Doffing her hat: Mrs. 'Hat Man' says farewell

For nearly three decades, a converted horse trailer filled with cowboy hats has been a popular fixture at the Lincoln Rodeo, but nothing lasts forever.

After Charlie "the Hat Man" Mason passed away in 2011, his wife Geri carried on with the business she and her husband built nearly four decades ago

"All in all, 37 years on the road selling hats." Geri said. "(Charlie's) been gone eight years, so I've been carrying on pretty much solo."

Despite the fun she has in seeing the people she's supplied hats to and worked with over the years, handling the business and traveling alone, with just her dog for company, has lost its luster since Charlie died.

"It's not so much fun anymore, so I decided to sell out," she said. With no kids to pass the business along to, and on one else interested in taking it over, she decided to close up the trailer for good and hang up her sales hat.

Geri said she and Charlie used to go border to border, selling hats at rodeos across the western United States, timing it so they could avoid the worst of Montana's winter weather.

She said they sold all sorts of different items over the years, such as hand-tooled leather belts Charlie made, back when it was fashionable for cowboys to have their names on their belts. But their stock in trade was always hats.

She said palm leave hats have become extremely popular in recent years, and hats with tall crowns and wide brims have become a favorite, particularly among the bull riders, although she admitted that for some, the looks seemed a bit disproportionate.

Over the years, she's watched kids, who bought their first hats from "The Hat Man" at rodeos like Lincoln, grow up and eventually bring their own kids, and sometimes grandkids, in to buy hats for them.

In the last few years, she cut her circuit down to just nine or 10 rodeos a year, and has been spending more time at "Windy Rock Ranch", the home near Whitehall she and Charlie used to spend time at only a few months out of the year. "We said it was 'all hat, no cattle,'" she said with a laugh.

"Back in the day we just went from rodeo grounds to rodeo grounds," she said.

About 20 years ago, they started coming to the Lincoln Rodeo and soon became an integral part of the event.

Geri said Charlie was a real people person, and they soon got to know the members of the rodeo club quite well. Club member Christ Lewenight said that in time the club grew to rely on Charlie and Geri, trusting them with the keys and to help keep an eye the grounds before the rodeo. Geri said at times Charlie would even sign for the beer for the weekend.

Their presence had such an impact over the years, Lewenight said they even included Charlie and Geri in the club's bylaws.

She admitted that their close connection with the Lincoln rodeo was the reason Lincoln was one of the final two rodeos she wanted to go to.

This week, she will wrap it all up at the East Helena Rodeo, where she and Charlie were charter members of the Rodeo club.

"It's gonna be sad, Geri not being here next year," Lewenight said, adding that she's become a member of the rodeo club family. He said they have plans to see her back next year, this time to enjoy the show. "We're gonna get her a motel room and get her back next year to get to watch it for a change. We've got to take care of family."