Continued From Previous Photo.

Sunset Orange Glow, Wednesday, 31 July: A General View Of Mainstreet => To Left Of EXON SIGN, Is White Building of Sonny O’day Bar, With Protruding Hanging Sign. Beyond the Bar Sign, You See The Tan & Brick Walls of “The Owl Café”, At 203 E. Main St,. Laurel, MT..

….In the light of dusk, Henry’s ZMM Route Research (July/Aug 2019), takes him (one block ~South & 2.5 blocks West), from one Dismal Scene (Hurzler Hotel), to another Dismal Scene (The Owl Café”).

….Yes the Laure, MT ZMM Route Restaurant Building was still there, but indeed another Dismal Scene: The sidewalk was growing weeds, with wind deposited leaves, trash, & dirt along front edge of the building. Plus the windows were grungy from long no cleaning. Clearly The Owl Cafe’ had been closed for a long time: Despite the darkness, this was confirmed a window peek inside, which showed scattered junk on otherwise bare concrete, and no furniture or equipment. On the door was a store-bought sign “CLOSED”, with no other information!!

Adjacent To The Owl Café Building (As Shown IN ./\ Above /\ View), Is The Sonny O’day Bar: Henry Gurr Asks For Owl Café’ Information:

…As Henry started to walk back to Prius, he chanced upon ~3 young gal s who were about to enter what clearly was a bar (neon signs etc in small high windows). Henry asked if they “had any knowledge of the ‘Owl Café’, next door left”.

….Although the three gals were cheerful and willing to talk, they were dimly aware of “The Owl”, and fact it was closed, but didn’t really know more. Probing further, could get no leads re who were the previous Café’ owners (chef etc), or where the Café” had continued at new location. ((EXPLANATION: Montana is The Wild West, and going into a bar is no big deal. It’s more like going to church in the rest of the USA !! )) :
….Because it was so very sad to see how the Café’ & building had been so long abandoned, Henry made no attempt to take photos.

Continued next photo.
Photo File = DSC_401…. Posted 1 October 2020.

The above photo of "Owl Junction is courtesy of TripAdvisor

In View Of The Surprising Condition Of The Abandoned Owl Café’, Henry Now Composing These Words 9 Months Later), On-Automatic Googles => … Owl Café” Laurel MT … When Henry sees so many Astounding 5 Star Reviews AND sees that the Owl Café’ is on The National Register of Historic Places, he suddenly realizes “AHA!! THIS IS NO ORDINARY RESTAURANT t!! ThereforeThus these next photos => MUST => ”Tell The Rest Of The STORY”.
….NAY!!I,. …. “ I (Henry S Gurr) ,… MUST Tell the WHOLE STORY, As Best I Can Find & Assemble!! AND I will show Photos & Explanation In Order Of Historical Sequence. “

((Which you will see in these next ~17 photos..))

WholeStoryContFmPreviousPhoto: …. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Filled Out & Signed By Montana State Preservation Officer, Aug 4 2010,
=> By HSG, Selected Excerpts From Form’s SUMMARY PARAGRAPH ….Laurel, Montana is located fifteen miles west of Billings, Montana's largest urban center, and a mile north of the banks of the Yellowstone River, near the confluence of the Yellowstone and the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone. Interstate 90 passes immediately south of Laurel. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company tracks, an east-west rail corridor, runs parallel to Laurel's Main Street, ...
….The land area of the city of Laurel is 1.9 square miles, with an average elevation of 3,300. The topography of the city is generally flat, sloping gradually downhill south to the Yellowstone River. Laurel is located on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, on Clark's return journey route. It is also located along the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, & the Canyon Creek Battlefield, the site of one of the Nez Perce battles ….,
….The Laurel Downtown Historic District encompasses approximately twenty acres, or slightly more than eight city blocks. The district is comprised of fifty-nine contributing resources, including fifty-seven buildings, [[Impt to ZMM Book Are=>]]
203 East Main Street. Owl Cafe. c. 1915/c. 1958 This building is a Boomtown/False-front style, commercial and residential building. The building has two portions, one a three-story, front-gable, false-front, frame building, which dates to c. 1915, and the other a one-story, L-shaped, concrete block building with a flat roof that envelopes the original building, which dates to c 1958. The building has a frame, false-front spanning both portions of the building, and a frame, full-width awning. The Owl Cafe has been in this location since 1924.
19 Pennsylvania Avenue. Hurzler Hotel. 1920 The former Hurzler Hotel is a two-story, frame, Western Commercial style building with a flat roof with a frame parapet, and a partial basement. The building is clad in asbestos shingles, many of the windows have been replaced, and a wood cornice has been removed. A fire in 1991 burned through the roof and caused significant water damage to the interior. The building has an associated, front-gable, frame, garage clad in asbestos shingles. Despite alterations and damage, the original siding is intact beneath the asbestos siding, and the elaborate original entrance is intact. Inside, the original floor plan, millwork, and fixtures survive…. WholeStoryContinuedNextPhoto.

