Havre archery club renovates Hungry Hollow Cemetery

During the Bearpaw Bowmen Archery Club's recent 22nd Annual Barber Ranch Bearpaw Bowmen 3D Archery Shoot, members also spent some time doing community service by cleaning Hungry Hollow Cemetery.

Bettie Barber, who hosts the event on their ranch along with her husband, Frank, said six group members worked for four hours to fix up the cemetery. She said, roughly 100 years ago, some lilac bushes were planted, which tend to spread.

"They just had covered up headstones and the fence and just over the years with ground moving and heating and whatever, one of the headstones, that's probably, oh man, three and a half, four feet tall, it tipped over off of its base. So the kids got the headstone replaced, or stood back up again, and they cut down all the lilacs, and cleaned out all the brush and got it all going again." Barber said.

Club secretary Brandy Kurtz, daughter of club president Clyde R. Thomas Jr., said she worked alongside her brother, her husband and some friends from Washington to get the job done.

"Frank and Bettie graciously donate their land and everything. We like to donate time to a project of theirs that they pick or choose. Last year, even though we weren't able to have the shoot, we put in two auto passes on their land and were able to do that. This year, they asked if we could get the cemetery cleaned up," Kurtz said.

"So a group of about, I think, five or six guys, and myself got together and got weed eaters and mowers and chainsaws and everything and just went up there, started about 10:30 in the morning, and we were done by about 2 in the afternoon, getting it all cleaned up," she added.

Kurtz said that, before the clean-up, only one grave marker was visible, which became three or four by the time work was finished. She also mentioned there are possibly more which sank into the ground and aren't visible anymore.

"They were able to lift one up that was completely laying on the ground. Frank brought his tractor up. The four guys were able to get it into the bucket and then lift it back up and put it on its rightful base where it needs to be," Kurtz said.

Barber echoed what Kurtz said, that as an expression of gratitude for having the annual two-day event on their ranch, the archery club usually tries to buy the Barbers a gift or do something in appreciation for being hosts.

"I love being involved in everything I can be. I'm part of a whole bunch of different groups, but the Bearpaw Bowmen is pretty special. They do stuff to benefit the great outdoors and benefits stuff, archery, land and places that not everybody gets to see and experience. So we like to benefit those areas, and especially to Frank and Bettie, we can't thank them enough for everything that they've done for our group because, without them, we wouldn't be able to have such a successful shoot," Kurtz said.

Barber said she told the group they don't need anything and that it's just nice seeing families getting together.

Barber said around 500 people and 300 shooters normally attend the shoot. Barber said 290 registered shooters attended this year, which Kurtz confirmed. Both said there was a dip in attendance with the Canadian border being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The shoot was not held last year.

Kurtz added if Canadian shooters had been able to participate, this year would have been the biggest shoot to date as Canadians usually amount to 50 to 75 additional shooters.

"So we were down a little but still without Canada and they're probably you know, I don't know a third of the shoot, usually, the people that are there, but it was just great. What was really great is there were 90 children 12 and under at the shoot," Barber said.

"So this is going to continue for a long time, because those kids are all being taught and learned and participating and enjoying and having a great time. So they're gonna want to come back," Barber continued.

In addition to the work done at the cemetery this year, Barber said the group holds an auction at the shoot each year. The auction raises money for an agricultural scholarship named after the Barbers at Montana State University-Northern.

The Bearpaw Bowmen Archery Club meets at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of every month at the Havre Elks Club on Second Street.

People can see more about the club at its website at http://www.bearpawbowmen.com .

People can also visit the group's Facebook page or call 406-265-4572.