Raised in the West | Christmas 2021

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contents

24 10

BLESSINGS OF CHRISTMAS Written by Cyd Hoefle

12

HORSE IN THE HOUSE Written by Katie Fraser

14

A TRAGIC BLESSING Written by Cyd Hoefle

18

JEAN'S CUISINES Written by Jean Petersen

18

GOOD IN THE WORLD THROUGH COLE'S PANTRY Written by Stella Fong

32 THE SIMPLICITY OF A MODERN PIONEER'S FIRST CHRISTMAS Written by Gayle M. Irwin

40

FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND FURBABY Written by Gayle M. Irwin

44

4 // www.raisedinthewest.com

PUBLISHER CYD & STU HOEFLE 406-860-0292 // publisher@raisedinthewest.com COPY EDITOR KAYLA WALKER

FOREVER FAITHFUL Written by Cathy Moser

ADVERTISING CYD HOEFLE 406-860-0292 // publisher@raisedinthewest.com

46

DEVIN MURNIN 406-696-1502 // advertising@raisedinthewest.com

OUT & ABOUT

DESIGN MELANIE FABRIZIUS ads@raisedinthewest.com ADDRESS RAISED IN THE WEST PO Box 80267 // Billings, MT 59108

DOUGIE HALL Written by Cyd Hoefle HOMEMADE FOR THE HOLIDAYS Written by Amy Grisak

40

36

24 32

CHRISTMAS 2021

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACKIE JENSEN DESIGN BY MELANIE FABRIZIUS

©2020 Peaks to Prairie Media All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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note from the publisher As we draw to the end of 2021 and reflect on the last twelve months, we concluded, personally, that some things need to change. With all the controversy and discord we experienced as a nation, we realized that we gave too much real estate in our minds to the things that blocked our view of the good things in life: the blessings we’ve received, the people we love, and the beauty of the outdoors. We are resolving not to let that happen in the new year. We think it’s time to simplify in some areas of our lives and be more intentional in other. Perhaps you are feeling that as well.

Our stories reflect that. For this issue, we go back to a simpler time with a story about my own family and how we celebrated Christmas in 1966 after the death of my grandmother. We included a version which my late mother had published in the Billings Gazette over 30 years ago. We visit another Christmas past taking place in an “off the grid” cabin and a much simpler celebration.

We feature two families that turned the heart wrenching tragedy of losing a child into foundations that are impacting hundreds of other families across the state and we profile a couple of young adults that have endured tremendous difficulties and are changing the world because of it. One of these individuals, Dougie Hall, who is featured on our cover, often does a dance of joy, which we hope will be infectious during this holiday season and into the new year.

25

Despite our busyness, it's been a great year for RITW. We’ve met some amazing people, both writers, photographers, subjects of our features, and advertisers. We’re excited about the new year and our plans for it. We’re scaling back to four issues in 2022 and concentrating hard on expanding each issue.

We look forward to the new year with anticipation and excitement and remain committed to bringing you features that encourage, uplift, and entertain.

As we celebrate the holidays and enter the new year, our hope and prayer for each of you is that you will spend time relaxing, reflecting and rejuvenating in God’s beautiful creation. May Christmas be filled with family, friends, laughter, and the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

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e d f n a S aappy H WISHING YOU A

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CHRISTMAS 2021 // 7

contributors MELANIE FABRIZIUS

STELLA FONG

GRAPHIC DESIGN____________________________________

WRITER___________________________________________

Melanie was raised on a farm on the banks of the Clarks Fork River in Belfry. Her life-long love of art led her to a career as a freelance graphic designer. When she’s not busy working, Melanie enjoys being with family, spending time with her dogs, camping, ATVing, collecting rocks and watching the sunset. Check out her art at www.melaniefab.com and follow her on Instagram @ melaniefabart.

Stella loves to discover new flavors and waters to fly fish. She is author of Flavors Under the Big Sky: Recipes and Stories from Yellowstone Public Radio and Beyond, Billings Food and Historic Restaurants of Billings. She contributes regularly to Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine, Edible Bozeman, and The Last Best Plates column for Montana Food.

KAYLA WALKER

GAYLE M. IRWIN WRITER___________________________________________

Originating from a fifth-generation Montana ranch, Kayla has a real connection to the agriculture industry and the cherished western lifestyle synonymous with the state. This upbringing is what drives here to excel in her current position as Western Ag Report Editor and nonstop position as an ag communicator.

Whether it be through photography, writing, social media, or design, she strives to share the story of this way of life on a day-today basis. Keep up with her work at www.ranchraisedmedia.com or by following Ranch Raised Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Gayle began her writing career in Montana, serving as editor and reporter for the former West Yellowstone News. She is an awardwinning Wyoming author and freelance writer, being recognized

by Wyoming Writers, Inc., and the Wyoming Press Association, and a contributor to seven Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She regularly writes for Wyoming Rural Electric News (WREN) and authors inspirational pet stories for children and adults. A novelist, she sets her sweet, contemporary romance series in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Learn more about Gayle and her writing and volunteer pet rescue work at https://gaylemirwinauthor.com/.

JEAN PETERSEN

MICHELE PEDERSEN

COPY EDITOR/WEBSITE DESIGNER_______________________

WRITER___________________________________________

PHOTOGRAPHER & PHOTO EDITOR________________________

Jean is a cookbook and children’s picture book author, freelance writer and has been a weekly columnist with Western Ag Reporter for over 15 years. She and her husband live near the Beartooth Mountains in Red Lodge with their four children. Most days she can be found outdoors with her animals, on a hike, at her children’s activities, or cozying up writing and reading. You can find her at www.jeanpetersen.com

Michele Pedersen grew up on the Brinkel farm, near Broadview, MT, where she learned the value of work and the generosity of a good neighbor. She owns Pedersens Photography and enjoys shooting portraits – seniors, families, weddings, and couples.

Her husband, Greg is her biggest fan and provides entertainment on almost every shoot. She also works with her 90-year-old dad making MT frames and wooden crafts in his wood shop. She has two wonderful stepsons, Bryce and Nik, that keep life full to the top. Follow her on Facebook at Pedersens Photography.

AMY GRISAK WRITER___________________________________________

Great Falls writer, Amy Grisak balances her life between the mountains and the prairie looking for stories that catch her interest. This award-winning writer shares what she loves with readers, whether it's finding gorgeous hikes in Glacier National Park or how to push the gardening envelope in our challenging Montana climate. Look for her book, “Nature Guide to Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks,” published by Falcon Guides and follow her at amygrisak.com

CATHY MOSER WRITER___________________________________________

Catharine Melin Moser writes about Western history, lifestyles, and the outdoors from her home in central Montana’s Judith Mountains. Her decade-long research about nineteenth century Thoroughbred breeding and horse racing in Montana and its influence on American horse racing is the subject of her forthcoming book, In the Winner’s Circle, slated for publication

by Oklahoma University Press in 2022.