The Above Is A Google Earth Satellite View of Laurel MT, With Box Showing Laurel’s Downtown Registered Historic District, North of Main Street, Running from 3rd Ave To Wyoming Ave.

. More Of Billings, And Laurel Officially Historic.
..By Ed Kemmick Of The Gazette Staff Oct 11, 2010
….Two areas of the Billings and Laurel downtowns have been accepted for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The register, which was created in 1966 under the National Park Service, is the official list of historic places in the United States that are deemed worthy of preservation.
…The Laurel Downtown District and the Old Town Neighborhood District in Billings are now on the register. …. The district in Laurel encompasses 70 buildings, roughly in a long rectangle along Main Street and First Street West between Wyoming and Fourth avenues, as well as a handful of buildings north of First Street between First and Second avenues. ….
…. James Caniglia, the Laurel city planner, said the listing has three major benefits. Property owners will now be able to apply for federal historic tax credits to help pay for rehabilitating their buildings and signs advertising the historic district will be placed on the interstate. …
….He said the designation is especially good news for Laurel because it meshes with a proposal to create a tax-increment financing district in the downtown area…. tax revenues flowing into the fund will be used to help pay for façade improvements to downtown buildings.
….The Laurel Urban Renewal Agency is also providing technical assistance grants so property owners can work with architects, engineers and other professionals to figure out how best to make improvements to their buildings.

. This /\ Above /\ Photo Of "Owl Junction Is Courtesy Of TripAdvisor.

WholeStoryContFmPreviousPhoto:

….IN HISTORY => Noon To 2:00pm, Sunday August 13 1916, OWL CAFÉ’ GRAND OPENING DAY. Framed Announcement Sign, Perhaps ((Also This Announcement, May Have Been Posted On Their Owl Café’ Door.))
….This Framed Announcement, bears witness to the historical 1916 beginnings of the Owl Café’, showing factually that the “The Owl Café” was The Original Name of the Restaurant, and that Owner / Creator was “CHAS ASKENAS Proprietor”, and it’s Schrack Building location.
….This appears to be a clipping (perhaps from the local newspaper), which also may have been on their front door, to announce the event, back then.
….Googling for “Schrack Building”, finds no added information, but we must surmise that back in 1916, Laurel citizens would know exactly where it was. Until it can be found where “Schrack Building” actually was, it’s reasonable to assume “The Owl” has had the same location (or close by) apparently, right up to the present day!
….PLEASE NOTE:
This August 13 1916, Announcement Sign “Bottom Line” says “PATRONS will be ENTERTAINED with MUSIC” .
….This Original Customer Attraction”, became true from 2014 thru 2017 for the Owl Café’, as you will see & read in THREE Forthcoming Photos. Just as the Announcement Says “PATRONS were ENTERTAINED with LIVE MUSIC”
. Mr. Howard Guenthner Explained Both WHY “Owl Café’ Was Originally HERE, & Its NAME ..
…. => He said that the railroad, which operated around the clock, needed meals for its employees at all hours straight through the night. Thus it was that the Northern Pacific RR, later the Burlington Northern, contracted with the restaurant to stay open all night and supply good-old hi-energy-home-cookin’ and lots of carry-out coffee in thermoses. Hence the names Owl AND Café’!

. When TripAdvisoy took the above photo, the Framed Announcement was probably was on a prominent honored wall display at the Owl, for many a year.

