Clifford Tenney Hight, 84 of White River, SD passed away at Monument Hospital in Rapid City due to surgery issues on Nov. 27, 2022, with family at his side.
Funeral services were held at 11 am on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022 at the White River Community Center with a visitation one hour prior to the services. Burial followed at the White River Cemetery.
He was born to Clarence and Ruth (Rhoades) Hight on Oct. 20, 1938 in Murdo, SD. He was welcomed home by his older siblings, Phyllis, Cecil, Sharley, Clarice and Curtis. “Tenney” lived the majority of his life in White River. He was active in sports in high school and was a WR graduate of 1957. He continued being a supportive “Tiger” fan and went to as many games as possible.
Tenney and Iva Brown were married on Aug. 11, 1958. To this union three sons were born, Tenney Eugene (Gene), Ronnie and Gary. Shortly after marriage Tenney and Iva moved to Deadwood where he was employed with the Homestake Gold Mine. After a few years they returned home to the ranch northeast of White River. Ranching, raising boys and life being tough, Tenney and Iva decided to lease the ranch and move to White River. Over the years he worked for local ranchers, George England, Lawrence and Ronnie Krogman and Bob Derry. He decided to try a “town job” for a while and worked at the Gas N Git and Farmers Coop. His love of being a ‘Cowboy” sent him back to the country, this time to the Stromer Ranch, where he spent 20 plus years doing what he loved.
Some of Tenney’s favorite things were football, basketball, playing cards, coffee with his friends and rodeo! He was requested by several ranchers to rope calves at brandings. Stories have been told, that if you were roping with him and he saw some skills that didn’t meet his approval. Well, he wouldn’t hesitate to correct you!! Even though he could be stern about roping cattle, there was nothing he enjoyed more than teasing people, a good joke or prank!
From the late 60’s to early 80’s he worked as a pickup man for rodeos run by Don Hight and Howard Beissinger. Partners for these jobs were usually Veldon Brown, Glen Hollenbeck or Alvin Stromer. The rodeos he traveled to, took him to several places in the United States and he also worked at Cheyenne Frontier Days at least two years. One year they had a rodeo in Louisville, KY. The horses went on the semi (like they did many times) but the pickup men and contractors went by plane. Tenney also enjoyed team roping and would often compete at the rodeos he attended.
Preceding him in death are his parents, Clarence “Bud” and Ruth; his siblings, Phyllis, Cecil, Sharley and Clarice; his in-laws, Vernon and Esther Brown and grandson Christopher.
Survivors are his wife, Iva; brother, Curtis of Colona, IL; sons, Gene (Lorena) Hight of White River, Ronnie (Janet) Hight of White River, Gary (Kim) Hight of Douglas, Wyoming; grandchildren; Shelsey (Shawn) Klein, Matt (Lorena) Hight, Eliot (Taylor) Hight, Justin (Nicole) Hight, Clifford (Carlos) Hight, Lee Hight, Morgan (Jake) Brenholdt, Haley (Jacob) Hight, Amber Hight and Colton Hight; great-grandchildren, Natalie, Dylan and Hattie Klein, Sophia, Isabelle and Natalie Hight, Thomas Hight and Millie Hight and several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to WR Grandstand for improvements at the rodeo grounds.
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