I had an inquiry about the DPs in Miles City. I know of at least one family that lived in an apartment in basement of Holy Rosary hospital. Anyone have any facts or recollections beyond that.

The only DPs I'm aware of were the man and his wife who worked at the hospital and were re-located with the help of the Catholic church and nuns here in MC. He worked in maintenance and she in the nursery. I believe their name was Kubic, and they had a daughter in high school during the late '60s by the name of Yolanda. I don't know if she graduated in the '60s or earliest '70s. I'm not aware of any other families who may have come our way under similar circumstance.

What exactly is it you are asking? Can you explain?

A DP was a displaced person in need of relocation following WWII. Many were young adults from war torn countries who had lost their families. The above mentioned family was from Poland, but many came from France and elsewhere including Germany. There were probably others here in MC but I don't recall them now. They were readily assimulated into the community.

I knew Yolanda and her parents. They were nice people. He had some of the most beautiful artwork!

This is pretty vague, but I went to grade school for a very short time with a little girl named Elsa. (I THINK that was her name.) She never knew her Father and her Mother was never married. This was the 50's. I remember being fascinated with her Mother! She had a heavy German accent, and told me she took her baby and escaped through the iron curtain. I asked her about Hitler and she said she loved him. She said all the German people loved him! I have no last name. I wish now I would have got to know them better. I know they did not stay long in Miles City. I was just a little girl but was awed by this woman!

Yolanda lives in Nebraska. Their house on Comstock still sits empty.

ok...so cobweb time for me too. There was a lady who worked at Penneys I believe whose name was Erika? She lived alone and had a very thick accent too. She was not German though. She was Ukranian I think. Does anyone have any recollections of her? She was a sweetheart of a person. Lived in the upstairs apartment of a house just a block behind Penneys.

Mrs. Kubic work in the maternity ward on fourth floor at HRH. She help Dr Stickney deliver myself and at least nine of my brothers and sisters. She always told my mom "see you next year".

KUBIC! I knew there was a last name floating in my brain. This is it. Does anyone know if they were sponsored by HRH or some other organization? Were jobs waiting for them in addition to housing? This is a piece of history I better file away somewhere.

Like Richard said - Mrs. Kubic worked in the maternity ward. I believe Mr. Kubic was possibly an engineer at HRH and also had a lot to do with the construction of the building(the one they just tore down). I also think the Kubics were holocaust survivors.

I seem to remember my mom telling me that they were holocaust survivors sponsored by the convent. Mr Kubic was an engineer at the hospital. Their daughter Yolanda was a great looking blond who worked at the swimming "pool".

[This message has been edited by Richard Bonine, Jr (edited 2/2/2009).]

I was lucky enough to have many conversations with Mr. Kubic. What a wonderful, amazing man. He was a survivor of the Holocaust. He was a radio man. At one time he was standing in the gallows waiting to be hung with 2 other men when someone found out he knew about radios, and needed him. The camp he was in was mustered together, and being marched to a ship where his captors intended to load them, and then sink it in order to kill them all when the Americans liberated them. Mr. Kubic told me he weighed 90 pounds when rescued. Anyone who knew them would remember he was a large man, over 6 feet tall. He showed me his tattoo they put on him, and said Mrs. Kubic had one too. I don't know as much about her story. He was very, very proud of their daughter, Yolanta, and their granddaughter. I don't remember why they came to Miles City, though I do vaugely remember that they were sponsered by HRH, I can't gaurantee that. An amazing man.

Liz Hardy Wheeler

Yoland spent a short time in one of my classes that only ran 4 1/2 weeks in length. I was impressed with her intelligence and poise so I tried mightily to get to join our speech team. Regrettably she declined.

I have fought the cobwebs and remembered that I met Yolanda through Felicita and Zita....a mother and daughter who were friends with Erica. Felicita and Erica both had very thick European accents. I assume there was some connection there. Felicita was married to Bruce Richards. They moved to Great Falls long ago. But may have had some further information.

I apologize for not better explaining what a "DP" was in my initial inquiry. My brain sometimes focuses on something and forgets the rest of the world doesn't know what I'm thinking. Ask Steve about it.

If I remember correctly, Mrs. Kubic was a pediatrician in Poland, and served as a nurse in the nursery at Holy Rosary for many years. Her husband was, I was told, an engineer in the old country, but served as a maintenance engineer at Holy Rosary. He was a genius and could fabricate almost anything.

Other families here as Displaced Persons, sponsored by Holy Rosary hospital were the Bart (Bartowski...sp) family; the Budkiewicz family (Helen Steel);as well as (I think) the Grysevicsz (sorry John, I can't spell it). Does that help?

I apologize for not better explaining what a "DP" was in my initial inquiry.

Yeah ... you don't want to Google "DP" too deeply.

http://articles.latimes.c...me-gapay27

Les Gapay had article about his homelessness in the January 29th Billings Outlook. Does anyone else remember The Gapay family in Miles City in the 1960s? The Los Angeles Times article sugggest his family may have been displaced people. I remember his writing for the Wall Street Journal in the 1970s.

[This message has been edited by lmr (edited 2/19/2009).]

[This message has been edited by lmr (edited 2/19/2009).]

From SHHS Alumni site


Search results
lesgapay
1961 | Les | Gapay | Palm Springs | CA - California | Graduated from S.H.H.S. | ...


mickg-1965
1965 | Mick | Gapay | Issaquah | WA - Washington | Graduated from S.H.H.S. | 425-392-8739 ...


tomg-1970
1970 | Tom | Gapay | Missoula | MT - Montana | Graduated from S.H.H.S. | 406-721-6626 | ...

I lived next door to them. Had an interesting visit at the all 70's reunion. What history about their family!