The first chapter in a project witnessing and learning more about fellow law students and their motivation behind moving their life & family all the way to Missoula, Montana to pursue their legal education. Meet the Treadway Family.
Betina Treadway's Story
There is majesty in the mountains and unsurpassed beauty in nature, which is what drew me to the University of Montana when searching for law schools. I brought my husband and mother for a visit to help make the final decision. The moment my husband stepped foot in the state of Montana he immediately said “this is it” and so it was. Upon returning to Texas he put in his two-week notice with his employer of over five years. We loaded down our 24-foot stock trailer with five pieces of furniture, two TVs, and six saddles in the front compartment, Jeremy’s roping horse Woodrow in the middle compartment and Dally’s pony Beauty in the back. Our journey north was reminiscent of Lonesome Dove in some respects, hence Woodrow’s name.
Gus McCrae: I could kick you for givin' him all them ideas about Montana. Now we're gonna suffer for the rest of our damn lives. Jake Spoon: Yeah, I forgot how determined he can get, once an idea takes root.
This was our opportunity to start afresh and try something completely new and different from our life in Texas. While we failed to anticipate how much we would miss our beloved friends and family, we knew in the end it would bring us closer together as a family. Jeremy longed to work on a Montana cattle ranch while I went to law school, but Western Montana isn’t as widely known for cattle country as Eastern Montana. Not to mention, I needed him around to help with Dally during the school year. After a couple of weeks at the Missoula Livestock Auction he lucked upon a local cattle ranch that needed a hand and the rest is history. We moved from our student apartment, which was conveniently within busing and walking distance to campus, into an old farm house with just enough room for our beloved four-legged friends.
Each season experienced this past year has brought with it a clarity and splendor I never before had the fortune to behold. Despite the smoke of fire season upon our arrival in August, the transition to autumn and the golden shades of colors in the trees made the smoke a distant memory. Then came the flurries outside the classroom windows, which I stared at in endless awe of the tranquility elicited by those little flakes stacked up into feet of snow. The sea of lush green emerged from the wet and muddy slop left behind by disgruntled winter seemed to appear overnight and with it endless showers (and dandelions). Finally, and best of all, summer! The shift from spring to summer with its glorious 60 and 70-degree days and brisk cool 40 and 50-degree nights. Unlike the smoldering Texas heat that left you begging for the cool AC, now we spend our days outside playing and exploring with not even a fan or window unit in sight.
Texas, you will always be home, but my dear Montana, we sure glad we took a chance on you!