Linda Lou Crosby, A Valued Voice for Ingomar

 

Lura Pitman

Linda Lou was born in Los Angeles. Her mother, Linda Hayes, was one of Roy Rogers (uncle Roy to Linda Lou) leading ladies, and her father made commercials. Though she grew up in Hollywood, she had a very normal childhood. Her family went camping, fishing, and hunting, and these recreations became a key to Linda Lou landing in the remote and baren landscape of Ingomar, Montana.

Linda Lou had two sisters, Kathy Lee and Lucinda, but Linda Lou was the only one with a strong enthusiasm for the great outdoors, and western lifestyle. When Linda Lou was a young woman, she began a professional career working as a newscaster reporter in Hollywood. Raising a young daughter, Linda Lou felt that Hollywood was not where she wanted to raise her daughter. Seeking a simpler and quieter life she moved in 1981 to a small town of about 500 people, still in California, but away from Hollywood. She ended up living next door to a man named Hart Broesel. Hart had been a stunt man in Hollywood. He worked for Sam Pickett, who was a western movie director. Linda Lou had a dog that would bark and she would be outside trying to keep him quiet, Hart piped up that "Your dog is supposed to bark, that's what dogs do". This won her over, and they became friends and eventually married.

Linda Lou and Hart began doing western dinner theaters. Linda Lou's career progressed. She was contracted to the BLM, and the Navy to produce documentary films. While pursuing theatres and documentaries, her and Hart longed to "Move Away".

During one of her documentaries for the BLM on the Wild Horse Round-up, Hart and Linda Lou met Owen Badgett. Owen was one of the cowboys working on the horse Round-up, and Owen began working with Hart and Linda Lou for some of their western theatre productions. Owen eventually went back to Eastern Montana, where he had been from, and continued to work on a ranch. Years later, Owen went on to write a book of cowboy poetry and inquired with Linda Lou to help him with promotion. Linda Lou was wanting to do a documentary of her own that was not attached to the BLM or Navy, and decided to do a documentary about Owen's life. "The Gypsy Cowman...A Vanishing Breed" is that documentary. It was aired at the Lone Pine Film Festival in 2009 and can be found on Linda Lou's website called CampIOU.com.

While filming the documentary about Owen, Hart and Linda Lou fell in love with eastern Montana. Linda Lou went so far as to get a Post Office box in Ingomar before they ever thought of living there, to which Hart exasperated something to the likes of "What in the world are you doing woman?" Shortly thereafter, the helpful Post Master, Colleen, would also connect them with Albert Newman. Hart refers to Albert as the "cowboy Godfather of the country." Albert would be the final connection to Hart and Linda Lou becoming "Montanans." They became landowners at Ingomar in the early 2000's. They went back and forth between their home in California, and Ingomar. Over time, going less and less frequently south and steadily settling into Ingomar permanently five or more years ago.

Linda Lou is currently writing a series of children's stories featuring a character named Ragweed, a young adventurous girl who explores the West. She has written a book called "Two Gals in Search of a Great Catch" about two gals on a fishing adventure. Her latest adventure with her friend, Adele Fields, is a website called LittleTrailerHouse.com that features a Vlog about a trailer makeover, and gardening information. Since first coming to Ingomar, Linda Lou has created the website called Camp IOU which features a newsletter, upcoming events in Ingomar, calendars, audio podcasts of poetry and children's stories can be heard on the radio feature of her website. Her books, and her documentary on Owen Badgett are also available for purchase on the Camp IOU website. Her husband Hart is a big part of the website and podcast.

It seems that Linda Lou can't stop her creative flow long enough to let a sprig of grass grow under her feet. To top it all off, she has become part of the Rosebud County Committee Foundation and is doing a documentary for them to use as promotion for their county.

I was thrilled that Hart and Linda Lou remembered me from years ago when I had lived in Melstone. I had been thinking of how many talented people are all around us, and Linda Lou flashed into my mind like a neon light. It was my pleasure to interview them and to introduce them to the Roundup community. I hope my readers will take the time to visit the two websites, and get the inside look at the creativity of Linda Lou Crosby, who tirelessly advocates for the little dot on the map we call Ingomar.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024

Rendered 03/28/2024 21:07