By SHARIE PYKE-For The Outpost

In 1956, Yellowstone County elected its first woman to the Montana House of Representatives, Antoinette “Toni” Fraser, a pretty, vivacious 30-year-old.

In 1957, she was the only woman in the Montana House. “There was a wonderful woman from Polson in the Senate,” she says.

That same year, Toni Fraser married Earl Rosell and became Toni Rosell.  Name recognition is everything in politics. She had to make a shift to her married name.

After serving several terms in the House, Ms. Rosell was elected to the Montana Senate in 1967. “When I was first in the Senate, Tim Babcock was governor. He sent the guys a cigar, and I got a rose.

“Then every week after that, I got a rose. It turned out my benefactors were the pages. There were all boy pages then, teenagers. When I asked about girls being pages, they were all in a huff about it. When one of the legislators had a daughter who wanted to be a page, they changed their minds.

“My daughter, René, would come into the Senate and sit next to me. It was important the girls have the same opportunities as boys–and the same scholarships. One of the best things Nixon ever did was sign the bill to let girls play sports.”

“Going Rogue”? Toni Rosell was already a free thinker when Sarah Palin was a preschooler. Ms. Rosell considers herself a moderate Republican. She was a member of the National Organization for Women and campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment.

“It was introduced by a Republican woman,” she said. “It did finally pass in Montana. I couldn’t understand why it didn’t pass nationally. I think we did a lot of good for Montana.”

It may surprise readers to know that Toni Rosell has also been pro-choice. She and other moderate Republican women, were unsuccessful in getting the pro-life plank removed from the party platform in 2003.

“I feel that the government should not be involved in a medical decision,” she said. “Whether to have an abortion should be between the woman and her doctor.”

Ms. Rosell also finds the radio and TV talk show hosts hard to take. Clever negative rant, whether liberal or conservative, doesn’t change anything or solve problems, and people should be conscientious and check the facts.

“They (the audience) don’t read things very well. They listen to somebody and assume that person is correct. You also have to join a group that has the same values. You need to be proactive.”

Ms. Rosell took few campaign contributions when she was running for the Legislature. “When I was running for the House and Senate, I did my own thing,” she said. “If I got any money, it was $10 to $15, something like that. If I took too much money, I would have been obligated to the donor.”

When she ran for lieutenant governor with Bob Woodall, she did accept campaign contributions. Limits on campaign contributions is a change that she supports.

Ms. Rosell even made a stab at national politics by running in the Republican primary for Montana’s U.S. Senate seat in 1967. She didn’t win.

Both Toni Fraser Rosell and her husband, Earl, are native Montanans who grew up on ranches east of Billings. Florence Real Bird also adopted them into the Crow Tribe. Montana is home.

But Ms. Rosell’s sphere of influence is much larger than Montana. She has a master’s degree from Columbia, is a licensed clinical professional counselor, and worked for 33 years for School District 2. She also served on the Montana State licensing board for social work and professional counseling.

Now 83, Toni Rosell is still vibrant and personally interested in politics at every level. Her involvement in life helps keep her young.

“I’ve never stopped going to my meetings. You have to keep busy,” she said.  She has been the Billings Education Association officer for retired school district employees, has been active in Zonta Club, and also in Delta Kappa Gamma, an international education support group. She’s also active in Trailblazers with the Billings Chamber of Commerce and the American Association of University Women.

What does she think about politics at this moment in history? “I feel that the Republicans have not kept up with the needs of the country and let the establishment decide for them.  There are moderate Republican women, but they have a limited voice at the moment. I think Sarah Palin shows a lot of spunk, but it may cost her a future in the Republican Party,” Ms. Rosell added.

But she is not cynical. “People can make a difference by calling their legislator, and writing letters. Ask questions. In Montana, anyone can go to Helena and lobby.”

It’s a good time to get involved.