The Halverson kids (the fourth generation) in the Irvine Flats orchard in 1961

Jeanne, Heidi, and Kenny with their dad George Halverson visiting the Irvine Flats orchard

George Henry Halverson, the original homesteader, planted an orchard on his homestead which became a great place to gather fruit for the Halverson family. 

The above picture is the fourth generation of Halversons.  The picture is of Jeanne, around age 6, Heidi, around age 5, and Kenny, around age 3. Tom was born in Missoula and was a baby when this picture was taken. 

The younger George (in the picture and is often known as Georgie on this blog) is the son of Harold (who died in 1935) and Lilly Kasseroler.

George (Georgie) moved his family to Missoula in 1959 in order to attend the university. The family lived in the married student housing (known as "the strips" while George went to school. The family still visited the ranch on week-ends and also visited George who lived in Polson until his death in the 1960's.

My dad would take the strands of barbed wire and separate them and we would take turns crawling through the fence. There wasn't always a gate near the places we wanted to go on the ranch.

One of the most prolific types of trees in the orchard were the plum trees.

We would pick plums and fill 2 or 3 or more brown grocery bags  - dozens of plums and take them home to Missoula. My mother, Joyce McAlear Halverson, would make jam with the plums. 

Us kids would also take plums in our lunch bags/boxes for quite awhile after we picked them as they lasted quite well. 

These plums were dark purple and oval in shape with a dust-like covering on them. The inside of the plums were a yellow color and were quite delicious!