CALL Devin Murnin • 406.696.1502 TODAY TO ADVERTISE! publisher@raisedinthewest.com 8 // www.raisedinthewest.com

JACKIE JENSEN PHOTOGRAPHER____________________________________

Ranch raised, Jackie spent her youth competing in high school rodeo, college, and then amateur rodeo before becoming a full time PRCA rodeo photographer. “I’m a storyteller by nature, the camera allows me to take my audience with me to places they would never see and do things that most would never be able to do.” Jackiejensenphotography.com

DEVIN MURNIN ADVERTISING SALES_________________________________

Devin grew up on a commercial cow/calf ranch outside of Miles City, where his passion for the rural lifestyle and cattle and ranching began. He has worked with the USDA, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and is currently a fieldman for the Western Livestock Journal where he assists with marketing purebred and commercial cattle throughout the west. Devin, his wife and kids also run their own commercial cows in Montana and some of his favorite days are spent on horseback working cattle.

Contact Devin at advertising@raisedinthewest.com or call him at 406.696.1502.

SCOTT, CAROLYN, CYDNEY, MARTHA, AND ROB FRASER 1963

REEDPOINT MONTANA 10 // www.raisedinthewest.com

WRITTEN BY CYD HOEFLE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE FRASER

BILL AND CYDN

EY FRASER

KATIE FRASER BILL FRASER

Looking back, Christmas 1966 had to have been especially difficult for Mom. She’d lost her own mother that summer and faced the holidays for the first time without her. At just 34 years old with five children ages 3 to 10, the loss was tremendous, not only for her, but for the little ones as well.

Mom was an amazing mother. Her favorite child was always the one with her. I’m not sure how she managed, but she intentionally spent alone time with each of us. She had an uncanny ability to make us talk, she was quick to listen, slow to speak and to anger, and in her presence we felt cherished.

Being raised on a ranch, it was not just important to both Mom and Dad that we learn at an early age how to ride and be of help, it was expected. Outfitting five kids with horses and gear was done by continually passing down and repairing both gear and horses alike.

They are memories which every member of our family cherishes to this day.

The following is an article Mom submitted to the Billings Gazette which they printed on Christmas Day years after we’d all grown up and had children of our own.

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Years after we were grown, married, and had families of our own, Christmas Eve was still spent at my folks’ place. Dad would take the kids sledding while Mom prepared hot chocolate and goodies. The tree was trimmed with presents stacked high and a piñata was swinging from the eaves, waiting for the excited grandchildren to take a turn trying to break it.

We were steeped in tradition, from the fried oysters Grampa started, to the divinity and fudge, to the homemade gifts. Our family thrived not on the commercialism of the holiday, but being together. The laughter, games, playfulness, and continual grazing of delicious food throughout the afternoon and well into the night bonded us tightly.

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CHRISTMAS 2021 // 11

in the house WRITTEN BY KATIE FRASER

It was mid-December of 1966, and it was snowing. Our boys, Scott and Rob, were 10 and 8, our daughters, Cydney, Carolyn, and Martha, were 7, 5, and 3.

The older children were practicing for the Christmas program at the Greycliff School. But the usual Christmas excitement was dimmed this year as my mother had died during the summer. She was a loving mother, perfect grandmother, and her enthusiasm over the holidays made Christmas special for the entire family.

Scott and Rob had their own horses, which they reluctantly shared with the little sisters. So, friends, Margot and Call Todd, owners of the Pitchfork Ranch at Meeteetsee, thought our girls should have a horse of their own.

They gave us Maggie Oh, a little sorrel mare with a white mane and tail. She arrived at the ranch the week before Christmas.

12 // www.raisedinthewest.com

We put her in the corral below the barn and explained the surprise to Scott and Rob. We asked the boys to ride her after school each day to gentle her for their sisters. Somehow, the secret was kept in spite of the boys’ whispers and excitement.

Rob had outgrown the child’s saddle he was using so this was the year he was to receive a new saddle.

We decided to give each youngster tack and gear. We bought saddle blankets, a head stall, breast collar, saddle bags, slickers, chaps, and a tiny pair of spurs.

Christmas Eve finally arrived. Santa’s bell sounded on the back porch drawing out the youngsters.

Quickly, we slipped Maggie Oh through the front door and left her by the Christmas tree. Our excited youngsters raced in and stopped in amazement to find a horse in the living room!

They swarmed about her, petting, riding, and checking gear. Although we had dry lotted the little mare during

CYDNEY, SCOT

T AND ROB

CAROLYN AND

CYDNEY

the day, all the excitement caused her to spin, leaving dry droppings scattered across the carpet. A broom and dustpan appeared, and the indiscretion was quickly swept away.

Grampa laughed with tears in his eyes as he said, “how Gramma would have loved this Christmas!”

We were up early Christmas morning.

As breakfast was cooking, Carolyn slipped down to the barn and returned with Maggie Oh. She brought her through the front door into the living room. Carolyn thought this was a wonderful, new way to handle horses.

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We took the mare out and explained gently that Christmas Eve was a very special time and never, ever again would we have a horse in the house.

As the children grew older, there were many horses and saddles in their lives. Rob’s tiny saddle passed to Cyd, then Carolyn, Martha, and is now used by Martha’s 6-year-old son, Wes. Scott’s horse, Old Browning, was passed to Carolyn. Eventually, each youngster had a horse and gear of their own. But no memory remains as clear and precious as that of Maggie Oh, standing by the Christmas tree in the living room.

This is what makes that Christmas special for this family.

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CHRISTMAS 2021 // 13

BILLINGS MONTANA 14 // www.raisedinthewest.com

WRITTEN BY CYD HOEFLE // PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED BY KORI KELLER

a tragic

BlessinG Ten years ago, Kori Keller would have never imagined the impact the loss of her baby daughter would have on the world.

Expecting their fourth child, Kori and her husband, Jeff, had no reason to believe anything would be wrong with the baby they were expecting, but Ramsey arrived early with a condition called hydrops fetalis, in which an abnormal amount of fluid had built up around her chest.

Immediately upon her birth, a procedure was performed to drain some of the fluid so her lungs could compress and begin working appropriately. She went to NICU and for several days she seemed to be stable, even progressing. On the third day, though, Kori was summoned to the NICU when Ramsey took a turn for the worse.

Ramsey’s family rallied around her, but there was nothing the team of doctors could do - she had suffered cardiac arrest and passed away in the arms of her mother and surrounded by her family. Instead of bringing a baby home, Kori’s arms were empty, and her heart broken.

wanted for her.”

Kori’s father stepped in, not only making the needed decisions but paying for the expenses as well.

“It was an incredibly generous thing for him to do,” Kori said.

“Emotionally, we couldn’t even think clearly.”

During the months after Ramsey’s death Kori and Jeff talked about starting a memorial for her.

“We wanted to honor her memory,” she explained. “Sometimes you’re told as the parent of a child that’s been lost that having another baby will ease the pain, but no one can replace the baby you’ve lost. When you plan to be a parent, the yearning to be one doesn’t go away when the baby dies.”

