Stukers, Taber to be inducted into Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame

From Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame

Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage announced that Richard Louis Stuker of Chinook will be inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame and John Stuker of Chinook will be inducted as a legacy members, while Eugene Taber, who also has connections to the area, also is one of this year's inductees into the as a Legacy nominee.

The inductees from the 17th class of of inductions were chosen from a field of candidates nominated by the general public. Inductees are honored for their notable contributions to the history and culture of Montana.

"The Hall of Fame exists to honor those who have made an impact in their part of the state and represent Montana's authentic Western heritage for future generations," said DuWayne Wilson, MCHF & WHC president. "Our volunteer trustees across Montana vote on nominations that come from the district in which they reside. This process gives the local communities a strong voice in who will represent them in the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame."

The MCHF & WHC board of directors has designated 12 trustee districts across the state from which up to 20 trustees may be appointed. Nomination criteria established by the board for the Class of 2025 inductions allowed for the election of one Living Inductee and one Legacy Inductee from each of the 12 districts.

See more on the Stukers in upcoming editions of Havre Weekly Chronicle.

EUGENE "GENE" TABER, JR. (1939 – 2023) DISTRICT 6 – YEAR 2025

Eugene "Gene" Taber, Jr. was born on June 13, 1939, to Eugene and Virginia Taber. He was the oldest of three children, followed by brother, Fred, and sister, Carolyn. Gene's grandfather, William Taber, came to Montana from Missouri in 1911 and homesteaded on Fish Creek. Eugene Sr. partnered with William in purchasing some cows and Gene, like many in the era, grew up working alongside both men on the farm and ranch.

At age ten, Gene got his first horse, a Welsh Pony named Penny and he rode her to help move cows. It wasn't long before he developed a strong love for anything ranching. "Ever since I was ten, that's all I wanted to do," Gene said. "I never even thought I would do anything else besides ranch." When he wasn't working, Gene enjoyed riding saddle bronc in weekend rodeos. He also saddle broke several colts to be used for ranch work. Gene continued to help his father through high school and graduated from Ryegate High School in 1958.

He spent two years in the 82nd Airborne Division after being drafted into the United States Army in 1961.

On June 17, 1967, he married Linda Ott. Gene and Linda managed their own cows while working side by side with Eugene, Sr. Both Gene and his brother wanted to maintain what their grandfather started. Except there wasn't enough income from the cattle for both families on the same place to make a living. In 1977, Gene and Linda decided to branch out on their own and bought the piece of land they were living on, just South of Shawmut along the Musselshell River, from Eugene, Sr. "I wanted to go out on my own and my dad said, 'you can't make it on your own, how are you going to pay for the land?'" Gene recalled with a laugh. "I should have told him, 'Don't worry, you'll get it back anyway if I can't,' but I just said, 'I don't know, I'll figure out something.'"

And so started a long road of banknotes and hard work for both Gene and Linda. Gene labored from sunup to sundown with Linda's help. Linda was also busy raising their five children, two boys and three girls – all the while, both were pinching pennies to grow the ranch. "As long as we had food on the table, I could be satisfied," Gene said. "We struggled along for a lot of years, and it hasn't gotten any easier till the last few." Since Gene began ranching, he continually expanded the land base and cattle numbers. In fact, until the early 2000s, he was consistently making land payments as small parcels and opportunities continued to arise around him – both a blessing and a challenge. For many years, Gene also maintained a feedlot for backgrounding feeder cattle and developing replacement heifers for neighboring ranchers in addition to his own cattle. The feedlot eventually transitioned into just having Taber cattle, but Gene was still the one doing the chores.

"We had to borrow money for everything – the land, the operating expenses, and the bank owned the cows," Gene said. "You can't make much headway, and if we did, we would try to increase our numbers or buy more real estate." Despite the struggle, Gene considered himself fortunate in more ways than one. He "ran into a lot of good luck" with land purchases from neighbors who were willing to owner finance him. More importantly, he was building a legacy that could be passed down to the upcoming generations and, as the adage goes, he loved every bit of the work. "It took years and years, but we were doing what we wanted to do and that's what mattered," Gene said.

He admitted that the long days of labor forced him to miss out on his children's sports games and occasional milestones, "but they always knew they had a dad," he said. "We couldn't afford the help we needed and the help we could afford we didn't need," Gene joked. "But on a ranch, you won't fudge on the feed, or the cows, but we could fudge on the help. I did what I had to do to keep it together, and I seemed to think I had to be there, or it would all fall apart." Still, Gene found time to be a generous neighbor, stepping up to lend a hand to those around him.

Gene was accustomed to the humble lifestyle his career choice provided. "I thought we had a tough time, but it was nothing compared to what they did," Gene said of the homesteading generation. He said his parents were some of the few local homesteaders who were able to make a living in the unsettled area and he took a keen interest in the history to learn "how they made it, or why others didn't." It also sparked a desire in Gene to preserve as much of the past as possible, as evidenced by the old immaculate cabin in his yard, a relocated and fully restored horse barn, and a shed full of tractors and pickups from as far back as the 1920s which all still run today. His knowledge of the local history only amplified his appreciation for what he had and what he'd pass along. "That's how it should be, each generation shouldn't start where the previous one did, it should get easier. Why would you borrow all that money and do all the work if you couldn't pass this along? I'm happy, I've done what I wanted to do," Gene said with pride knowing his son and grandson will reap the benefits of his labors – labors he loved so much he "just won't quit."

Gene was involved with the Wheatland County Stockgrowers, Montana Farm Bureau, President of the Upper Musselshell Water User's Association, and was a member of the Shawmut School board for many years.

Finally reaching the age where most would "slow down" or even retire, 84 year-old Gene just "wasn't ready to quit." In fact, while his wife of 56 years was on a recent trip, enjoying the phase of her life where breaks and vacations are feasible, Gene was more than happy to stay at the ranch. "I pay good money to not have to go," he joked of Linda's vacation with their daughter, April. "I love what I do. If I can just get on my horse and move cows, that's all I want to do." And that's exactly what he did for the entirety of his life. Gene worked daily on the ranch along with his son, Jimmy, and grandson, Dalton – the fourth and fifth generations who will continue the Taber Ranch for decades to come. His grit and "can-do" spirit kept him doing what he loved until his unexpected passing on October 26, 2023.

Gene was a cattleman, horseman, family man, and a Godly man...a true cowboy. To say he was "full of life" would be an understatement. He radiated a joy that was infectious. He was an iconic rancher who allowed those around him to believe he would last forever, and, though he has left us in this world, memories of him will live up to that very impression we all gathered from his energy. Gene would say, "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life" and he did just that.

Reference:

Walker, Kayla. Fall 2023. "His Life Became a Legacy." Raised in the West Magazine. Pages 10-14.