Noland "Nodie" Alexander was born in the house that now stands in a field owned by Frank Noland west of Mancos.

It was originally the section house for the Rio Grande Southern Railroad. He was raised about a mile off to the southwest of that house where the Swinging Gate Ranch is now located

When I asked Nodie when he met Betty, both of them laughed, and Nodie said, "I don't remember much before that, but we started in the first grade together, and we've been pretty much together ever since then. When I returned from my Naval service, after WWII ended, I headed for Denver where Betty was working, and we were married at her sister's place in Greeley. When we made it back to Mancos, I sure caught it from my family for not waiting and having a big family wedding. In spite of that, we have now enjoyed 61 years of married life.

"I went to college for a year and a half after high school before going in the Navy. It was at the old campus south of Hesperus and I worked my way by milking cows and separating milk before classes and later delivering the cool milk to Hesperus."

Nodie then worked on county roads for a time before logging for Chick Neeley and later for Ramsey and Ervien. "I worked for a lot of years at the Match factory and was the night shift foreman when Herman Wagner was the day shift foreman."

Nodie and Betty owned a ranch north of the Hogan for many years. In 1968, they were able to buy from Blanche and Webb Ahrens the home they now live in down under the hill. Nodie ranched there for many years before he had to give it up because of his health and let Brent take it over.

Nodie was one of those who carried the petition around the valley to bring rural water to the valley and was on the Rural Water Board from 1984-2006. He was on the Empire Electric Board for 30 years and on the Mancos Water Conservancy Board for 36 years. He was also on the school board for 12 years and served on the Mancos Valley Bank Board for many years. And Betty added, "He was also on the board that helped bring the San Juan Vocational and Technical School to our area, which necessitated many trips to surrounding communities and to Denver." In 1984 Nodie was named livestock man of the year.

Nodie has been an active member of Mancos United Methodist Church most of his life and has held different offices there as well as singing in the choir.

Nodie and Betty have three children, six grandchildren and one great grandson.

When I asked Nodie if things had changed in Mancos since he was young he chuckled and said, "Changed? I remember when the highway going through Mancos was unpaved, and Fred Hallar owned the Chevrolet Garage where I bought gas for 19 cents a gallon. But I couldn't afford a tank of gas any more then than I can now."

Darrel Ellis is a longtime historian of the Mancos Valley. Email him at dnrls@q.com.