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GARFIELD
COUNTY, COGENWEB PROJECT
Donald James and Pat Monson
Donald James Monson was born May 25, 1913 in Steamboat Springs,
Colorado. He attended schools in Steamboat and College at Colorado A&M, now CSU.
Don and Pat Monson were married June 4, 1939 in Rifle in the Methodist Church.
Pat was 18 and Don was 26. They lived in Salt Lake, then Denver before returning
to Rifle in 1945 where they remained for the rest of their lives.
Together
they raised three children, David born 1941, Mary Louise 1944, and Diana Lynn
1949.
Patricia Elizabeth Lind was born February 8, 1921 in Denver. Her family
then lived at Salt Lake, Seattle, and Steamboat before moving to Rifle in 1935.
She was a graduate of Rifle Union High School.
Records show Don served in WW1
having been inducted December 12,1942. records did not show the unit, but the
10th Mountain Division was activated at Camp Hale in 1943. And, with Don's
background in skiing, he probably trained skiing recruits there. He was released
from service July 10, 1943.
Don's hobbiies were fishing and soaring in
gliders. In earlier years he was a skilled skier, won a number of national
awards, and even tried out for the Olympics.
With his father-in-law, Fred
Lind, he opened the Ute Theater on east 4th Street in Rifle January, 1948.
Records credit Don as the designer of the theater, He operated it Until 1972
then leased it out. It was sold in 1980 after his death.
In 1934, Don was the
National Cross Country Skiing Champion of the United States.
Don was elected
prrsident of the Rifle Chamber of Commerce January of 1953. He was a member of
the Episcopal Church, the Masonic Lodge, and the good neighbors of SAM club.
Pat was a member of the Episcopal Church, Order of the Eastern Star, and Clagett
Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.
Patricia passed away November 1, 1972 at Rifle.
Don passed away January 6, 1980 also at Rifle.
Ute Theatre - Opening program and staff
This is a brief story of the Ute Theater and the Chief
Drive-in
Fred and Mary Lind opened the first Ute Theater in Rifle in 1935. It
was located on east Third south side about the middle of the block. The interior
of the building was badly damaged by fire in April 1944, but the theater was
repaired and reopened.
Later, in January of 1948, Fred built and opened a
new Ute theater. He was in the process of creating the 300 car Chief Drive-in in
December 1950 when he suddenly died of a heart attack. The Chief was then
completed by his son in law Don Monson.
Fred was very active locally in
Civic affairs having been elected president of the Lions Club in 1945 and of the
Chamber of Commerce in 1944.
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