“There is nothing worse than leaving the hospital without your baby,” Kori said, her eyes filling with tears. “It was the single hardest moment in my life.”

Back at home, the boys, who were 12, 9, and 7 at the time, needed their parents and the entire family was mourning the loss of Ramsey.

“I had no choice but to keep going,” Kori said, reflecting on those days. “Ramsey was born on the 25th and instead of bringing her home and celebrating her life, suddenly four days later, we were making arrangements for her funeral.

I couldn’t even begin to make decisions about what we

CHRISTMAS 2021 // 15

In pt 10 yrs,

RKM

COVERED HUNDREDS OF INFANT FUNERALS FOR FAMILIES ACROSs MT

s

is home to the ONLY foundation offering this service.

To honor their baby girl’s memory, Kori and Jeff decided to pay for funerals for other families who have lost babies.

“It made such sense to us,” Kori said. “And that’s how the Ramsey Keller Memorial (RKF) was founded.”

May, and a fundraising concert in September.

“God has really provided for us,” Kori said. “He has supernaturally carried us emotionally, spiritually, and physically and has kept us relevant to help hurting families.”

Only six months after Ramsey’s death, the Kellers paid for an infant’s funeral. The surprised, but very relieved, parents of the child have since become good friends of the Kellers and are now a part of RKF. “There’s so much paperwork alone that goes into deciding what to do for your infant,” Kori said. “Casket, cremation, plot, it’s just too hard for grieving families to have to deal with it. We take care of it all. We don’t care what the financial situation looks like for a family, we just do it all for them.”

In the past ten years, the Ramsey Keller Memorial has covered hundreds of infant funerals for families across the state.

Currently, Montana is home to the only foundation offering this service.

“It’s heart wrenching that we have a foundation that pays for infant funerals,” Kori acknowledged. “We wish there wasn’t a need, but it happens.”

The foundation is funded solely by donations, a marathon held in

16 // www.raisedinthewest.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE RAMSEY KELLER MEMORIAL, VISIT

www.kisses2heaven.com AND FOLLOW ON

Merry Christmas As 2021 comes to a close, we thank you for the privilege of being your neighbor in this wonderful community we call home. On behalf of all of us at Stockman Bank, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.

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CHRISTMAS 2021 // 17

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CRUST • • • •

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FILLING • • • • • • • •

1 can pumpkin (16 oz.)

1 can evaporated milk (13 oz.)

2 eggs ¾ cup sugar ½ tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp ginger ¼ tp ground cloves

TOPPING

• 1 cup chopped nuts • ½ cup brown sugar • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS: Sprinkle the topping over the top of the filling for 15-20 minutes.

Serve topped with whipped cream.

Cook before freezing. Serves 24.

DIRECTIONS: Combine and beat well.

Pour over the crust and bake for 20 minutes. Keep the oven at 350 degrees for the remaining process.

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FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ADRIANO RIDS HORSE, MARCOS FLOREZ, JACE WEIMER, CHANCE PELICAN, BAYLOR POSPISIL, COOPER FRANK AND LUCIUS PAYOVICH HELPING IN THE CLASSROOM

BRIDGER MONTANA 20 // www.raisedinthewest.com

WRITTEN BY STELLA FONG // PHOTOGRAPHY BY STELLA FONG

GoOd inT H R Othe World U G H

Cole’s Pantry

In 2009, 8-year-old, Cole Pelican was tragically killed helping his family on their cattle ranch outside of Bridger. While his death left an unfillable void in his family, it also fueled the desire to keep his memory alive through a good deed.

“Just knowing the impact we are making is a good feeling,” Cooper Frank summarized.

Cole loved his family and ranch life and had an uncanny ability to recognize need in his friends and classmates. A sensitive child, he often shared his lunch with his classmates, worried they didn’t have enough food. After his passing, his older sister, Fallon Pelican, set out to create a memorial which would honor his character and aid the community.

For one student in the class, Marcos Florez, the project hits close to home.

“Fallon is amazing,” Carol Brumfield, Fallon and Cole’s grandmother, said. “Cole really looked up to her. He was outgoing and had a big personality. He was very compassionate and caring and loved people. He was always hungry when he got home, and always brought food to school to share with others.”

Fallon honored that trait in Cole and as a junior in high school, she launched a program through Family Consumer Career Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) with the goal to provide local children who may otherwise go without with a backpack of food for the weekend. From that idea, Cole’s Pantry was born. Now in its eleventh year, Cole’s Pantry not only provides backpacks of food for Bridger students, but students statewide.

Inside Vicki Kaufman’s Family and Consumer Science classroom at Bridger High School, students load backpacks with food for Cole’s Pantry every Friday. Items such as bread, cheese sticks, celery, tangerines, pretzels, and spaghetti return home to families in need of weekend nourishment. During second period Food Service Class recently, a group of seven students filled backpacks with numbered tags which maintain anonymity.

“I used to be homeless once,” Florez admitted.

“I know how it feels having no food.”

Families in need of backpacks are referred to the program by either a counselor or staff member at Bridger High School.

Kaufman explained that a letter and application are sent home with every student in Pre-K through 8th Grade.

COLE PELIC

AN

“

J ust knowing the impact we are making is a good feeling.”

—COOPER FRANK

“They can choose to turn it in or not,” Kaufman said. “If they ask, they must need it. The biggest, biggest part of Cole’s Pantry is it is anonymous.”

“It’s nice helping out,” one of the students, Adriano Rides Horse, said.

A purple wall in the back of Kaufman’s classroom displays a mural of a blooming tree and the phrase “BELIEVE THERE IS GOOD IN THE WORLD.” From the humble beginning of feeding several dozen kids in Bridger to now reaching 2,100 students from 38 schools in 14 Montana counties, Cole’s Pantry has exemplified that motto.

Jace Weimer and Lucius Payovich echoed their classmate, noting the backpacks help families and the community as a whole, making the class time spent on the project rewarding.

Efforts have branched to Fromberg, Laurel, Glasgow, Shepherd, Reed Point, Red Lodge, Deer Lodge, Huntley, Belt, and Miles City and interest continues to grow. Cole’s Pantry offers grants to

CHRISTMAS 2021 // 21

AN CAROL BRUMFIELD

CO POST UPDATES OF D VICKI KAUFMAN .

ON SOCIAL MEDIA

YOUR FORAGE

Cole’s Pantry offers grants to schools or food pantries that want to start their own program, having given out over $40,000, in the past decade, to jumpstart pantries.

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schools or food pantries aiming to start their own program. In the past decade, over $40,000 has been distributed to jumpstart pantries around the state.

“We don’t give them the money and run,” Kaufman said. She knows, especially in schools, “it’s hard for teachers to take on more.”

In 2018, the First Annual Cole’s Pantry Dinner, Dance, and Auction, coordinated

by Carol Brumfield and Platinum Salon of Billings, brought in more monies to help spread the program to other rural locations.

Pancake breakfasts and chili feeds also contribute to raising funds.

