Dean-Hey Heritage

Dad's custom built pickup camper.

In 1964, we went to visit Uncle Ed and Aunt Sue at Fort Benton, Montana, traveling in a green 1952 Chevy pickup with red and white tuck and roll seats. Dad built a camper on the back with a boot that provided access to the cab. Dad's design included benches which at night doubled as a shelf for mom and dad's mattress and our sleeping bags. On the way, we saw Mt. Rushmore and Custer National Park. Returning home, we saw the Tetons and Yellowstone Park. Leaving Shoshone, Wyoming in early morning, Dad and mom woke us up around dawn to see herds of antelope everywhere.

Video: Dad's Custom Built Camper, 1964

Glacier National Park.
Front: Charlie, Aunt Sue
Middle: Doug, Dan, Jerry, Charlene
Back: Steve, Mike

In 1971, we returned to Montana. Along with Grandma Hey, our two families camped in Glacier Park. Since fishing was poor in the park, Uncle Ed and Dad paid $5 each for an Indian permit to fish with sons Dan and Mike in the reservation. They caught 71 trout, and we enjoyed a fish fry. Drove up to Banff National Park, Alberta, camped, and saw the glacier ice fields.

Native Montanan, Uncle Ed took us in his jeep onto several ranches of his friends. Three stand out. (1) Trading Post: Charred remnants still visible. The owner thought the Indians were stealing, so he shot some. They returned and burned his trading post. We picked up beads and pieces of a clay pipe. (2) Goose Bill: A 3,000' wide plateau rising 300' almost vertically from surrounding plain. Indians camped on top since the vantage enabled them to see the enemy and soldiers at a great distance. Stone teepee rings still visible. (3) Buffalo Jump: Indians ran buffalo over a 100' cliff to their deaths. Eight different layers of buffalo bones at site. Indians had used stinger arrows to chase buffalo. While walking years before, the rancher had noticed a stinger arrowhead. Then looked and found more. She discovered the jump and collected hundreds of arrowheads mounted beautifully in her ranch house den. We brought home a few buffalo bone "mementos."

Mike and Dan. Fishing Two Medicine River,
Glacier National Park, Montana

Uncle Ed and Dad,
Two Medicine River

Playing with Indians
Beaver Fish and Victor Sharp

Swimming in ice cold lake,
Glacier Park

Races at Waterton Park,
Alberta, Canada