All The Above “Fits” This RAILROAD HISTORY From Wikipedia =>
….The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996.….Its historical lineage begins in the earliest days of railroading with the chartering in 1848 of the Chicago and Aurora Railroad, a direct ancestor line of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, which lends Burlington to the names of various merger-produced successors.
WholeStoryContinuedNextPhoto.
Photo File =. FramedArchvPhoto}GrandOpeningTheOwlCafe}Aut13 1916}CreditTrpAdvisorDittoHereby.jpg
…. Originally Posted May 2019, Revised 30 Sept 2020.

WholeStoryContFmPreviousPhoto:

DATE-LINE => 11:38 Fri May 2020, Henry Gurr Gets To Wondering Just WHO Was This Original Creator Of The Owl … Inspiration Suddenly Strikes!! => What Can NewsPapers.com Find?
….On NewsPapers.com, it took several trials to find that Just Two Key words [[Chas Askenas ]] AND then it worked, BUT ONLY if use their “Advanced Search” with …[[ Montana 1916 \\….. You can see this Search Used (by looking close upper left) just to the right of “7 Matches”.

In The Image /\ Above /\ (Click Several Times To Get Largest View, Then With Magnifying Glass), Please Study.
….A) The Calendar at left, showing the dates of the Newspapers Found.
….B) Partly shown in the three “View Boxes”, two clippings saying OWL, with the Name of the Newspaper, and
….C) Notice yellow inside the Clipping Box, which shows (where on the Clipping) are the words you are searching for.
….D) Again notice =>The respective dates (of articles foud), beside the Newspaper’s Name.

The Northern Pacific Railroad Came Thru This Area In 1882 And The Terminal, Plus Switch Yard, Was Planned In 1907. Thus “It Fits”, That A Restaurant Would Follow In 1016!
…. Just as ZMM Author Robert Pirsig often says => “it fits”… Soon after the railroad came through & had regular service … “It fits”
… For Mr Chas Askenas to open a restaurant, here in 1916, and by inference of name Owl, was a specialize meaning for => “Open All- Night”, especially for Railroad Workers

SIDE NOTE: As Illustrated Above, Newspapers.Com Is An EXCELLENT Resource For Finding All Kinds Of Obscure Information!
….. Henry Gurr’s instructions how best use Newspapers.com, available => Click Here For How => Authors Biographers: Access Valuable Historical & Present: Fm Newspapers.com

WholeStoryContinuedNextPhoto.
Photo File =.7Mtchs-MontanaAug1916ChasAskenas ScrnC}OwlCafe}9+16Aug1916}tHereNoAug13 Npprs.com.jpg
…. Originally Posted May 2019, Revised30 Sept 2020.

WholeStoryContFmPreviousPhoto:
Sunday Feb 6 2011, Billings Gazette, Billings, MT. ….Mr. Dirk Frickel: Executive Chef, Of Owl Cafe, Laurel, MT Says => ”My Creative Side Is Working With All Of The Talented People There:
[[Article Starts Saying >> ]] ….Experts estimate the food Americans eat travels an average of 1,500 miles from the farm to dinner plate. At Laurel's Owl Café, executive chef Dirk Frickel is determined to reduce the farm-to-table journey by sourcing local products wherever possible.
…Frickel buys beef from the Agnew Ranch and the Indreland Ranch, and other regional sources as well. Bison meat comes from the Shane Creek Ranch at Columbus. ….He also shops locally for produce
[[Words of Mr Frickel >>]] …. "We go to the Laurel farmers market a lot, and Greg Johnson's farm pretty much grows everything you need, given Montana's short growing season," Frickel said. "We buy asparagus, green beans, potatoes, eggplant, pumpkins, whatever I can get my hands on.
….Describe how you got where you are in your career: I started working at the Owl as a dishwasher when my mom bought the business is 1996. I started cooking after high school and discovered a talent and knack for the trade. I decided to move to Portland Oregon to attend Western Culinary institute in 2001. I lived in Portland for three years, working in first-class establishments the entire time. I decided to move home in 2004 to help my mom with the business and to offer the area a little bit of what I learned. I figured that there is no one else I'd like to cook for than the people of my own community. And yes, I do consider Billings my community as well.
….What's the toughest challenge in your business? Keeping a broad perspective of the industry and what people want, and balancing that with what kind of food I'm capable of while working seven days a week. Spending so much time in one building certainly does things to your psyche. I've got a very well-trained staff to get me out of the restaurant to help me leave the building. . Many thanks to The Billings Gazette. Please Click Here To See Article Continuation.
Update: A Billings Gazette Article “Aug 31, 2012, said “ Now he [Dirk] is the executive chef at Hilands Golf Course [Billings MT].
WholeStoryContinuedNextPhoto. Photo File =.DirkFrickel ExecutiveChefOwlCafeLaurelMT BillingsGazett = f4d41eafe3f18d.image.jpg …. Originally Posted May 2019, Revised 30 Sept 2020.