Like Cole’s spirit, Cole’s Pantry didn’t just stop at backpacks either. For Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, volunteers from Cole’s Pantry “Plan. Shop. Cook. Cleanup.”

The extension of the program prepares holiday meals at the Senior Center in Bridger.

“We usually cook for 100 people,” Kaufman said. “We invite other senior citizen groups in the valley.”

Today, Cole’s brother, Chance Pelican, is honoring his playful character with yet another charitable program called Cole’s Playground Posse. The program started three years ago with the assistance of Kaufman and is meant to help kids stay active.

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“We thought of what we liked to play with,” Chance said.

From that, basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, baseball bats, jump ropes, and frisbees have been gathered and dispersed to Laurel Middle School and Huntley Project Elementary.

Just like Cole’s Pantry, the playground program has the potential to grow. And Kaufman remains confident in the mission of Cole’s Pantry only extending.

“From its beginning, it’s more than we could have ever hoped for,” Kaufman said.

“We hope to be a resource to help meet the needs of the kids.”

ONCLE'SPATRY,VI

TION FRMEA

ANDFOLlW

CHRISTMAS 2021 // 23

PHOTO BY CLAY GUARDIPEE

BROWNING MONTANA 24 // www.raisedinthewest.com

WRITTEN BY CYD HOEFLE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACKIE JENSEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY DOUGIE HALL

A

s de

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inspir o t

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PHOTO BY JACKIE JENSEN

Dougie Hall does not mince words. He’s brutally honest, cuts to the core, and says it like he sees it. But his quick laugh, heartwarming grin, and the twinkle in his eyes make it clear he’s speaking from his heart, and he truly cares.

Those familiar with Dougie know him because of one or more of his successful careers – an up-and-coming Saddle Bronc rider, a successful horse trainer, and a motivational speaker. Dougie refers to his rodeo career and his horses as his passion, but believes his true, God-given gift is in encouraging others.

Raised in Browning, Montana on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Dougie is the youngest of three children and spent his carefree youth surrounded by family, horses, and wide-open spaces.

Among many things, the Blackfeet Reservation is famous for its Indian Relay teams which have won national races around the country. Dougie fondly remembers his father and uncle raising horses for their relay team. Weekends were spent attending fairs and rodeos nationwide and horses became engrained in his life.

“I always felt blessed growing up on the reservation,” Dougie said. “We weren’t rich, but we made do with what we had, and we had lots of horses. Fast horses. My uncle and my dad were in an Indian Relay almost every weekend and they were good, so I grew up being an Indian Relay brat. It was just what we did.”

At fourteen, Dougie lost his mother in a drunk driver accident. It was a pivotal point in his life which began the trajectory to where he is today.

“We’d gone up to Glacier to get my sister from church camp,” Dougie recalled. “I remember the night as being really a great family time. My mom and dad, my sister, two cousins, and myself.

We’d had a fun dinner in Glacier teasing each other, happy to be together, and were headed home.”

It’s only 20 miles from Glacier to Browning and as they drove the short distance, Dougie remembers his mom singing along with the radio. No one could have been prepared for what happened next. A drunk driver swerved across the center line and collided head on with the Hall’s truck.

“It happened so fast,” Dougie said. “I was riding in the back with my two cousins. Mom, Dad, and my sister were up front. All the sudden, I hear my sister yelling ‘NO!’ and I peeked around my dad and saw headlights coming right at us. There was nothing we could do.”

Dougie’s mother, the most critically injured, was flown directly to Seattle where she was placed on life support. He remembers his last words with her before she died.

“I told her, ‘I’m not going to tell you goodbye, Mom. You’re the

CHRISTMAS 2021 // 25

“

REEAKING HEBR T IN ION PTAR Y ST RLCA GETTING AN EA

26 // www.raisedinthewest.com

HORSES!

DOUGIE AND HIS

MOTHER, SUSAN HA

LL

best mom in the world and I love you.’ It was so hard. I think about her a lot. I miss her,” he somberly said.

Dougie credits his mother for saving his life that night as shortly before the accident, she reminded him to put on his seatbelt. This wasn’t the first life-saving miracle in the motherson relationship either.

“Mom was a registered nurse at the Browning IHS. On the day I was born, she was still working; she hadn’t started her maternity leave. As it turned out, she had a ruptured uterus and needed an emergency c-section. Neither of us would have made it if she hadn’t been working at the hospital the day she went into labor. It was a miracle,” Dougie explained.

Loved and respected in the community, the tragedy of her death was hard on everyone, especially Dougie, who fell into a deep depression. He remembers staying in bed for days on end, begging God to let him die, too.

“One day I’d been lying there, filled with sorrow, and my uncle came in. ‘Dougie,’ he said, ‘this is enough, it’s time to start living again.’”

He challenged Dougie to ride one of the horses he was using to move cows that day. All fresh horses, he told him they would each pick the horse the other would ride. It was enough to perk the interest of the young teenager. His uncle chose an outlaw horse known to buck, and sure enough, the horse took to bucking and Dougie held tight. He was distracted enough to momentarily shake off his depression.

“I remember Uncle Winslow cheering and I was holding on for life. I felt alive for the first time since my mom died. I was scared at first and then it was fun. That horse spooked life back into me. It was a changing moment. I had been praying to God to take my life and now I was scared for it! You have to let go of things,” he said. “If you don’t, it’ll eat you alive.”

By sixteen, Dougie was riding bucking horses.

“I was a late bloomer,” he laughed. “I didn’t weigh much, but I really loved riding.”

His uncle was a bronc rider and Dougie emulated him, taking advice, and working hard.

He was good enough to capture the attention of the University of Montana-Western and received a rodeo scholarship to attend college in Dillon. During the five years he was there, he accumulated two bachelor’s degrees and two associates degrees in business administration, natural horsemanship, and equine management, all while competing on the rodeo team.

The Nutra-Lix Family wishes you and yours a very

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“College was good for me,” Dougie said. “My coaches in Dillon were great people. I could ride, but I had no style. They taught me that.”

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CHRISTMAS 2021 // 27

PHOTO BY JACKIE JENSEN

28 // www.raisedinthewest.com

It was during college that “the light started flickering,” for Dougie and he began “kicking every horse he rode.” As a junior he made it to the College National Finals and today he is an athlete in the PRCA.

score for a ride. “There’s a positive energy there among people taking different paths on the way to the top.”

It was one of the Veater Ranch media personnel who saw potential in Dougie as a motivational speaker.

“My ultimate goal is to be the first guy from Browning to qualify for the NFR. I also hope to have a bucking horse I raised at the NFR someday,” he said.

“That would really make me happy.”

“He told me I had a lot to say,” he laughed. “He said I have a gift and when I talk, people listen.

‘Video yourself and put it on social media and see what happens.’ So, I did.”

In May 2021, Dougie began creating short motivational videos which quickly gathered a following as the young man humbly shared short takes discussing whatever was on his heart meant to encourage, inspire, and lift up his listeners. Self-filmed, Dougie is often seen on the back of a horse, in his truck, or sitting in his home.

