Off the Grid by Choice

Deciding to Say Goodbye

Clifford Marion [https://helenafuneralhome.com/obituaries/clifford-p-marion-age-64-of-helena/] was a jokester and a lover of card games and gambling. He was a force where he worked for a decade at the Town Pump. And then he got sick. At the end, surrounded by his family, it was his wife who had to make the decision about when to let go, a moment at the heart of this story. Reported and narrated by Sophia Marsolek, current student at UM Journalism. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Farmer Who Never Left His Land

Wayne Boyes [https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/missoulian/name/wayne-boyes-obituary?id=36093289] was the de facto mayor of the unincorporated town of Tarkio off Interstate 90, though he’d never want that title. He was too busy with his cows. Wayne was born in Tarkio, he married his neighbor, and he died on his land with a list of chores. His family picked up that list in his honor and because some chores just need to get done. It’s what Wayne would have wanted. Reported and narrated by Kathleen Shannon, alum of UM Journalism’s graduate program   See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Off the Grid by Choice

A lot of people in Billings, Montana, knew Stanley Littleboy [https://www.smithfuneralchapels.com/obituaries/Stanley-James-Littleboy?obId=30858849] by sight. He was that homeless guy with the great face you’d see downtown or in South Park. But he had people who loved him. His kids and grandkids in Billings tried to give him options, including a roof over his head. Stanley said no. He preferred his lifestyle, even though it ended when his body was found frozen near the railroad tracks. His family reconciles what they knew and what they tried to understand about Stanley now that he’s no longer running from them. Reported and narrated by Paul Hamby, UM Journalism alum currently at the Billings Gazette See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

An Imperfect Parent

Darrel Johnson [https://www.gardencityfh.com/obituaries/darrel-johnson] was someone people thought they knew. Maybe they worked alongside him at a high school dance. Maybe they knew him from Boy Scouts or through the camp he ran for troubled boys. His son knew his dad was also involved in some grisly investigations because Darrel would develop crime-scene photos in the family bathroom. Darrel’s job and personality were darker than most knew and time has allowed for honest, nuanced reflection. Reported and narrated by Bayliss Flynn, current student at UM Journalism. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Ghost Lady Is My Neighbor

When she was in high school, Lotus Porte-Moyel interviewed her neighbor, Ellen Baumler, about being a successful woman. Ellen’s success was measured in history books – she wrote 13 of them about the people and places of Montana and was the historian when it came to its capital city of Helena. But really? She was possibly best known for her good work on ghosts and Montana’s many spooky spots. Reported and narrated by Lotus Porte-Moyel, current student at UM Journalism See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.