest In Peace.
Shell Muggli says
Ella Mae, I just found out Carol was at Friendship Villa on Sunday and was stunned to hear she was gone… So sorry for your whole family Carol was an incredible woman, she leaves an incredible legacy of gardening appreciation and inspiration. She will be greatly missed.
Sherry Corneliusen says
So sorry to hear of Carol’s passing. She was a great Garden Club friend. Her beautiful yard and flowers will be missed but I am sure she will be tending God’s garden in heaven.
Danielle Lewicki says
What a awesome lady gone too soon. I’m so sorry for the loss of Carol! I will cherish the memories I have had with her. Always proud to show her gardens, tell stories of her youth or take a quick shot of whiskey! Just a character always. Her laugh was contagious! So sorry for your loss your family is in my thoughts.
Linda Heisler says
So sorry to hear of the passing of Carol. She was a very dear friend and a great neighbor to our mom and dad (Cliff and Violet Wolfe) when they lived next to each other. The Wolfe family send their condolences. She will be missed.
Karen Morris says
I well remember Carol from her days at L.P.’s where my Dad, Bus Morris, worked with her for years. She was always quite a character and I will treasure the memories of some of our encounters. No doubt Dad was waiting to greet her when she crossed over so they could chat about the good old times (something he always liked to do)! My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Barb Cain says
So ,Sorry Ella Mae, Hadn;t Seen her For A While, Didn;t Know She Was Sick . Prayers Are With U & Family !!
Dana Pettit says
Carol was one of the first people I met when I first visited Miles City 30 years ago. Our family always had a fun time being with her and she was so good to us. If the hotels were full she would offer her bedrooms at the house to us. I always enjoyed her beautiful flowers and learned a lot about them from her. Sometimes I would bring some unusual ones out from Minnesota and she would get so excited. I am grateful for all the time over the years that I was able to spend with her going to the Cain Ranch, driving around Miles City or just going out to eat. I hadn’t talked to her the last few months and was so surprised that she had fallen ill. Prayers and sincere sympathy to Ella Mae and the entire Cain Family. We loved Carol and will certainly miss her!
Pixie says
I am sorry. I loved reading about her, what a great lady!
May she rest in peace.🎼❤
Mary says
Condolences to the family.
Jessie Leidholt says
To the family of Carol. I knew Carol through the Episcopal Church and her love of flowers and gardening. She also brought me a large sack of peanuts for the Blue Jays and told me they were NOT for the squirrels but they did not get the memo and when I would see them scampering off with one it always make me smile thinking of Carol’s reaction. She was a delight and I will miss her.
Donna Leitholt-Taylor says
Carol was a wonderful person enjoyed playing Bonko with her, and looking at her gardens.
Roberta Morgan Rickman says
Ella Mae, so sorry to hear about Carol. I was just thinking about her the other day. She was quite a character, loved her spunk.
Harriet Jansen says
Remember Carol living with sister Helen who was teaching at Cartersville Grade School.Sorry to hear of her passing. Cherish your memories. Harriet Morton Sleaford Jansen.
Marilynn Anderson says
Dear Ella Mae,
My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time of your loss. So sorry to hear of her passing. So many fond memories of Carol. She was like an older Sister to me all those years, and I’m sure I’m the cause of some of her grey hairs back in the day. Carol will be missed. Regards, Marilynn
Herm Venable says
I was stunned to see that Carol had passed. My earliest recollection of Carol in the mid 40s. My mother went over to Cora Venables to see Carol’s mother. We both got bored I suspect and Cora said for us to go upstairs and play. Things were going well when out of the middle of nowhere she pinched the crap out of me! Not once but several times until I retreated to my mother. I saw her several times after that but I gave a wide space every time. Later when she was working at the First National bank she introduced me to Diane, my wife of 50 some years. Later, she let me know about my father’s saddle getting stolen from the museum when no one else said a word. I will miss her a lot.
Dawn Wigness says
My thoughts and prayers go out to you Ella Mae and family. My fondest memories are of Carol always coming over for our BBQ during Bucking Horse and rounding up everyone after to meet at the Bison! She loved when we stayed at her house one year, the more chaotic the better!
When she came to visit us in Minnesota, she loved my husbands rock collection and wanted some of the perfectly round ones. She asked us to bring some out to her so my husband did the next time deer hunting. She wasn’t home so he left them in her yard. Years later one day she asked when he would bring her rocks and we told her they have been in your yard for a few years!
In the last few years if she knew Dana and I were on our way out from Minnesota she would call many times to see when we would be in town to go out for dinner! Almost always ordered shrimp! She would also love to come over to the house to see what we brought for food! She enjoyed biscotti, scones and other treats!
Many fun memories of our friend Carol!
SALLY A. BORLA says
SO SORRY FOR A LATE MESSAGE ELLA MAE AND FAMILY–I HAVE HAD COMPUTER ISSUES ALL LAST WEEK AND SENT SEVERAL MESSAGES IN MEMORY OF CAROL AND THEY DID NOT GO–I KNEW CAROL IN HIGH SCHOOL AND WE HAD A LOT OF FUN–SHE LOVED TO LAUGH AND WAS ALWAYS SO FRIENDLY. I DID NOT KNOW SHE WAS SICK OR I WOULD HAVE MADE SURE TO VISIT HER OR AT LEAST KEEP IN TOUCH BY PHONE. MY SINCERE SYMPATHY AND MAY SHE REST IN PEACE. GOD BLESS
Jeri Dalbec says
Such a beautiful, fun person. So very sorry. RIP, Carol.
Lillian Ostendorf says
Very sorry for your loss. Carol was a wonderful friendly loving person. Our sincerest condolences.
Tom and Lillian
Robert and Patty Washington says
So sorry to hear of Carol’s passing.
Della Venable says
I am so sorry for your loss. Carol and I would talk every few months. I was thinking about calling her just the other day. I will miss our visits. She was a sweet and loving soul.