
1909, Mary Montgomery
In 1901 during a transatlantic voyage, Gutzon Borglum met Mary Montgomery, a very accomplished young woman who spoke several languages fluently and had the honor of being one of the first two women to earn a doctoral degree from the University of Berlin at a time when few women completed high school. Gutzon spent time with Mary Montgomery over the trip and developed affections for her, but alas, Gutzon was already married to Lisa Putnam Borglum.
His first marriage became estranged, and finally Lisa Putnam Borglum agreed to a divorce. In 1909, Gutzon married Mary Montgomery Borglum, who would be the love of his life and the mother of his two children, Lincoln (who would continue his father's work on Mount Rushmore after Gutzon's death) and Mary Ellis.