Reflections from a Nye Centenarian Couple
Herb and Susan Russell
Nye
Photography by Kenzie Holmberg
The ancestors of the Russell and Rich families are as hardy as the century-old apple trees still growing on the Russell Ranch. Both families immigrated to the area in the early 1900’s - homesteading at a time when success would come only with hard work, determination and sacrifice.
Surrounded by the Custer National Forest, 35 miles from Yellowstone National Park, the Russell Ranch is nestled in the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains near the community of Nye. Lush grass, endless skies, a crystal-clear stream and an unparalleled view showcase the beauty of the ranch. Cow/calf pairs dot the upper pasture and nearby hay fields promise a good crop.
Herb and Susan (Rich) Russell live on the ranch in a modest home with an unblemished view of the mountains and spend their days relaxing on the shaded deck and keeping abreast of their large family.
“You don’t go 50-50 on anything when you get married. You go 100 percent! It’s the only way it will work out.”
The rusted body of a Model T, a variety of hand saws, an ice saw and a scythe grace the walls in an old shed - remnants of an era long past. Cracked-leather harnesses line one wall and antique tools speak of a time when the ranch was run exclusively by man and horse-drawn power.
The ranch has been in the Russell family since 1919 when it was purchased by Herb’s father and uncle. Herb was born there, in fact, delivered by his father, 102 years ago. He’s made his home in these mountains his entire life and for the past 77 years, he’s shared it with his wife, Susan, who is 97.
On a recent afternoon, the two of them shared glimpses of their history; their son, David, joined them. As the couple thumbed through photo albums dating back to their youth, they fed off each other’s stories, pointing out photos of relatives, buildings long gone, the first tractor, early cars, and teams of horses. The photos triggered stories of their youth and early marriage, their ancestors and life over the years on the ranch.
Together the two have weathered good times and hardships, abundance and scarcity, six kids, 12 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren all with love, laughter, commitment and determination.
“You don’t go 50-50 on anything when you get married,” Susan said, “You go 100 percent! It’s the only way it will work out.”
“And an occasional good Scotch Whiskey helps too,” Herb quipped.
Herb’s family descended from Scotland just before WW 1 and moved to the Limestone, Montana, area to raise sheep. Herb began his ranching career as a young tike following in the footsteps of his father and uncles.
He paused at times allowing memories to gather in his mind; sometimes counting on Susan and David to fill in the details.
He became a man years before his childhood was over - helping with the haying and the harvest of grain, handling guns, trapping bear and assisting with the care of the sheep. He worked with horses his entire life, riding and roping until his late 80’s.
He fondly shared stories of trailing sheep from the ranch down to Columbus, crossing the railroad tracks and continuing north to the White Beaver area where the sheep would winter on his uncle’s homestead before returning to the Russell Ranch for lambing and summer pasture. The trip, twice a year, would take three days to cover.
He spoke of hauling wheat to Columbus by wagon, and raising turkeys, which were harvested at the same time as the wheat and taken to town on top of the grain.
“We wouldn’t give the turkeys water or grain for a couple of days and then we’d bleed them out,” he explained. “We wouldn’t take the entrails out, we’d just lay them on top of the grain, not even plucked, ready to go.”
Before refrigeration, it was well known that the feathers acted as insulation keeping the insides of the turkey fresh. He and Susan continued the custom after they married.
“We shipped turkeys to Sioux City, Spokane and Seattle,” Susan added. “They loved getting our turkeys.”
While Herb was growing up on the Russell homestead near Limestone, at nearby Dean, the Rich family, who had emigrated from Ireland, homesteaded and ran the post office.
A horsewoman from early childhood, Susan talked of her father delivering messages for the post office and vividly remembers when she was twelve, being called upon to deliver messages to the nearby Benbow Mine.
Early photos show her on horseback as a child. One captured her wearing snowshoes as she navigated deep snow. Her dad had a freight line from the ranch to Benbow, and he taught her to drive a four-horse team and wagon. Once married, and before they had a tractor, she helped Herb put up hay with a team.
Herb and Susan didn’t met when she was in high school. After her mother died, she lived with her older sister in Billings and attended school there, returning to the ranch in the summertime.
“One day, I borrowed my dad’s car and took some neighbor kids to the picture show in Absarokee. There was a dance at the hotel, and I thought we should go,” she paused, smiled and ribbed Herb. “Some guy came in and asked me to dance and that was the beginning of my time with Herb.”
Susan graduated from high school and spent a year working in Seattle before she settled down with Herb.
During the Depression, Herb was in his early twenties and ran sheep on the Forest Service. At that time, no one was visiting Yellowstone Park and the bear population flourished. The government trapper could not keep up with the increased numbers, so Herb started trapping.
“Dad hauled supplies to the sheep herders and helped move their camps to summer pastures in the Beartooth Mountains,” David explained. “Along with supplying the camps and moving them, he also helped with predator control, both coyotes and bears. In one season he trapped 23 black bears and a grizzly.”
“Just before we were married, he went to pick up the traps for the last time,” Susan said. “He’d gotten a grizzly. From the tip of his nose to the end of his tail and as far as Herb could reach with a 30-30 was the length of that bear!”
“Dad wasn’t afraid of anything,” David said. “He’s only 5’10” but he’s always been larger than life. He’s a grizzly himself.”
In a time when every penny counted, Herb often worked jobs off the ranch, confident that Susan was capable of handling things at home.
“Dad bought a stationary baler 70 some years ago and pulled it around to places that stacked hay loose,” David said. “He’d pull up, set up, and hand pitch the hay into the baler to make bales and then stack them. He was tough!”
“When he was out baling, I’d do the haying here,” Susan added. “We were always a team; I’d help him outside and when he came in, he’d help with the children or whatever needed to be done.”
Having a large family was beneficial as the children worked on the ranch and they grew up learning their work ethic by laboring next to their parents.
David operates the ranch today and keeps a close watch on his parents. Several years ago, he took them on a trip of their lifetime: touring Scotland and Ireland to see their homeland and visit with relatives they had never met. The trip remains a highlight in their lives.
Today, they stay involved in their childrens’ and grandchildrens’ lives with frequent phone calls and visits.
Susan proudly recited where each of her kids live, what they do for a living, where the grandkids went to college and what their careers are. She unveiled her sense of humor talking about a grandson who travels to Australia to A.I. cattle.
“He calls his business, ‘No Bull,’” She laughed.
Several years ago, Herb pulled his old bike out of the shed and thought he’d ride down the lane and get the mail. His dog ran alongside him but hit the tire and flipped Herb off the bike.
“He lost his glasses and his hearing aids,” Susan said. “The neighbors still tease him about that. They’re always wondering what he’ll do next to get himself in trouble!”
Herb drives his old Ford down to the mailbox every day and they both join their children on excursions to town. Last year Susan assisted her daughter and granddaughter in picking and canning the apples in her yard. Two years ago, for Herb’s 100th birthday the entire clan gathered to celebrate at the ranch.
As they enjoyed the pastoral view of the mountains from their shaded deck, the phone rang. One of their daughters called to see if they needed anything from the store as she’d be out in a couple hours.
“My folks absolutely love it here,” David said. “They are really no different than a lot of our early day homesteaders and settlers, they have the same strong values and determination to survive no matter the obstacles. They’ve lived through a lot of miracles in their lifetime, and they just keep on going.”