In what has become signature for Dougie and made him a crowd favorite at rodeos is his war whoop and Indian dance after a particularly good ride. Once the buzzer sounds, the 6’2” man spends a few minutes letting out his excitement.

“I don’t do it for pride or because I want attention,” he explained. “I do it because I’m so happy.”

And that happiness seems to be contagious as Dougie expands his motivational career, which has taken off this year. Several years ago, he began attending the renowned Veater Ranch Bronc Riding School in California.

“I met a lot of 90-point people there,” he said, referring to a great

“I just try to be authentic,” he said.

One of Dougie’s missions is to embolden listeners to avoid alcohol.

“There’s a lot of addiction in my family and on the reservation,” he said. “But nothing good comes from drinking. Alcohol relationships are not healthy. Most times you either die from it or

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break out in hand cuffs.”

suffering from everyday life struggles.

As a young child his mother made him promise to never touch a drop of it and Dougie has kept that promise.

His segments have led to speaking engagements around the state, a gig on which he hopes to capitalize.

“I’ve seen it ruin too many people and too many dreams,” he said.

His segments, usually a minute or less, reveal his character as he shares heart-filled stories of his life, most often with a connection to horses, rodeo, reservation life, family, and most importantly to Dougie, inspiration from God.

“

“I’m not an expert, I’m just a survivor,” he said, hopeful people will learn from his experiences.

o Y u need to mae k every moment “You need to make every moment continued.

“Life can be count. Life can be over incount,” thehesna p over in the snap of your fingers. The of o y ur fingers. The most most imp ortant tool you’ll ever need in important is yourself, so take care of tool o y ’lu ever need in thisthiso w world rld is yourself.” o y s ur elf, so e tak cae r of o y s ur elf.

Rigorously authentic and mature DOUGIE HALL beyond his years, the 28-year-old tackles a diverse number of topics.

Some days it’s great advice such as to HALT, an acronym for not making major decisions if you’re “Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.” Other days he suggests a change in attitude, “Take a dose of TRYACTIN,” he says with a laugh, “‘try acting like a man.’”

He doesn’t dance around, he honestly shares his own failings and how he handles them. He entices people to make wise decisions about who they associate with, because “you’re only as good as the company you keep. Surround yourself with eagles and you’ll learn how to soar.”

Some days his quips are short and to the point, peppered with slang or a few curse words and often quotes from his Uncle Mouse, who he claims, has made the biggest impact in his life.

He words are relevant for students whom he encourages to stay in school, rodeo contestants on a streak of bad luck, and people

Through all of the segments, it is obvious that despite heartache, disappointments, and setbacks, Dougie finds good in all things and truly enjoys his life.

As he says, “by letting your own light shine and enjoying your life, you unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

SHOP DOUGIE'S ONLINE STORE AT

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CHRISTMAS 2021 // 31

edam oh

f o r t h e h o ly is d a TAKING THE TIME TO HAND MAKE GIFTS It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and gifts from the heart and home are always appreciated by family and friends.

Creating useful and unique gifts prolongs the enjoyment of the Christmas season, and these presents are bound to be favorites people look forward to receiving every year.

cranberry The cheerful, brilliant red of cranberry liqueur makes a festive and warming drink during the holiday season whether sipped straight or added to merry mixed drinks.

The real beauty is this elegant beverage is so easy to make.

• • • •

12 oz. cranberries (fresh or frozen) 2 cups sugar 1 cup water 3 cups high quality vodka

DIRECTIONS: Combine the sugar and water in a mediumsized pan. Cook for roughly five minutes on medium heat, or until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool. Rinse and remove any damaged cranberries, then place in a blender or food processor and blitz until finely chopped.

Place the sugar syrup, cranberries, and vodka in a large jar. Store in a cool, dark spot, but don’t forget to shake it every few days.

After at least three weeks, strain out the cranberries, then pour into attractive bottles and add a label. For an extra special gift, include a recipe or two for cranberry cocktails.

GREAT FALLS MONTANA 32 // www.raisedinthewest.com

WRITTEN BY AMY GRISAK // PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMY GRISACK

There’s nothing better than a hot mug of decadently rich hot cocoa on a bitterly cold, winter day. These hot cocoa bombs are as entertaining as they are delicious.

Typically, the only utensil necessary to purchase is a set of silicone, two- to two-and-a-half-inch half round molds. These usually come in two sets of six half-rounds, allowing you to make six hot cocoa bombs at a time. Most local craft/cooking stores carry these or they can be found online.

DIRECTIONS: Use a chunk chocolate or high-quality chocolate chips such as Guittard (not melts for candy). If you're using a chunk chocolate, be sure to chop it into small pieces. The greatest challenge with hot cocoa bombs is tempering the chocolate. It can be melted in the microwave, however it is easier to maintain control of the temperature in a double boiler. Place approximately 20 ounces of chocolate in the bowl and stir constantly until it reaches precisely 90°. If it surpasses this temperature, add more chocolate chips and stir briskly to cool.

While it's easiest to use a pastry brush to transfer the chocolate to the interior of the mold, you can use a spoon. Spread a thin coat around the interior of each of the molds, then chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes before applying the second coat.

After the second coat has cooled, carefully remove from the molds. Fill one half with a heaping tablespoon of your favorite hot cocoa powder and top with mini marshmallows. Join the two halves using a thin line of melted chocolate piped on with a frosting bag. Sprinkles make a fun, decorative addition on top.

To make the luscious hot cocoa, heat a large mug of milk and carefully add the hot cocoa bomb. Watch the chocolate melt and all the goodness create a memorable winter treat. Appropriate “gift wrapping” could include placing the hot cocoa bomb in a Christmas-themed mug.

CHRISTMAS 2021 // 33

nourishing Whether working outside or making the best of the cold weather indoors, winter is tough on skin. This rich lotion is a remedy to keep hands from cracking, but can be used on any dry skin - it’s even great to use on feet.

• • • •

1/4 cup beeswax 1/4 cup coconut oil 2 T shea butter 1/2 cup safflower oil (I recommend The Oil Barn’s safflower oil from Big Sandy, but almond or jojoba oils can be used.)

• Favorite essential oil DIRECTIONS: Place the beeswax, coconut oil, shea butter, and safflower in a double boiler. Warm on medium heat, stirring frequently, until everything is melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before adding enough drops of essential oils to reach desired fragrance. Pour into small mason jars or tins, which can be decorated for the season.

homemade beeswax In the dark, winter days, candles create a cozy atmosphere. While homemade candles can be made of anything from paraffin or soy to palm wax or beeswax, the latter has long been a favorite for its clean-burning and healthy nature. Plus, it’s a particularly special gift when using beeswax from your own or local hives.

Pillar candles allow the natural beauty of the beeswax to shine. While metal candle molds have been used for over a century, rigid, plastic molds tend to be easier to handle and make candle extraction easier as well. They can be found in local craft shops or online. Packages often include the proper wick and type of wax for the mold.

