Long-time employee honored at dedication

By Kim Swaney

Friends of Fred Roullier including Baz Tanner (L) and Alec Quequesah (R), prepare to light a braided strip of sweetgrass prior to the dedication ceremony. (Kim Swaney photo)

RONAN — If you could draw a picture, sharpen an axe, fall a tree, repair any tool, operate just about anything with a motor, ride a Harley, start a fire, or be a devout father, trusted friend and co-worker, and do it all first-rate, well, you may be just be talking about Fred Roullier.

On Tuesday, June 12, family, friends, co-workers, and others recognized within the forestry industry, took time to pay tribute to Fred Roullier, CSKT's Division of Fire warehouseman. A large boulder with an embedded black-colored piece of granite found by his colleagues was engraved with Fred's picture and a poem written by his good friend, Alan "Gernie" Grenier.

Fred was known in many circles, and why shouldn't he be; he had worked for the tribes for more than 21 years.

At the time of Fred's death, he was one of an elite group of certified "Class C" sawyers in the entire country. In 1991 when the Bureau of Indian Affairs developed the "C fallers" program, Fred was one of the first, if not thee first program completer and received the highest rating a faller could get.

David Cole with the National Fire Center presented Fred's daughter Lindsey with a posthumous plaque on Tuesday, recognizing Fred's contributions to the national program and his accomplishments as a Class C sawyer.

Basil "Baz" Tanner, a friend and colleague, had taken trips with Fred to Washington, Oregon and Kansas more recently to offer training and certification. Most of the stories about Fred, he couldn't tell, teased Baz.

During the dedication, Dan Roullier, Fred's youngest brother had shared a story about his older brother. He had asked Fred to help him cut down some trees for an elder woman up North Crow. Fred would jump at the chance to help someone, especially when it was his family. But before Dan and Fred realized, the fire was next to the house and they nearly had a catastrophe. Dan remembers saying, "We" and in true Roullier form, Fred pipes up, "Whose 'we,' fool?"

Division of Fire Manager Tony Harwood remembered how well Fred knew his job and the pride and creativity he brought to it.

"Right there from square one, he did a top-notched job, even working [sharpening] tools, there were no wasted movements," reminisced Harwood.

Fuels Program Manager, Ron Swaney, spoke about how Fred always wanted to be the leader and how he loved to make fire. While everyone else used a drip-torch to make a fire line on the ground, Fred would be painting the trees, and could still get'r done.

Terry Tanner, Natural Resources Wildland Recreation, had asked Fred to help at Blue Bay campground by removing some old growth timber. "He cut through those trees like it was warm butter," says Tanner.

And as far as Fred's work performance goes, "He set the bar really high," stated Tanner.

Although Tuesdays are meeting days for the Tribal Council, Ronan District Tribal Council Representative Carole Lankford also paid tribute to Roullier. Four of Lankford's sons: Robert, Brad, Chris and Craig McCrea, all were under Fred's tutelage at one time or another.

Most of the dedication was to allow people time to share memories of Fred with his mother, Helen; his sisters, Gayle, Rosemary, Kathy and Roberta; and his brother, Dan; and his daughter, Lindsey; and numerous cousins and friends.

However, it was also a somber moment. Co-worker and friend Dan Guardipe asked the family for forgiveness. Guardipe's son and nephew were also involved in the multi-vehicle accident near CSKT's Division of Fire, as Fred left from work on his Harley Davidson motorcycle that Monday evening last summer on August 28. The accident also claimed the life of Guardipe's nephew, P.J. Finley.

Now as summer begins, CSKT's Division of Fire employees cannot help but remember how their warehouseman took the time to care for the yard and his fellow employees.

As Alec Quequesah said at the beginning of the dedication ceremony, " We can still feel that sadness. When we think it's going to leave us, we remember the day he left us."

All that are left is the memories, the laughter, the humor and the love for a man who worked hard and played hard.
In attendance for the dedication in memory of Fred Roullier, were many of the Montana Indian Fire Fighters, foresters, and Fred’s family and friends. (Kim Swaney photo)