30 Years Ago

Thursday, June 22, 1989

Clo Wiltse named Home Economist of the Year

Clo Wiltse was named Montana Home Economist of the Year by the Montana Home Economics Association at their state meeting held this spring in Missoula. A Certified Home Economist, Mrs. Wiltse has been active throughout her life in teaching and promoting home economics. In 1976, she was the recipient of the Montana Home Economics Teacher of the Year award.

“Empowering Families” was the theme of this year’s annual conference, where members had the opportunity to hear speakers on family wellness, empowering teenagers, living alternatives for the aged, child care in Montana, and one on applying the “new” technology of laserdiscs controlled by computers which was presented by Mrs. Wiltse.

A graduate of the University of Nebraska, Mrs. Wiltse taught Home Economics in Osceola, Nebraska the two years prior to her marriage to Gary Wiltse. When they married, they moved to his ranch in Powder River County, near Quietus. She taught in the rural Billup School that first year, then stopped her teaching to raise their children, Mark (now of Miles City) and Lynn, Mrs. Hal Braswell of Tampa, FL. After five years they purchased the Rufus Choate Ranch in the Stacey community and moved there. Clo resumed her Home Economics teaching in Broadus, and after 19 years, retired in 1983. While at Powder River County High School, one of her classes won a national menu-planning contest and another was national runner-up. Her FHA chapters were often named top chapter in the state.

In 1983 she became interested in the use of computers in education, business, and personal use, and established her own company, Clo’s---line Software, Inc. to write, produce, and market her “software for the home and home economist.” Since that time her business has developed also into a consulting and teaching firm.

One of the first home economists in the state to utilize computers, she has been active in helping others gain expertise. She has taught special computer classes for home economists, teachers, and others at Montana State College, the University of Montana, and Miles Community College. She has served as consultant to schools and individuals across the state and nation, and in Melbourne, Australia.

Active in Montana and American Home Economics Associations, she has served on the board and as Treasurer and Secretary of the MHEA. As a member of the Computer committee of AHEA, she founded the computer software center at the national meeting exposition, where home economists could stop and test-run a large collection of software, and seek answers to their questions.

As an active member of the Home Ec special interest group of the Association for the Development of Computer-Based Instructional Systems, Mrs. Wiltse serves as its news editor, and was on the committee to develop the first home economics laserdisc, a collection of slides and motion sequences of all areas of concern to home economists--child development, family life, nutrition and health, home environment, clothing the family, technology, etc. Her title and cover design were chosen to exemplify its contents--“Images: Individuals, Families, Societies.”

Anxious that others may see the advantages available through computer utilization in their lives, Mrs. Wiltse speaks and presents at conventions and meetings throughout the United States. Her topics reflect her wide interest in the field and the evolving technologies: Computers for the Senior Citizen, Computer Application for the Classroom, Interactive Video Uses in Education, Computers as an Opportunity for Home-Based Business, Telecommunications in Education.

Broadus Briefs by Bernice Canon

During the day of June 13, 16 quilters attended the workshop at the Community Center. Ginny Singer of Powell, WY, instructed the local quilters on the pattern called “Mountain Pines” wall quilt. She brought four finished quilts to show, cut pieces and gave directions for the workers. A pitch-in salad bar was held at noon, after which Thelma Taylor and Bernice Canon served cake and ice cream to honor Cathy Ruland, who has instructed and encouraged members of the club for a number of years. She was the first president, in 1983, of the Stitch and Chatter Quilt Club. The cake was in the pattern of a quilt block. Mrs. Ruland is moving to Miles City soon to attend junior college. The stitchers were finished by 3:30 p.m. for the table movers to do their job at 4 p.m. Those who helped put up and take down were Telisa Williams, Rich Ruland and Scott Rhodes.

A devastating rain and hail storm hit the south area, 20 miles out, Friday evening. Golf ball sized hail fell in places and was accompanied by tornado-force winds. It started around Moorhead about 4:30 p.m. and went northwest, across the Lewis Ranch (old Roy Swope place) hitting Morks and Williams to East Fork. Local ranchers said East Fork was the highest they had ever seen it. The storm broke windshields out of cars, windows, mowed down waist-high hay ready to cut, gardens, etc. It even rolled a metal building into a creek. A couple inches of rain came down in places. It’s too bad those and other ranchers lost the hay they needed so badly this coming winter, after such a severe summer last year. They will survive--they have faith.