The Heath name has run deep and long in Tripp County from the time of homestead days. This year the Farm and Ranch Family of the Year is Roger and Janell Heath and Justin and Shelley Heath.
The farm and ranch award is sponsored by the Winner Area Chamber of Commerce.
Roger is the son of Clarence and Frieda Heath, and it was Clarence’s father, Ervin, that first laid a stake in southern Tripp County. Roger grew up on a farm located in Lake Township. He wed his high school sweetheart, Janell, daughter of Gus and Orene Weidner. For the first four years of their marriage, they lived in a very small trailer house on Clarence and Frieda’s place. While living here, they added two sons, Brett and Kevin. Roger and Janell had seen there was some land for sale east of Colome. They were able to purchase the Jerry and Emma Spinar farm.
Roger and Janell made their home on the property for nearly 30 years. Within the 30 year time frame, they wintered several storms, that weren’t easy to go through with the smaller equipment of the time. They learned they had to be diversified in order to make ends meet as they saw markets rise and fall as seasons passed. Along with farming the ground, Janell taught school. When times got hard to make ends meet, milking seemed to be the solution to bring in monthly cash flow.
The dairy cows were a main stable to the farm as they raised their four children. Brett, Kevin, Justin and Marti were all vital parts to keeping everything moving as they raised some beef cattle, bucket calves and milked. In between taking care of the land, they made time for sporting activities and church was a mainstay, and a way to reset for the hard week of work ahead.
As their children grew out of the house, the younger of the two, Justin and Marti would take care of the harder work, and Roger worked in town at Vicki’s gas station and later at the Colome Feedstore. Roger delivered many tons of feed to all the ranchers and can draw you a map in his head of Tripp County.
Justin’s love for the land and cattle grew in his teenage years. One incident that inspired him was his mom leaving him in charge of over 70 head of bucket calves. She may have made a few deals with him that if he kept them alive he could get some money for it. He became very skilled at bringing a dead calf back to life.
Lennie Steffen was an important part of shaping Justin’s love for horses and cowboy work. Many hours have been spent in a saddle looking for lost critters, doctoring the sick and moving cattle from pastures to winter grazing.
He knew that college wasn’t meant for him, and after graduating from Colome in 1993, he went to work for Vernie and Jean VanEpps in Springview, NE. He worked on their large ranch, living the dream of sleepless nights from checking in blizzards to pairing out cattle for pastures, and putting up meadow hay.
In 1995, the timing was right to bring his roots back to Colome and help his parents while building his own cattle herd. In July of 1996, he married his high school sweetheart Shelley Horstman, from Mills, NE. She graduated from Keya Paha County High School in 1993 and attended Norfolk Community College and earned an Associate of Arts degree in Journalism. For the first couple of years, Justin and Shelley had milk cows and would share milking with Roger and Janell.
Being young newlyweds, they had little to start with. Truth be told, they had no electricity or water in the shabby trailer house when they moved in. Electricity came two days later, but running water came three weeks later. They were blessed to put their trailer on his Uncle Charley and Aunt Judi Vobr’s land in Stewart Township. This was the old Jerry and Clara Shea place. The beautiful red barn still stands along with another building.
Even though it wasn’t in the original plan, they were able to purchase the Vobr ground in 2003. Justin worked for his Uncle Lee’s feedlot for a few years until he had enough established to stay busy and make ends meet. Shelley has started her own photography studio in 1999. It proved it was time to build a small studio close to their trailer house as she became quite busy with both Rosebud Photos going out of business. She named her studio, Prairie Portraits, Inc.
Along with growing their cattle herd and starting a studio, they also built a family of Wiley 12, Saydee 17, Bromley 15, and Jakob 9.
Balancing daily work of farming and ranching became easier over time as their children have become an integral part of each day. Wiley and Saydee will tell stories of having to feed bucket calves before getting on the school bus when they were both in grade school.