DIRECTIONS: Beeswax can be placed in a glass bowl or measuring cup and slowly heated in the microwave. The more traditional method is placing the wax in a metal can inside a pan full of water. A double broiler is another option, but bear in mind the wax does not clean out of anything easily. Remember, never melt wax in a pan directly on the stove.

While the wax is melting, string the wick through the mold. Use a bobby pin or some other straight fastener to tighten the wick at the bottom and center it in the mold. Be sure to add clay to the bottom of the mold where the wick comes through so the wax doesn’t drip out.

Using hand protection, carefully remove the melted wax from the heat and slowly pour it into the mold. Allow it to sit, undisturbed, for an hour or until it is cool. Next, place it in the freezer for at least 20 minutes, making the candle easy to remove from the mold. After carefully pulling it from the mold, snip off the fastener at the bottom so it’s flush, then trim the wick at the top to roughly half an inch.

34 // www.raisedinthewest.com

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CHRISTMAS 2021 // 35

SimplicitY THE OF A

MODERN PIONEER’S FIRST

CHRISTMAS

BITTERROOT VALLEY MONTANA 36 // www.raisedinthewest.com

WRITTEN BY GAYLE M. IRWIN // PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED

Snow falls quietly and temperatures plummet far below the freezing mark. I gaze out my frosty window, watching December arrive like an Arctic locomotive. A fire blazes in my woodstove, warming the house and my heart. Like the wafting snow outside, my mind drifts to another cold December nearly 25 years ago when I sat beside another woodstove, visiting my parents in Montana over Christmas.

Theirs was a simple life, but that simplicity was not void of hard work. It was a life without modern conveniences nor a “job-clock” to which to pay homage. The decision to become ‘modern pioneers’ took them to an isolated, 20-acre parcel in western Montana.

DAD OUTS ID

E T H E CA B

IN

Located five miles off the nearest pavement, their acreage in the Sapphire Mountains rose 8,000 feet above the lush Bitterroot Valley. Their home was a three-room cabin, and ‘amenities,’ as measured by most people, were few: no electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing. The heat was generated from wood. Instead of measuring possessions in the form of money, stocks and shares, or conveniences, my parents valued independence, self-sufficiency, and tranquility.

Working side by side, my parents built their home from a timber shell and generated electricity from solar panels. They raised rabbits, chicken, and peacocks and hunted their own food. Their garden was abundant with potatoes, beans, squash, tomatoes, and corn. Together, they created an environment they had long dreamed about, one few people realize in their lifetime: the gift of simplicity and owing no one.

I visited their woodland home the third winter after their relocation from “civilization.” The outdoor temperature hovered near zero from Christmas to New Year's, yet the cabin basked in warmth. Red and green candles illuminated the dining table and the cabin windows. Sugar cookies and homemade bread radiated their scent from the kitchen. The wood stove billowed and heated the cabin. The colorful, old-fashioned Christmas decorations Mom displayed whispered memories of Christmases past.

The Montana days and nights during that last week of 1983 shimmered with snow, starlight, and serenity.

No traffic, no crowds, no job hassles, only a quiet solitude enveloped me in this white-laced wilderness.

During the days, I watched songbirds at the feeder, saw mule deer and elk browse in the meadow, and

rode horseback through the snow-covered forest. At night, I stepped out onto the front porch and gazed at countless stars twinkling in the crystal-clear sky, unencumbered by pollution, uninhibited by high rises.

I thought of Bethlehem, the shepherds, the angels, the Christ child, and the joy and peace which surrounded that unique and glorious night. Later, I learned I was not the only one who felt so in-touch with earth’s first Christmas.

As Mom prepared our holiday meal the eve before the celebrated day, I read part of her journal by candlelight, including the entry which she had written their first Christmas in the cabin: “As I look down below and see the lights of town, I imagine this must be what it was like that first Christmas, as the shepherds looked upon the

CHRISTMAS 2021 // 37

twinkling lights of Bethlehem. Oh, how peaceful, how beautiful it is here!"

The stars shine overhead, the lights glow in the windows of the houses below, and the white snow falls gracefully from the sky. I remember the carol ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’ and say, yes, what a silent, holy night it is.”

Later, after dinner and unwrapping gifts, I walked down to the meadow. I gazed at the valley below, just as my mother had done. Remembering her words from her journal, tears came to my eyes, as I, too, recalled and then whispered that famous carol: “Silent Night, Holy Night; All is calm, all is bright; ‘Round yon Virgin lies Mother and Child; Holy Infant, so tender and mild; Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.”

“

My parents spent more than 15 years living as modern pioneers. We shared many memorable moments at their cabin, including several holidays. Each holds special meaning, but none compares to the first Christmas I experienced without artificial lights, artificial trees, and artificial mementos.

Together, they created an environment they had long dreamed about, one e f w people realize in their lie f time: the gift of simplicity and owing no Simplicity. Within that word we find love, peace, and joy, one. some of the greatest gifts in

That Christmas was indeed a Silent, Holy Night, so calm, so bright. As I surveyed the picture-perfect winter scene –a sky full of stars and a forest covered with a blanket of snow – I recognized that I was not only surrounded by postcard beauty, but I was also enveloped in a circle of love: love by and for my God and by and for my parents.

38 // www.raisedinthewest.com

I whispered a prayer of thanksgiving, grateful to the Creator for the chance to experience the beauty of a Montana mountain Christmas with a loving family, a gracious Heavenly Father, and a loving, sacrificial Savior whose birthday we celebrate.

the world. Experiencing that Christmas solace a quartercentury ago reinforced to me the true meaning of the holiday – God’s simple gifts of His presence, His love, and His peace.

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CASPER WYOMING 40 // www.raisedinthewest.com

WRITTEN BY GAYLE M. IRWIN // PHOTOGRAPHY BY GAYLE M. IRWIN

Faith, Family, Friends,

a n d

Furbaby

When Lynn Heyer finally received a diagnosis for her six-yearlong health battle, she already knew how she would attack this life-altering challenge: with the help of her faith, family, and friends. Plus, the newest weapon in her arsenal, a service dog named Yankee.

“It’s not stereotypical of what Tourette’s looks like, so it took doctors awhile to diagnose,” she said.

Born and raised in Casper, Wyoming, Lynn began experiencing uncontrolled, seizure-like body movements when she was twelve.

Her mother took her to the emergency room several times and the diagnosis was the same at each visit.

“I had thought about getting a service dog my sophomore year of high school,” she said. “I thought, ‘maybe they could work for me; they work for so many people.’”

“I was told it was anxiety and with medication, to go home and I’d be fine. But I wasn’t fine,” she said.

A local neurologist produced a diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome, however, the spasms she experienced were unlike tics associated with that condition.

With confirmation, it was time to seek treatment, and Lynn believed a service dog might be of help. So the search began.

“

Goldendoodles are easy to train…love you and help you.”

—LYNN HEYER

“My muscles will feel like they need to contract, so I’ll squeeze and clench all of my muscles all over my body,” she explained. “Sometimes these attacks can last thirty minutes or five or six hours. It gets pretty difficult – sometimes I become immobilized.”

