Jennifer Bottomly-O’Looney provided chapter 3 “Lela Roberts
Oddly Sentimental Remembrance of Charlie Russell” for the new book published by
the C. M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana. Ms. Bottomly-O’Looney is the
Senior Curator of the Montana Historical Society. Her chapter tells the story of
the relationship between Ben and Lela Roberts and Charlie Russell. Ben Roberts
ran a saddle shop in Helena until he married Lela they moved to Cascade,
Montana to be near to Lela’s family.
In 1895, Russell went to dinner at the Robert’s ranch and
there he met Nancy Cooper who was a live-in taking care of household chores.
They fell for each other, married and lived in a twelve-by-twenty-four-foot
shack behind the Robert’s house. In 1897, the Russell’s moved to Great Falls.
Ms. Bottomly-O’Looney does not mention that Nancy had a Blackfoot friend
Josephine Wright who was also working at the Robert’s home at the time and that
when the Russells moved, Josie went with them and lived with them in Great
Falls. Josie became the Indian model for Russell’s artwork.
Additionally, Ms. Bottomly-O’Looney in chapter 3 recounts an
anecdote about a Charlie Russell cigarette-and-match keepsake. You’ll have to
read about it in the book.
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