Jerry (Gerald) Weaver

History Story

Based on an interview with Mr. Weaver on 3/15/18
With Barbara and Jack Rairden

 

I know that a lot occurred in Montrose in the 1970s, how it occurred, and more or less when it occurred. But I wasn’t directly involved in much of the governing activities. Jim Austin was the city manager, and the big mover and shaker on all of the area-wide things, not just the City of Montrose, but the Dallas Project. The Montrose Mouse thing grew out of that. 

I rolled into Montrose on March 24th, 1971 almost 48 years to the day from today. There was a motel where the Taco John now stands on East Main Street. I didn’t have any place to stay at that time. I came from   Denver. My first wife was teaching at Huron Junior High in Northglenn. We lived in the Northglenn area near Denver while I attended law school at Denver University. I had graduated and I thought it was a good idea to try to find a job. At that time in law school, they had a bulletin board, and there were little 3”x5” note cards that posted job openings.

There were two from Montrose. One was with Overholser and Slee, and the other one was with Petrie, Woodrow and Roushar. I came over and interviewed for both of them. My then wife, Nancy, came with me and we stayed at the home of Allen Brown, who was a long time attorney in Delta. Both of his sons later joined the firm.

His wife was a senior mentor for my mother-in-law when they were at Colorado University in about 1931 - this was 1971. Forty years later they had maintained enough contact that my mother-in-law called Katherine Brown and said: “My son-in-law and daughter want to come over and interview for jobs over there”. We stayed with them in Delta and interviewed down here. I received a job offer from Petrie, Woodrow and Roushar and accepted it. 

Mr. Petrie died on Thanksgiving Day 1975. He had come here from Eads, Colorado in 1943. I think the dust bowl had chased him out of Eastern Colorado. He came here and was in practice with Earl Bryant, who was an old time lawyer. In 1960s Woodrow and Roushar joined him. I think Woodrow joined in 1961 and Roushar in 1964. Frank is now 84. I remember that because he was born on the same day and the same year as Elvis Presley, January 8, 1935. Vic Roushar will turn 82 in August. Frank is still living, but he’s not in very good shape. Vic Roushar was the Water Users attorney before Jim Plumhoff  became their attorney. Vic had replaced John Kreidler.