Family, Ranching, and Hard Work

I met Tel Menard on a cold, snowy day in October while he was shoeing horses for his sister Katie.

Tel is a modern-day rancher and a part of Montana's ranching history that dates to the 1860s, when ranchers and cattle first moved into Montana.

His ranching lineage in Lincoln goes back to 1965 when his grandparents, Betty and Gerald Fleming, began working at the Jacobsen ranch. The Jacobsen's bought the land west of Lincoln from Mike Kieley in 1918 when the place was called the Beaver Creek Ranch. In 1990, the Flemings purchased the ranch and raised their kids and cattle on the land.

Tel now manages both the Fleming place and the Grosfield Ranch for Rick and Mary Sampsen of Dagmar, where he oversees more than 2,000 acres and 450 head of cattle. Rick and Mary, a member of the Grosfield family, purchased the Fleming ranch in 2014. Together, the land makes up one of the last working ranches in Lincoln.

Tel continues to ranch when many people his age are leaving the land and going into work that isn't so hard.

"I keep ranching because I like the work that we can do, and we get to live and work with family," he said

Being a rancher and living the ranching lifestyle encompasses many things. First on the list is plain, old, hard work. It's not a 40 hour week. It's 24/7: rain or shine.

"Weather is our biggest challenge." Tel said. Feeding cattle and caring for them in the winter is a hard job. Freezing weather makes every task more complicated and time-consuming. Then, he has to have a variety of skills.

He shoes the horses, rides the horses, works the cattle, produces hay and doctors sick cows. And, he's a family man. His wife Jessie is by his side. Together they have one son, Mac, and a new baby on the way.

"I'm lucky that I can live and raise my children in this lifestyle" Jessie said.

Tel's sister Katie also works side-by-side with him. She works cows, mows hay and helps with all the other chores that go along with managing a ranch.

Along with family, other ranchers and neighbors sometimes lend a hand.

"The ranchers help each other out. They make sure everyone gets the help they need when they need it." Tel said.

"Bonnie Christiansen, a neighbor, stopped her car and opened a gate for us one day when we were moving cows" he said.

This simple act is an example of the courteous and kind personalities that help to make this lifestyle what it is.

What I learned from Tel is ranching comes down to the basics. You work hard, you help your neighbor, you love the life you live, and it all begins and ends with family.