WholeStoryContFmPreviousPhoto:

~7:00 pm Saturday Sept 9, 2006. View Inside Of Owl Café, showing Front Windows, and At Right, Happy High School Reunion Crowd, Laurel MT

….The /\ Above /\ Shows (Henry Gurr’s 2006 Photo) View From Inside The Owel, and a scene the Narrator, Chris, & Sylvia might have seen, since there is no other restaurant anywhere closer, than The Owl Café’.

But I (Henry Gurr), And My Son David, Almost Did Not Get In !!
….On my second trip through Laurel, I almost did NOT get my interior photograph of the Owl Cafe' a second time. My son and I came here early evening and hungry. That night (as shown in my photo above, taken at that time), they were hosting a big High School Reunion, and had a "CLOSED " sign on the door. But we did not notice it and barged right in. That was Good luck!! Because once in, we could plead that we had come all the way from South Carolina, just to be there!!
Former owner Linda Frickel and her son Dirk Frickel, the current owner and chef, were very gracious and worked us into their very busy serving schedule, and even took considerable time to talk to us!. We experienced surprisingly excellent food!! And later learned the reason: Dirk had learned his cooking art very well at the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Ore! What Luck again!! WOW!!! . Click Here For => More Info Re Owl Junction Diner, As Well As Its Most Recent Name.

HISTORY: TIME MOVES ONWARD: Due to automation and modernization, RR crews are smaller and the need for a “stay awake” program has diminished. I understand the Owl was no longer open all night, in it’s most recent years.
WholeStoryContinuedNextPhoto.
Photo File =. DSC_0397.jpg
…. Originally Posted May 2019, Revised 26 Sept 2020.

LINDA FRICKEL OF THE OWL CAFÉ:
.An Article by James Woodcock / Gazette Staff Aug 31, 2012 ….In This Article => Linda Frickel is quoted as Follows =>: ,,,, The Owl Café has been in the same location since 1916. In those almost 100 years, it was only closed for two years. I purchased it in 1996 and reopened it because it was closed in 1994 and 1995. It was stupidity, I think. One of my son’s good friends Justin’s mother, Mary, used to work there. We got on the conversation of reopening the restaurant. One thing led to another, and I started looking into it. ….My son, Dirk, was still in high school and he helped me out when I bought this place. He worked his way up from dishwasher to backup cook and ended up going to culinary school in Portland. He came back to help run the restaurant. He came home a few times and made these fancy dinners. I told him Laurel is more a meat-and-potatoes place and we’ll have to take it in baby steps. Now he’s the executive chef at Hilands Golf Course. [Billings MT] One dish that he brought back that we put on the menu is Spaetzle, a pea-sized pasta that we make here and serve sautéed with cabbage, red onions, bacon and gorgonzola cheese.
Cooking background: I don’t mind cooking. I’ve always cooked at home and stuff. .. I had never cooked in a restaurant before. It always fascinated me how they get all this food out at one time. One morning I got a phone call at 5:30 that we don’t have a cook. I thought, “I’m not a cook.” But I went in and did it. That was 16 years ago. Now I work the evening shift. …Most popular dish on the menu: One that has been a mainstay at the Owl is the pork or beef noodles. It’s been on the menu for 50 years or better. My folks would come over and get two orders to go and we’d split them. They are curly Chinese noodles, almost like a spaghetti noodle, served with chicken or a beef broth and with diced pork or beef. It comes with red, yellow and orange peppers and leeks and topped with a boiled egg. … We also sell a lot of chicken fried steaks. We make our own with cube steaks and bread them with flour and Chinese rice flakes. ….SPECIALTIES: We use lots of the ideas Dirk came back from Portland with about cooking healthy and making everything from scratch. We buy local as much as we can and try to cook with ingredients that don’t have a lot of preservatives. We belong to the Western Sustainability Exchange out of Livingston. We have to have so many products on our menu that are purchased locally. We also recycle and don’t use Styrofoam. END WholeStoryContinuedNextPhoto. Photo File =. LindaFrickleOfTheOwlCafe StafWtrJamesWoodcock BillingsGa31Aug2012= IviewScrnCapt .jpg …. Originally Posted May 2019, Revised 27 Sept 2020.

