Team golfs in honor of Browning woman
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PABLO — Susie Hall taught all her nieces and nephews to golf. Susie, 46, was killed by her husband on Aug. 13, 2006, according to Susie’s daughter, Cynthia Rutherford. Then Susie’s husband hanged himself.
Members of Susie’s family gathered to golf in her memory at the Drive for Domestic Violence Education and Services golf scramble held Aug. 18 at the Silver Fox Golf Course on the Salish Kootenai College campus.
“We had purple shirts made up to honor mom,” Rutherford said. “There are 16 of us.”
Susie’s sister Bonnie Matt also golfed. Susie was the youngest of 10 children in her family.
Tee time for the extended Hall family was 9 a.m. Aug. 18. Rutherford handed out breakfast burritos, and the group headed out to golf.
Hall raised her daughters, a niece and nephew, Amber Williamson and Mike MacDonald, as well as two nephews of her husband, Ryan Goss and Tyler Hoops. She took the kids to East Glacier Golf course for golf instruction, and also coached her daughter’s volleyball team.
Rutherford and her sister Mary Ann Running Crane worked with Emily Salois-Matt, also Blackfeet and a domestic violence survivor, and presented their mother’s story at four major conferences around the state, in Billings, Great Falls and Missoula. They were also guest speakers at Safe Harbor’s annual fundraiser last year.
At the Drive for DOVES golf scramble Susie’s Team No. 1 won. Both Cindy and Mary Ann played on the team with Allen Running Crane and Dan Mays.
“The four Susie’s Teams had a great time, and DOVES was so pleased to have them participate in our golf scramble. It was a tribute to their mom/sister/aunt, and was a reminder of the importance of the work we do. Susie was tragically killed in a domestic violence incident six years ago,” said Jenifer Blumberg, executive director of DOVES.
The golf scramble is DOVES’ only fundraiser, according to Blumberg. The scramble brought in $3,500, and the organization will use the money to provide direct assistance to victims of sexual and domestic violence.