Lynn traveled to Denver in search of a second opinion and was diagnosed with paroxysmal nonkinesigenic dyskinesia (PNKD).

Paroxysmal dyskinesias are rare disorders of the nervous system which result in abnormal, involuntary body movements. Yet again, Lynn said her experiences didn’t align with this condition.

Another Denver medical visit in 2018 finally provided a concrete diagnosis: not PNKD, but a different, more rare form of Tourette’s.

However, finding dogs specifically trained for helping people like her proved daunting, with only two organizations in the entire nation training Tourette-specific service dogs. The closest to Wyoming was Glad Wags in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“I called them up and found out it would be cheaper to go through them and do a selftraining program with their aid,” she said. “So, I trained him myself with the help of Marj, who is the Glad Wags owner and dog trainer.”

Poodles are best fit for the needs of Lynn and others like her. Her dog, Yankee, is a Goldendoodle, a breed known for their sweet temperament and trainability. Lynn obtained him as a puppy, and he will be two years old in January 2022.

“Goldendoodles are easy to train,” she said. “And they’re just really sweet dogs, so it’s not hard to get them to love you and to help you. Also, with the poodle hair, he’s hypoallergenic so it makes it nicer for the community – if someone is allergic to dogs, they won’t be allergic to him.”

Yankee is trained in basic obedience and for alerting Lynn in advance of a muscle-clenching episode. They are taught to detect

CHRISTMAS 2021 // 41

LYNN AND HER DEVOTED COMPANION, YANKEE

these episodes through scents.

“You swab your mouth with a Q-tip when you have an attack, and you put it under cups, and they find the scent,” she said. “That teaches them, when they smell that scent, to alert you. So, he’ll alert me up to twenty or thirty minutes before I have an attack.”

Yankee simply places his head on her knee to share his warning.

If she doesn’t pay attention, he “slaps” her. If she still ignores him, “he barks,” Lynn explained.

Yankee is also trained to provide “deep pressure therapy,” she added. Lynn sits or lays down, he then lays his 95-pound body over her, applying pressure. The task is called ‘cover’ and it helps calm her muscles. He is also learning to carry items for her.

To Lynn, not only is Yankee a life-changing blessing, but a joy.

“I’ve gotten to watch him grow and see him change. Watching him grow from a puppy to an adult dog who can alert me when I’m going to have an episode is very rewarding for me to see,” she said.

“

With the help of her mother - who Lynn describes as “a rock” friends, a father-figure who was her youth pastor, and reading scripture and books on apologetics, she rediscovered her relationship with God… and herself.

“I used to be quite a toxic person… and I used to be so sad,” she said. “But I’m wasting my purpose on this Earth if I just sit around being depressed all the time.

I’ve grown into a more joyful person, into a more understanding kind of person… Even though trials will continue to come, you can still be joyful, and you can still fulfill your purpose in life.

I think that was a big part of me choosing to be motivated to help other people and to wake up out of my bubble of toxicity.”

Even though trials will continue to come, you can still be joyful, and you can still fulfill your purpose in life.”

Pursuing what she believes is her purpose, as a first-year college student, she is studying American Sign Language.

—LYNN HEYER

Health has not been the only challenge Lynn has experienced.

When she was three, her older brother drowned and five years later, her father committed suicide. Another brother also experienced mental health challenges. These incidents wreaked havoc upon the family, and Lynn, who was raised in a Christian home, struggled.

“I stepped away from my faith for a time – I didn’t want a relationship with God (then),” she said. “I never denied he was

42 // www.raisedinthewest.com

real, but I was [thinking], ‘I don’t think I want to be friends with someone who’s really mean.’”

I’ve always had an interest in the deaf culture,” she said. “I believe I’m called to missions and I want to get a degree and spread the Gospel in the deaf community.”

She also desires to train service dogs.

“To see how much Yankee has helped me in my life, I would like to give that to other people,” she said. “There are people around to support you, but honestly, there is nothing better than the way a dog can love you.”

BALING TWINE

RECYCLING AVAILABLE IN YELLOWSTONE COUNTY Unwanted baling twine can be dropped off anytime at the Twine Collection & Recycling Site

➥ Located 2½ miles north of Laurel on the west side of Buffalo Trail Rd and ¾ mile north of Laurel Airport Rd across from the Laurel Container Site. ➥ Small deliveries of twine can be left in the shed or in the outside bin. Access is through the red pedestrian gate to the left of the locked vehicle gate. ➥ For large loads requiring vehicle access or assistance, call and leave a message at 406-5918606 or email yvas.twine.recycling@gmail.com and we will make arrangements to meet you. Clean baling twine from any location is being accepted. ➥ We are not accepting net or mesh wrap since it is very difficult to clean and not all net wrap is recyclable.

FOR MORE INFORMATION & A MAP VISIT

www.yvaudubon.org

LYNN AND HER MOTHER, SALLY

MONTANA LAND FOR SALE PENDING

FOR SALE

541 + ACRES | ROSEBUD COUNTY, MONTANA

2,044 + ACRES | DAWSON COUNTY, MONTANA

An extraordinary property nestled along the Yellowstone River possessing prime farm ground and trophy producing hunting.

Just minutes east of Glendive, this ranch boasts luscious grasses, multiple water sources, abundant wildlife, and hundreds of acres of ideal soil for crop ground.

JEFF AND MEREDITH MCKINNEY Eastern Montana Land Specialists

(406) 690-1615

JEFF.MCKINNEY@WHITETAILPROPERTIES.COM MEREDITH.MCKINNEY@WHITETAILPROPERTIES.COM

W H I T E TA I L P R O P E R T I E S . C O M Whitetail Properties Real Estate, LLC - DBA Whitetail Properties | In the States of Nebraska & North Dakota - DBA Whitetail Trophy Properties Real Estate LLC | Licensed in IL, MO, IA, KS, KY, NE & OK - Dan Perez, Broker. Licensed in AR, CO, GA, MN, ND, SD, TN & WI - Jeff Evans, Broker.

Licensed in FL, NY, OH & PA - Jefferson Kirk Gilbert, Broker. Licensed in TX & NM - Joey Bellington, Broker. Licensed in IN - Bill Minor, Broker. Licensed in AL, GA, LA, & MS - Sybil Stewart, Broker. Licensed in TN - Tim Burnette, Broker. Licensed in TN - Bobby Powers, Broker. Licensed in AR - Anthony Chrisco, Broker. Licensed in NC, SC, VA - Chip Camp, Broker. Licensed in NC - Rich Baugh, Broker. Licensed in MI - Edmund Joel Nogaski, Broker. Licensed in MD, WV - Debbie S. Laux, Broker. Licensed in ID, MT, UT, WY, OR - Aaron Milliken, Broker

7.5x4.75_Listing ad_Jeff & Meredith_9-21.indd 1

9/29/21 11:45 AM

CHRISTMAS 2021 // 43

faithful

FOR R EV VER THE STORY OF SHEP

Along the walking trail on the levee fronting the Missouri River in Fort Benton, several bronze statues memorialize characters who brazed a legacy in Montana by foot, hoof, or paw. One of the sculptures is of a Fort Benton sheepdog whose life was a faithful testament to the bond between dog and human.