WholeStoryContFmPreviousPhoto: ..

LAUREL OUTLOOK NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ~2015, ABOUT OWL CAFÉ’, HAS TWO VERY INTERESTING ITEMS =>

A) Hashbrowns and Harmonies At The Owl Café’, Remains Music Draw For Region On Saturday Mornings. Shown /\ Above /\ Photo.
….John Letcher was instrumental in reviving a Saturday morning music tradition that began in Molt in 2001. Now the Owl Cafe is the only place in Laurel hosting weekly music, and the only restaurant in the region that offers “breakfast and bluegrass.”
Letcher wanted to continue the Saturday morning music and breakfast tradition that started at the former Prairie Winds Cafe in Molt, and ended when it closed in 2013.
When Letcher learned Kathy Boyd purchased the Owl Cafe 2015, he came up with a unique way to get involved. [[ The Laurel Outlook Newspaper, in a different article, said purchase was on Jan 3, 2015. ]]
….“I came the first week it opened and [it] carried a ‘will work for food’ sign out front until Kathy came out and told me I was embarrassing her,” he said. He washed dishes for two hours, then told Boyd, “You get a dishwasher and I’ll pour coffee.” Letcher’s admitted lack of music ability–“I can’t even tap my foot to music”–is inconsequential as he hosts the weekly event and books all the acts. He also takes some of the load off the servers.
PLEASE NOTE:=>
…. Woman standing at far left, is playing a “Double Base”, the largest of Violin Stringed Instruments. She’s probably plucking it to the rhythm, somewhat like drum accompaniment.
…***************** …

Aa) Here We Should Remember This Album’s Earlier Photo =>

…The Framed Sign, Owl Café’ Grand Opening Day, Sunday August 13 1916,
……where this Sign “Bottom Line” said
“PATRONS will be ENTERTAINED with MUSIC”.
Thus with John Letcher’s arrival The Owl Café (from 2014 thru 2017), returned to the tradition of Chas Askenas !!
…***************** …


B) Owl Cafe To Begin Classic Car Gatherings, Highway 302
….By Chris Mcconnell
The Owl Cafe will be hosting Classic Car Nights on Wednesdays beginning June 7, at 4 p.m. at the Main St. restaurant. Anyone with a classic car or an interest in classic cars is invited to attend.
…1) . With thanks to Laurel Outlook Newspaper for Photo & Text.

…2) . Article with a VERY nice photo, continues here. (Perhaps a later reissue)
…***************** …

TheWholeStoryContinuedNextPhoto.
Photo File =. LaurelOutlook}PhotoJohnLetcherAtOwlStartedSatAmBluegress}Aft2014KathyBoydPurch01.jpg …. Originally Posted May 2019, Revised 1 October 2020.

WholeStoryContFmPreviousPhoto:

Friday October 16 2015, Owl Cafe Posted Above Photo On Their Facebook Page, With This Two Line Announcement => ·

Owl Café, October 16, 2015 · ENJOY THE WEEKEND!

WholeStoryContinuedNextPhoto.

