Nick Lefthand

Recognition at July 6, 2007 Quarterly Meeting

(This was written by Maggie McDonald Goode in tribute to Nick Lefthand, whom we are privileged to recognize and honor at today's quarterly meeting).

Nick Lefthand, our uncle, our brother, our partner, has been an internal part of our family as early as I can remember. He has been Uncle Nick to us when we were little, and to our cousins, their children, our children, and now our grandchildren.

We all treasure our memories of times with "Uncle Nick" for he is the kindest and gentlest man, as witnessed by children's and animals' immediate trust with him. He is easily one of the hardest working and honest men I've known. He loves good, honest physical labor and he continues to work every day, refusing to retire! Whether it be in the woods or on the ranch, he is always busy.

His life is one of many stories. He has told of gleefully picking the black moss off trees as a child with his family, and how it was buried and roasted and what a great treat it was. How his brother JR could roll a tire from the mill in Hot Springs to downtown without stopping. Nick said, "JR was the best tire roller, that was a good toy for us then." How he and Nick Lasso trailed 1500 head of sheep to Marion, put them on a train to Browning and got there at 3 in the morning and waited until dawn to trail them with three dogs through town on their way to Duck Lake. How "of course we had more dogs then we started with by the time we got through town." Having to dig holes for the sheep wagon wheels so it wouldn't blow away while he spent the summer watching the sheep.

His stories of traditional living, camping, and working the many, many jobs he has done. There were always stories that intermingled growing up with traditions and an ever-changing modern world, and always with kindness and respect for the people, animals and land around him.

Nick Lefthand is a true treasure and we are so lucky he is a part of our family and our lives.