[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12876]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO BRUCE DUTTON

 Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, this week I have the distinct honor 
of recognizing Bruce Dutton of Garfield County, who celebrated his 
100th birthday in August this year. He is a Montanan and a veteran who 
served his country during World War II, and he is also a sheep rancher. 
Montana has a long history of strong work ethic and dedication to 
service and Mr. Dutton exemplifies these qualities.
  When Bruce was born 100 years ago, homesteaders were settling homes 
and setting up communities across Montana, carving out a living from 
the land. His parents, Bruce and Margaret, had a family homestead 
between Mosby and Sand Springs, MT. When Bruce's mother, Margaret, felt 
it was nearing time for her to give birth, she traveled over 20 miles 
to Mrs. McDougal's neighboring homestead for help. Mrs. McDougal 
provided her dugout for Margaret where she gave birth to Bruce, the 
third of seven children.
  Bruce did not lack for education on the homestead. The Dutton family 
even provided boarding for teachers who traveled from as far as Idaho 
to serve the local school. When a proper teacher was not available, a 
local high school graduate would fill in. After eighth grade, he took a 
break from school to help on the family ranch, but was still able to 
learn algebra. When he returned to school, Bruce traveled over 200 
miles to stay with an aunt and uncle in Great Falls for high school but 
returned closer to home to finish school while ranching sheep.
  On July 25, 1942, Bruce traveled over 300 miles to Butte, Montana to 
enlist in the Army where he served a variety of duties. While training 
in Texas, Bruce worked for a local rancher bucking hay on the weekends. 
As the end of his duty approached, Bruce wrote his father asking if he 
was needed at home. If he was needed at home, he wanted his father to 
know he could elect to terminate his service early. His father did, in 
fact, call him home, and Bruce forfeited $75.00 of separation pay to 
terminate his military service early and return to Montana.
  With a $2,000 bank loan to buy sheep, Bruce committed to his own 
sheep business with his brother, Joe. His persistence and hard work 
continued to pay off when--as he says, through pure determination--he 
convinced Daisy, a teacher in Winnett, to marry him and devoted his 
life to his family, the community, and the work of lambing, docking, 
and sheering sheep.
  Today his legacy is the present-day Cat Creek Cattle Company Ranch 
near Cat Creek. Bruce and Daisy raised two children, continued to be 
involved in the community serving as Garfield County commissioner, 
working on the Weede State Grazing District Board, and the Sage Hen 
Grazing District Board, as a Mason and a Shriner.
  Now, on his 100th year, Bruce is part of a generation of Montanans 
who have witnessed incredible advancements in our State and our Nation. 
From the homestead dugout near Melstone, to his military service, a man 
on the moon, we owe much to his generation.

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