Wednesday February 8 2015, Owl Cafe Posted Above Photo On Their Facebook Page, With This Announcement => ·

Owl Cafe, · December 31, 2015 ·
New Year’s Eve – Dinner Out !
Tonight @ The Owl in Laurel
Rib Eye Steak and Shrimp Dinner
(Some of the biggest shrimp you have ever seen!)
$30.00 per person SPECIAL TONIGHT ONLY
https://www.facebook.com/276112547975/photos/a.10153183808607976/10153736988282976/?type=3&theater

WholeStoryContFmPreviousPhoto:

. Wednesday February 8 2017, Owl Cafe Posted Above Photo On Their Facebook Page, With This Announcement => ·
….”Here's the list of the Bluegrass Bands that are playing at The Owl this month & next. Bring your friends & family or enjoy a Saturday to yourself while meeting new people, enjoying some amazing home cooked food & incredible music every Saturday Morning from 9-12!!”
https://www.facebook.com/276112547975/photos/a.10153183808607976/10154872709942976/?type=3&theater … Below Is a Sampling Of Bluegrass Bands Scheduled For Various Owl Café’ Saturdays In 2016 =>
Join us in March for:
Saturday the 5th Hillbillings
Saturday the 12th Memory Lane
Saturday the 19th Spur of The Moment
Saturday the 26th Maverick String Stretchers
Join us in April for:
April 2nd Highway 302
April 9th Hillbillings
April 16th Spur of The Moment
April 23rd Almeda Bradshaw
April 30th Maverick String Stretchers
Join us in May for:
May 7nd Memory Lane
May 14th Highway 302
May 21st Hillbillings
May 28th Spur of The Moment

WholeStoryContFmPreviousPhoto:

Wednesday February 8 2017, Owl Cafe’, ….In The Above Photo, Just Inside of The Owl Café’ Front Window=> Guitar & Banjo Band Playing & Singing “Live Bluegrass Music” · … As you saw discussed I previous photo, Practically Every Month 2015 thru 2018, The Owl Café’ Proudly Announces Their Schedule of Music Bands Playing at their Saturday Morning 9am to Noon: “Bluegrass & Breakfast” ,

ATTENTION1: You Can Find All Kinds Of Good Articles, With Even Greater Photos, By Typing Into Google
… John Letcher Owl Café Laurel “Breakfast and Bluegrass….

ATTENTION2: After the above mentioned Google Results come up, please know that the first 10 Results are good, but following are most worthy of your attention =>
Untitled
….http://archives.etypeservices.com › Laurel2 › Magazine134908
Hashbrowns and Harmonies
….http://archives.etypeservices.com › Laurel2 › Magazine183808 For a really good photo, scroll down to Photo With Text= >
….“LaLonnie Larson of the band Highway 302 sings a Carter Family classic, “When the Springtime Comes Again,” at the Owl Cafe on Saturday morning while Jim McGowen, of Joliet, plays banjo in the background. “
The Magazine of Clogging Since 1983 - Double Toe Times ….http://www.doubletoe.com › images › DTTS Dec 26, 2015 -
After this page comes up scroll WAY down to see .=>
…. “Bluegrass Music …And Much More! Nestled in the Great ... John Letcherp> WholeStoryContinuedNextPhoto.

Thursday August 11 2016, Laurel Outlook Newspaper ….The Owl Cafe' Celebrates 100 Years In A Meat and Potato Town.

Kathy Boyd and her son, Aron, and grandson stop for a moment to pose for a photo on Tuesday. All three will be at the !00th Anniversary Party on Saturday, Aug. 13 2016.

Breakfast at 6 am. Anniversary Special Serving From 11 a.m. - * p.m. $3.00 Hamburger, Chips, Pepsi and Pie with Ice Cream. And a special thanks to Pepsi, Wilcorson's Ice Cream, Montana Food Distribution, and Food Services of America .

. The whole Laurel Outlook Newspaper Article, PLUS A REALLY EXCELLENT Reproduction of the 1916 Original Owl Cafe' Grand Opening Announcement: With magnifying glass, can read the entire menu !!

Saturday Aug 12 2017, Owl Café’. Posted On . Their Facebook Page. Owl Café’ Owner Kathy Boyd’s Final Days.

