NUXOLL FAMILY
From 'Echoing Footsteps', published 1967, Powder River County Extension Homemakers Council
By Wait Nuxoll
On May 5, 1914, Frank W. Nuxoll and Ann Toennis were married in Cottonwood, Idaho. In 1916 Ann's health failed and the doctor ordered her to a lower, drier climate, so that fall Frank left his teller's job in his father's bank and came to Stacey to take up a homestead. He chose this area since two of Ann's brothers,
Herman and Ben Toennis, had located here several years before. Frank's homestead joins the county line between Custer and Powder River Counties.
Ann and baby son, Walter, came the following spring, arriving in Miles City on April 1, 1917. They were met by her brother, Herman Toennis. He drove them out in a hack, and from Volborg on the snow was belly deep on the team.
A daughter, Irene, was born at Plains, Montana, while Ann was on her way to Idaho for a visit on May 16, 1919.
The dry years of the late teens and the hard winter of 1919 took their toll, and in early December of 1920 they left the homestead to return to Idaho. The climate just wasn't for Ann, so in 1923 back they came again to the homestead to try again to make a living. This was hard to do on only a section of ground, so Frank leased more land. Starting in 1930 for the next nine years, they never harvested a crop, since drought, Mormon crickets, and hail did the job for them, so in 1939 they sold out. After working and looking over most of seven states they came back to Miles City for the winter.
Upon hearing that the Riley Tyler place, on Cameron Creek, which adjoined their homestead on two sides, was for sale, they started dealing for it. In February of 1940 they came out to make it their home. They were successful this time, with good crops and high cattle prices helping them pay for it.
In 1956 Walter and Jane Carlstrom, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Carlstrom, of Worden, Montana, a teacher in the school system there, were married. In 1957 they rented the ranch, when Frank and Ann moved to Billings to make their home. Irene chose teaching in rural schools as a career and continues to follow it.