So Proud

Our uncle, Butch Hein went to Heaven on October 13, 2023. He was a well-known and much-loved rancher in Forsyth, Montana. When my husband and I went to Forsyth to attend the funeral, we were having breakfast at a local restaurant, when the waitress mentioned that the townspeople were all in mourning over the loss of a local rancher. She didn’t know we knew, much less that we were related to Uncle Butch. All she knew was that the town was hurting. I heard some people saying that they weren’t going to go to the weekly breakfast meet that Butch had been a part of, because it “just wouldn’t be the same” now that he was gone. The things said, and the way the townspeople felt says a lot about much Uncle Butch was loved and respected in Forsyth.

Much has changed in the almost two years since Uncle Butch went home to heaven. His granddaughter, Laura and her husband, Sean made Uncle Butch a great grandfather on December 18, 2024, when sweet little Emmett Butch came into the world. Emmett has a cute little smiley face that would melt Butch’s heart. I know he would be beyond happy. Butch’s grandson, Carson works with his dad, Butch’s son Scott running the ranching business. That would also be very pleasing to Butch, who wanted to be able to hand the business down to the guys. His youngest grandchild, Lindsey just passed the LSAT exam and will be headed for Law School at the University of Montana in the Fall. Butch was a hands-on grandpa with a very close relationship with his three grandchildren. I know he would be so proud of all they have accomplished.

Butch would also be very proud of his son, Scott and Scott’s wife Terri, who now own the ranch and who gave him these wonderful grandchildren. It was always a dream of Butch’s that one day he and his son would run the ranch together. When that dream became a reality, and Scott got married and had kids, the dream expanded to include one or more of the kids joining the business. The logical choice for that fell on Carson, and while that dream didn’t fully become fulfilled during Butch’s lifetime, it has been fulfilled now, and I know that Butch would have been beyond happy with that. Today would have been Butch’s 80th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Uncle Butch. We love and miss you very much.