….Owl Café August 12, 2017 ·
…This is regarding our dear boss Kathy Boyd, please consider donating to her via this website or at Yellowstone Bank as she is now at home but has hospice caring for her. The Owl will remain open & has NO plans of closing ever, as her son Aaron will continue to run the restaurant & keep it going.
Owl Café September 23, 2017 ·
….Come enjoy an incredible Spaghetti Dinner TOMORROW night at the Owl as we will be holding a Benefit for Kathy Boyd tomorrow from 3pm until 6pm along with a Silent Auction. Dinner is being provided by Food Serves of America & Acousta Foods, donations are being accepted to help Kathy & her family keep the Owl up & running as the expenses between the Owl, home & medical have been adding up. Since her major heart attack last summer, she has been in & out of the hospital almost every other week over the last year & now has hospice. Although Kathy & her son own the Owl together, her son Aaron has been running the restaurant solo & caring for her as she has not been able to work for many months. Let's show them a lot of love, support & what Laurel is all about bringing the Community together & helping out! Some of the items up for Auction are: Photography by Jim Bell. Misc. Gift Certificates from $25-$75. 2 hour cleaning services from a Professional Cleaner. Please come share your love & support for Kathy, all she's done for the community & for the Owl Cafe' we all love! Let's help keep the Owl going as it just had it's 101st birthday this summer!
Owl Café October 18, 201
· ….Our beloved Kathy went home to Heaven this past weekend as she passed away peacefully at her home. We will be having a Remembrance of her life this Sunday after the Owl closes for the day from 3pm until 7pm. Food & Bluegrass music to will be provided along with a few of her favorite songs she wanted played. Please join us as we remember her. This will be in place of a funeral/memorial service as she only wanted everyone together at the Owl to enjoy each others company & have a good time. In lieu of flowers or gifts we will have a box for donations for her family to cover the expenses that have continued to accumulate since Kathy became so ill. The Owl will remain open as her son Aaron will continue to own & run it as he has co-owned & ran it with Kathy since they opened it together. Thank you!

WholeStoryContFmPreviousPhoto:

Friday Feb 2 2018, Owl Café’, Laurel MT.
….Meals And Music To Continue At Owl Cafe Under New Management
Established over 100 years ago, the Owl Cafe’s future was in jeopardy after the passing of the most recent owner–Kathy Boyd this fall. On Feb. 2 the cafe’s future was secured when the Moreno family took over the lease and day-to-day operations. Kandice Moreno, along with her husband Michael, daughter Haley, son Ricky and nephew Kalub are originally from Corpus Christie, Texas where Kandice worked in property management. They became Montana residents five years ago after visiting a friend’s ranch near Joliet and falling in love with the state and region. They moved to Fromberg and Moreno, became store manager at Family ... … With thanks to Laurel Outlook Newspaper for Photo & Text. Article continues here => https://www.laureloutlook.com/content/meals-and-music-continue-owl-cafe-under-new-management

NOTE The above photo was taken from the Serving Bar, inside the Owl Café’. WholeStoryContinuedNextPhoto.

WholeStoryContFmPreviousPhoto:

10:00 AM Thursday Nov 1 2018, City Of Laurel, City/County Planning Board, City Council Chambers, Laurel MT.
….Google Finds Owl Café’s Former Owner’s, Interesting Testimony Before The Laurel MT Zoning Board.
”Linda Frickel who lives at 1737 Groshell Boulevard and was the previous owner of the Owl Cafe for over twenty years had the same concession agreement with Sonny O' Days [Bar] and received no monies from the sale of alcohol but wanted to offer the opportunity for her customers to consume alcohol at the Owl Cafe. Linda is in support of this application and would like the Planning Board to also support their [current owners] plans. “
https://cityoflaurelmontana.com/sites/default/files/fileattachments/ordinance/12161/resolution_no._r18-80.pdf

Photo Above From Billings Gazette Article By James Woodcock/Gazette Staff Aug 31, 2012
Photo Caption
Linda Frickle, owner of the Owl Cafe in Laurel since 1996, got in on the cooking side of the business after the cafe found itself without a cook one morning. Sixteen years later, she handles the evening shift.
https://billingsgazette.com/entertainment/dining/linda-frickle-of-the-owl-cafe/image_69a976c1-5145-5a17-a4ff-187c99025633.html