U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today recognized Royce Perrett of Wibaux County, a true American cowboy, who will celebrate his 93rd birthday this weekend.
Daines’ recognition in the Congressional Record is available here.
Through his “Montanan of the Week” initiative, Daines each week will highlight a Montanan by submitting a statement of recognition in the official Congressional Record, the document that reflects the official proceedings of Congress.
Daines welcomes anyone to nominate fellow Montanans for Daines’ “Montanan of the Week” program by calling Daines’ office at 202-224-2651 or by filling out the contact form on Daines’ website: http://www.daines.senate.gov/connect/email-steve
The following is the statement submitted to the Congressional Record:
MONTANAN OF THE WEEK
Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, this week, I have the distinct honor of recognizing Royce Perrett of Wibaux County, a true American cowboy, who will celebrate his 93rd birthday this weekend. While ranching has been his profession for most of his life, he is also a Navy veteran, a devoted husband of over 70 years, a father of three children, and a valued member of the ranching community between Sidney and Wibaux.
Growing up in rural Nebraska, Mr. Perrett made due without many of the modern comforts we enjoy today: electricity, refrigeration, and modern transportation. When courting Nell Anderson, who would later become his wife, he traveled 10 miles by horse on the weekend to spend time with her and on his way home Sunday night he would sleep on his horse, waking up when the horse would stop to open gates.
After WWII, and his service in the Navy was completed, Mr. Perrett returned to doing what he loves: ranching. His pursuits took him and his family from the Sandhills of Nebraska, to Isabel, South Dakota and then in his early 60s, when most would be considering retirement, Mr. Perrett came to Montana to manage the Blue Mountain Ranch, a 13,000-acre ranch north of Wibaux. While Mr. Perrett has had to trade in his saddle for a seat in a side-by-side ATV in recent years, he still manages the Blue Mountain Ranch full time for Gartner-Denowh Angus Ranch and puts in long hours fixing fences, checking water, and watching over 500 cows that graze there in the summer and fall.
When he isn’t busy working he enjoys collecting Western memorabilia and sharing his many stories about ranching, his life adventures, and his self-described greatest achievement: his marriage of over 70 years. As I found out recently when I stopped to visit Mr. Perrett, his door is always open to visitors and you had better be ready for a good conversation and history lesson if you stop by.
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