Our uncle, Butch Hein, passed away on October 13, 2023. He was a well-known and deeply loved rancher in Forsyth, Montana. When my husband and I traveled there for the funeral, we were having breakfast at a local restaurant when the waitress mentioned that the whole town was mourning the loss of a local rancher. She had no idea we knew him, let alone that he was our uncle. All she knew was that the community was hurting. I overheard some people say they wouldn’t attend the weekly breakfast gathering Butch had always been part of because it “just wouldn’t be the same” without him. The words spoken and the emotions shared by the townspeople showed just how much Uncle Butch was loved and respected in Forsyth.
A lot has changed in the nearly two years since Uncle Butch went home to heaven. His granddaughter Laura and her husband Sean made him a great-grandfather on December 18, 2024, when sweet little Emmett Butch was born. Emmett’s adorable smile would have melted Butch’s heart, and I know he’d be overjoyed. I sure wish Butch could have met Emmett. His grandson Carson now works alongside his dad, Butch’s son Scott, running the ranching business…something Butch always hoped to pass down to the guys. His youngest grandchild, Lindsey, is currently in law school at the University of Montana. Butch was a hands-on grandpa with a special 
bond with all three grandchildren, and I know he’d be incredibly proud of all they’ve achieved.
Butch would be so proud of his son Scott and his wife Terri, who now own the ranch and blessed him with wonderful grandchildren. It had always been Butch’s dream to run the ranch alongside his son, and when that came true, the dream grew to include one or more of the kids joining the business. Carson was the natural choice for that, and although the dream wasn’t fully realized during Butch’s lifetime, it has come true now, and I know he would be overjoyed. Today would have been Butch’s 81st birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Uncle Butch. We love and miss you dearly.
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