The fifth of eight patriotic kids, 80 year old Howard Jenkins began working the cows in Bluebell when he was just five years old. "I started milking when I was five, and then when I was six I took the cows out and herded them all day and milked them at night. I've ridden a horse all my life." It was all good experience he'd need when his five older siblings went off to serve our country during World War II or moved away and got jobs and the bulk of the chores fell upon Howard's shoulders.
Howard met his wife, Fontella of Mt. Emmons, in the fourth grade. He married his high school sweetheart in 1950 and together they've raised three children, Gary (Paula), Sherri (Ron Giles) and Bruce (Toni), fourteen grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. Howard started out milking cows, but eventually switched over to beef cattle. "Everybody had cows when I was growing up. That's just what we had and what we did. It's a changing world we live in now."
Like most ranchers, Howard worked off the ranch a time or two when it was necessary. "Raising beef cattle is good, but it's barely a living some years so I did what I needed to feed my family. I've worked on an oil rig for a couple of winters and I worked for the creamery in Altamont for a lot of years as well."
Howard loves to raise a big garden, irrigate and raise hay and run cows on the 800 acres he still owns in Bluebell, just one mile south of where he was born. He also loves to get out on his horse and ride and spend time in the mountains. "I've spent quite a bit of time up in the mountains. We ran cattle on the mountain for years and up in Wyoming. I've fished a lot of lakes and streams in these mountains." Howard and Fontella enjoy ranching, but also take time for trips to the Vernal temple and spending time with family.
Howard Jenkins is honored to be named Longhorn Days Legendary Rancher of the Year and is happy to represent the only home he's ever known and the land he loves.
No comments:
Post a Comment