60 W 400 S, Duchesne, UT 84021   (435) 738-1237

• • •   Grand Marshals/Legendary Cowboy   • • •

Grand Marshals/Legendary Cowboy

Randy(Skeeter), Richard & Roland Ivie

Duchesne, Utah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2024 Legendary Cowboys

             When thinking of legendary cowboys from Duchesne County the Ivie brothers from Strawberry River come to mind.  Randy, always called Skeeter, Richard and Roland Ivie are true cowboys through and through.  Their days spent growing up on the family ranch on the Strawberry River helped shape them into the dependable hard workers they are.  Time spent hauling hay the old-fashioned way, milking cows, and irrigating the fields taught them determination and gave them values, even though Skeeter and Richard swear Roland never lifted a finger.
              They come from a big family of 10 children.  Roland is the youngest and always says it’s because his mom finally got it right.  Losing their dad turned them into grown men at an early age and demanded a lot of them.  Their love for the sport of rodeo is something that has always been a part of them which led to the three of them riding bulls and Richard also riding bareback horses.
              Them along with their late brother, Robert, have been pillars of the Duchesne County Fair Rodeo for the last 40 years.  They’ve always enjoyed working hard behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly.
              These days they can be found still working the ranch or following around their grandkids, nieces and nephews as they participate in all kinds of sports and as they carry on the western way of life with 4H and rodeo.
              We’re proud of these 3 cowboys and thank them for their 40 years of service to the Duchesne County Rodeo.

 

John & Bonnie Roberts

Tabiona, Utah


John and Bonnie are long time residents of the valley and have been involved in many community, school, and church events throughout the years.  John was born and raised in the valley and in keeping with this year’s theme of Patriotism and Honoring Our Heroes, he served his country in the army; including a tour of duty in Viet Nam.  He worked on the family farm and range cattle operation, operated the dairy, and eventually became employed as a semi truck driver which he has done for over twenty-five years. In fact
he still climbs in his semi nearly every day to take a load of raw gas for Tomahawk Trucking in
Altonah.                                                                                                                                                                                                 John graduated from Tabiona High School and attended school one year at the Salt Lake City Community College where he received his certificate in auto-body paint and repair.  He later attended the Roosevelt Vocational School and learned diesel mechanics.  Bonnie was born and raised in Monticello, Utah where she also enjoyed life on her family’s ranch. She worked in the local grocery store during her high school and college years. She graduated from Monticello High School, and attended Brigham Young University where she received her degree in elementary education. Her first teaching assignment was with
Duchesne County School District at Tabiona. She enjoyed it so much that she married John and taught at the school for 40 more years.
John and Bonnie made their home in Tabiona and raised seven children there. They have been
involved with the church, school, and community in various ways and are currently serving on
the Tabby Valley Parks & Recreation Special Service District board. They love the Tabby/Hanna
Valley and the wonderful people who live there. They also appreciate the heritage of freedom
which we have all been gifted with by our loyal veterans.

 

Bill & Irene Hansen

Roosevelt, Utah

2024 Grand Marshals

Bill and Irene Hansen moved to Roosevelt in 1979. Bill worked for Sprouse as a  teenager in Idaho Falls and after returning from serving in the Army during the Vietnam conflict, entered the manager trainee program. Irene and Bill married in 1975 and when the opportunity came up to manage the Roosevelt store, they jumped on it. Together
they worked hard to turn it into the most successful store in the chain. Bill’s unrelenting focus on customer service is still remembered by many including his customers, employees, and the many managers that he trained over the years. When the Sprouse Reitz company closed their stores, Bill opened Bill’s Ben Franklin and then eventually brought his focus on customer service to the oil and gas industry at D-NOW. Irene focused her time on helping businesses in Duchesne County be successful as the Executive Director of the Duchesne County Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development office.
Over the last 30 years, Irene helped to drive innumerable projects and initiatives to improve the lives of every single Duchesne County resident in some way. Irene has been recognized with many state and national awards including Utah Energy Pioneer, Utah Rural Woman of the Year, SBA Minority Business Advocate of the year, World
Trade Center Global Business Advocate and many others. Nobody is a bigger advocate, cheerleader, and protector of Duchesne County, its businesses, and residents than Irene. Together, Bill and Irene embody the perfect duo: Irene would come up with a great idea, like starting a walleye fishing tournament to promote Starvation State Park,
and Bill would be right there to figure out how to pull it off. Irene is Duchesne County’s strongest supporter, and none of it would be possible without Bill and his unrelenting support of Irene.
Irene has been a Duchesne County Commissioner for the last 6 years. Her service to our county during that time has been unwavering and we will all benefit from her work in that role for generations to come. She genuinely loves the people of Utah and realizes the importance that our energy producing county has on the lives of our residents and the security and prosperity of our state and country. Her lifetime of dedication to Duchesne County, and the many achievements she’s made, cannot be overstated. After working full-time since she was 17, Irene will be joining Bill in retirement at the end of this year. She’s looking forward to enjoying time with her 3 children and 6 grandkids. But nobody, not even her kids, are quite sure what retirement for Irene looks like exactly.  Irene and Bill’s love for Duchesne County and its residents will always find a way to continue to serve and grow. We expect that even in retirement, they will still manage to be involved in our community, helping at events, coming up with great ideas, and passing on the spirit of service and love to the next generation.  Thank you for all you’ve done, and for the inspiration you’ve provided to so many of us.   Duchesne County will forever be indebted to your service!

Steve Dunsmore

Bluebell, Utah

2024 Legendary Veteran

Born July 2nd 1948. Roosevelt Utah. I lived most of my life in the Altamont area. Moved to Roosevelt and graduated from Union High School.
I was drafted into the Army in 1968. Had basic training in Fort Ord California. Then advanced training in Ft. Eustis Virginia. Had training as a Helicopter Mechanic & door gunner. I was sent to South Viet Nam in January 1969 and stayed there until April 1970. I was camped at Cong Tam and latter at Can Tho. Both are in the Mekong Delta, south west of Saigon.
I was assigned to the 162nd assault helicopter company. We supported the 9th Infantry Division.
I was discharged from the Army upon my return to the states. I married my wife, Paula, in September 2003. Paula has 3 boys and I have 2 girls and one boy. Together we have 17 grandchildren.
 I worked as a lineman for Moon Lake Electric. Retiring after 30 years. While there I took a crew to Lake Charles, Louisiana to help rebuild power lines that had been destroyed by Hurricain Rita.
 I have been an EMT for the last 25 yrs. I enjoy helping people during bad times. The crew I work with are some of the best people in the world. I thank my wife for supporting me, because that makes it possible for me to my job.
 I am a member of American Legion Altonah Post 53.
I still believe America is the greatest Nation in the world and the American Flag is the greatest symbol.