This collection includes three interviews detailing the personal and political life of Montana state legislator and rancher Francis Bardanouve from his childhood during the Great Depression through the 1980s. The interviews were conducted in April and May of 1983 by Steve Waldron. Bardanouve discusses his relationships with his fellow legislators, constituents, and family, his major political goals, and his personal and political philosophies. His stepdaughter Libby Kuntz also discusses Bardanouve’s personality as well as her and her mother’s relationship with him. The original interviews are held as Oral History collection OH 113 at Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula.
This collection includes 3 interviews.
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Elizabeth "Libby" Kuntz Interview, April 30, 1983
Elizabeth Kuntz
Elizabeth "Libby" Kuntz discusses her stepfather, Francis Bardanouve’s marriage to her mother, Venus, in 1967. She recalls moving from Helena, Montana, to Harlem, Montana, at the age of 16 to live on the Bardanouve ranch, and discusses Bardanouve’s personality and her relationship with him. She ... Read More
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Francis Bardanouve Interview, April 29, 1983
Francis Bardanouve
Francis Bardanouve recalls his career as a representative for Blaine County, Montana, in the Montana House of Representatives. He discusses his interviewer, Steve Waldron’s potential run for state auditor, and the possible competition and drawbacks. They talk about the 1983 legislative session, and Bardanouve’s first ... Read More
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Francis Bardanouve Interview, April 30, 1983
Francis Bardanouve
Francis Bardanouve recounts growing up during the Great Depression in the 1930s on his family’s farm in Montana. He recounts how his family lost the farm, his relationship with his mother and father, and his parents’ separation. He describes breaking horses, a skill that he ... Read More