HELENA — If you've ever been to the Bagel Company on Last Chance Gulch, nestled in their parking lot, you can catch an iconic red Volkswagen Beetle sitting in its same spot.
The man who drives it is Fred Cowie.
Cowie is someone who has worn many hats in his life. He has worked in the military, liaison for the FBI and as a professor at Carroll College.
Now in retirement, he surrounds himself with people in a place he calls home every day painting or drawing art with a cup of decaf on the side.
"When I do it, the world goes away and I'm happy. I'm happier than when I'm in the world, too. But you it's it's really. The world goes away," said Cowie.
Every morning he shows up right when Bagel Co. opens its doors.
"The day can't start without him, knocking at our door first thing in the morning," said long-time employee at Bagel Co. Brian Wood.
Similar to his buggie, he sits at the same table every morning, a special spot that started from the beginning, when one day. Cowie felt overwhelmed about his son's muscular dystrophy.
"I was having problems. We were trying to deal with my son dying, and I just collapsed. So I came here to get something. And the guy who owned this was a friend of mine. So he said, why don't you just sit here and deal with life? And I've been sitting here for like, 20 years, every morning," said Cowie.
Cowie's art is not only displayed on the table at Bagel Co., but you can also find it on the walls around the establishment.
LIf you go into the back room of the bagel shop, you can find a mural of Mount Helena.
"If you put a chair in a certain place [to see the mural], it's what you would see if you if the walls weren't there and the buildings weren't there," said Cowie.
He's an icon to the regulars, newcomers and especially the employees, creating a special atmosphere for all.
"Getting to hear Fred's laugh every day, it all walk in, you know, in a bad mood. And I hear Fred laugh, and it's like, suddenly I got to fix my attitude right away," said Wood.
It's sharing his stories and art with anyone interested in sitting down with him, even if it's for a few minutes, that makes his day.
"People come and need to talk to somebody who's safe, so I just stay and do whatever I have 16 hours a day to fill," said Cowie.
All of his artwork displayed at the bagel company is available for purchase.