The dog and his sheepherder came to Fort Benton in August 1936 when the sheepherder checked himself into the hospital.

The brown and white dog, possibly part collie, waited outside, sniffing everyone who strode in and out of the facility. But with each passing person, no one smelled like the sheepherder, and the dog’s tail quit wagging.

FORT BENTON MONTANA 44 // www.raisedinthewest.com

The sheepherder died three days later. A procession conveying his body from the hospital to the mortuary to the train station was followed closely by the dog. At the train station, a swarm of passengers scrambled to board while others jumped to the platform. Railroad men rushed to load trunks, crates, and suitcases. The sheepherder’s casket was hoisted into a car and the forlorn dog watched as the train chugged away and disappeared.

Later that day, a shrill whistle blew when the next train rolled into Fort Benton. The sheepdog anxiously appeared to greet it… and the next train… and the next. No matter the hour, and whether it be rain, snow, or oppressive heat, the dog faithfully met every

WRITTEN BY CATHY MOSER // PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED

train and sniffed every passenger. After each inspection, his tail stopped wagging and drooped as he turned away.

men gently declined all offers to adopt him. It was clear he was a one-man dog.

The men manning the Great Northern train yard assumed the dispirited dog would eventually wander away, but he never did.

Instead, he dug a bed beneath the station platform and beat a mile-long path to the Missouri River where he drank. Station agents quit shooing him away and sympathetic stewards staffing the dining car started tossing him food scraps. The crew named their new companion Shep.

Over the years, Shep’s hearing and sight diminished. Stiffening joints slowed his once brisk trot to a painful stroll. A dusting of snow covered the train yard on the morning of January 12, 1942 as the Great Northern No. 235 chugged into the station. When Shep tried to leap off the snow-dusted rails to greet the passengers, he slipped and fell under the train wheels where he died instantly.

By 1939, Ed Shields, a Great Northern conductor, had pieced together bits of Shep’s history. No one could recall the sheepherder’s name, only that he died, and his body was sent East for burial. Shields’ interest in Shep inspired articles which he wrote for the local newspaper, The River Press. Railroad magazines and newspapers worldwide soon picked up and published Shields’ articles. The stories about Shep’s unflagging devotion brought hope and pleasure to Americans weary of the Great Depression.

Fan mail swamped the Great Northern railroad office, and a secretary was assigned specifically to handle it. The nation’s train travelers hoping to see Shep requested they be routed through Fort Benton. Thousands of passengers peered at Shep through train windows. Multitudes snapped his picture as he stood on the station platform. Children tried to entice him to play, but the many friendly gestures only overwhelmed Shep and he retreated to the security of his dirt bed underneath the platform.

The famed Montana painter, Olaf C. Seltzer, depicted the dog’s vigil on canvas. American cartoonist Robert L. Ripley, famed for his “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” syndicated cartoons and columns, featured Shep’s steadfast loyalty. America’s dog lovers sent contributions for his care, only to be returned by the railroad men. At least 50 sheepherders begged to have him, and some even traveled to Fort Benton to make their request in person. But Shep was a shy, distant dog who disliked attention, so the railroad

News of his death traveled over the Associated Press wires. The Great Northern workers mourned their loss. On the afternoon of January 14, the Fort Benton Boy Scouts carried a small wooden casket to the top of a bluff overlooking the train yard. Hundreds of mourners trailed the boys, including the Fort Benton mayor and Ed Shields, then-Mayor of Great Falls. Local minister Ralph Underwood delivered a eulogy praising Shep’s devotion, and the scouts carefully lowered the casket as a bugler played Taps. A concrete monument was later erected at the gravesite and still stands today.

Ed Shields didn’t forget Shep’s vigil. A few years after the dog’s death, he turned his articles into a booklet the Great Northern sold to its passengers for a quarter. Shields also established the “Shep Fund,” with the proceeds benefiting the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind in Great Falls. The school received more than $50,000 in donations.

In 1992, fifty years after Shep’s death, the Fort Benton community launched fundraising efforts to erect a monument on the levee.

That goal was reached on June 26, 1994, and renowned sculptor, Bob Scriver, was contracted to create a large bronze of Shep.

Hundreds of people gathered to dedicate the Shep Memorial. The homage inscribed in the pedestal states, “Forever Faithful.”

CHRISTMAS 2021 // 45

OUT

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

★★★★★★★

The Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River weaves down the Sinks Canyon

ABOUT CRISS CROSSING THE REGION

Thanksgiving weekend and a wonderful trip to Lander, WY to visit our daughter and her fiancé. God blessed us with incredible weather, sights, and time. At the foothills of the Wind River Range in Fremont County is one of the geological wonders of Wyoming, Sinks Canyon.

The mouth of The Sinks where the river disappears underground into limestone caverns

The Rise of the Sinks, where the river reappears ¼ mile down the canyon.

The waters of the Middle Fork eventually flow into the Boysen Reservoir at the head of the Wind River Canyon

46 // www.raisedinthewest.com

The Wind River Canyon where the Wind River which is the upper reaches of the Big Horn River flows from Shoshoni to Thermopolis.

We care where you are.

World Class Interventional Stroke Care Close to Home

Billings Clinic is the only facility in Montana and Wyoming to have a full-time neurosurgeon, Dr. Vance Fredrickson who uses computerized tomography (CT) and biplane angiography (an imaging procedure that tracks blood flow) to treat stroke, aneurysms and other vascular diseases in the brain. This means stroke patients do not have to fly out-of-state to Utah or Denver to receive this life saving procedure.

Dr. Fredrickson joins our multidisciplinary Stroke Team which consists of neurosurgeons, neurologists, neurointerventional radiologists, neurohospitalists, advanced practitioners, nurses, social workers, and speech and occupational therapists.

Vance Fredrickson, MD

Stroke happens suddenly. Be ready to BE FAST! Trouble seeing in one or both eyes, with blackened, blurred or double vision.

Loss of balance or corrdination. Headache or dizziness.

One side of the face is drooping or numb.

Weakness in the arm, leg or face, especially on one side of the body.

Seconds count! All 911 now!

To see if you are at risk, visit billingsclinic.com/Stroke Primary Stroke Center I 406-238-2410 or 1-800-332-7156, 801 North 29th St., Billings

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BIG R WEST 2600 Gabel Road (406) 652-9118

BIG R HEIGHTS 1908 Main Street (406) 384-0099

BIG R SHERIDAN BIG R LEWISTOWN 2049 Sugarland Dr. 825 NE Main Street (307) 674-6471 (406) 350-4422

BIG R EAST 216 N. 14th Street (406) 252-0503 BIG R HARDIN 1001 N. Center Ave. (406)-953-5111

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