In 2000, Roger and Janell moved from the Spinar land and started a simple homelife just one-mile south of the Calvary Chapel. They enjoy gardening and their chickens, and Janell can’t resist raising a few bucket calves. Roger is the helper of the neighborhood, and when a neighbor needs help, he is on his way.
The Spinar land was sold two times, before Justin and Shelley were able to purchase the land back. “It feels good to have the home place back, all the memories were great but having the land and knowing that our children have some heritage means the world,” said Shelley. Roger and Janell are vital to the farming and ranching in so many small ways, even though they are retired. When a part is needed, thistles need chopped, someone to watch the highway while moving cattle or moving equipment, grandma and grandpa are just a phone call away.
In 2010, with some unplanned housing situations, they moved in with Roger and Janell for a few weeks. Due to mold in the trailer house and unsafe living conditions, life was upturned, until the community pulled together to help them live in the barn in a matter of 10 days. The “barnhouse” became home for 15 months until their new house was built.
“You know you are loved when so many people drop everything to help you. We were humbled and grateful for everyone’s part in making the barn a livable place,” said Shelley. “Truth be told, it was hard to move out of the barnhouse because we were healthy and happy, and that’s when Jakob joined the family. There are so many fond memories of living in the barnhouse. The bucket lambs were right by the bathroom wall, the heifers were calving in one half while we lived in the other. All the kids were in one bedroom. There was a hydrant by our bed. It was a simple living arrangement that bonded us even more,” Shelley added.
Justin loves that his kids can work beside him. Everyone that farms and ranches knows there are profitable time and not so profitable times, it’s being able to adjust as markers change and hoping you make the right decisions. Having his kids work with him, and teaching them great work ethic is one of the most rewarding things that go with being a ranching family. All of the kids truly love the ranch life, they love the open space and can appreciate that hard work.
The best time of the year for the Heaths, is spring. Spring brings new hope, new life, and each year they are reminded of all the beautiful creations that God has made. Watching a baby calf be born, will always be an amazing site, seeing the natural instincts come to life as the newborns learn how to stand and suckle.
Just as Roger and Janell diversified their farming, Justin has added being an ABS Representative and Liquid Nitrogen Farm Site Delivery, takes in cows to calve and does some backgrounding on a year to year basis.
“I love to work with my family,” said Justin. Raising cattle and making good horses are rewarding. Justin and Shelley have been in charge of the High School Rodeo Team since 2015. They both love working with kids and seeing success from hard work. They also help with the Winner Regional HS Rodeo in June.
Justin currently serves on two boards, the Calvary Chapel, and the Colome School Board. In the past he has been on the Township Board.
The Heath family enjoys doing things for the community as Justin helps kids learn rodeo skills and Shelley helps with basketball. Shelley is a former 4-H leader for the Lariat Loopers. Their kids loved 4-H and all the activities that it provided, but as high school years started, decisions had to be made as there are too many options for kids now days. The kids continue to 4-H Rodeo.
Shelley continues to stay busy with the studio work and works appointments around the kids’ activities of rodeo, football, and basketball. She enjoys being part of their activities and helping when help is needed. With changing times and digital photographers quite common, it changes the dynamics of business, but she loves going to schools and working with the students and still finds time to do some family and children’s sessions. Her office is now located in their home and all sessions take place either on location or at the original studio site.
Wiley graduated in 2017 from CHS, attended MTI for Electrical and now works for YES, LLC in Watford City, ND as an apprentice electrician. Saydee is a senior at CHS and intends on attending USF and majoring in Business Administration/Accounting. Bromley is a Freshman and enjoys school and his friends, Seth has the same love for the land as his dad, and is a 7th grader, and Jakob is a third grader and loves all sports and has his two bucket calves and chicken chores.
“Living the farm and ranch life has given us the opportunity to make some really neat kids,” said Shelley. “Our entire family is humbled to be chosen for such an award.: They love to have cousins come over and help. One of the best days of the year for Justin is branding day.
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