Kenneth Ray Cheff
courtesy photo
Kenneth Cheff
MISSOULA — Our Dad Kenneth Ray Cheff was born Aug. 22, 1939, to Vern E. (Bud) Sr. and Adelle Cheff. He was born in the one room log cabin his father Bud had built at the foot of the Mission Range near Ronan. Bud’s sister, Bernida (Cheff ) Byrd, came to help deliver Dad. Bud was standing on the porch waving and hollering for Bernida to hurry up. She got there just as the baby was being born. She tied the cord and did the clean up just before Doc Brooke arrived. Dad was the third of seven children born to Bud and Adelle Cheff.
Dad started school in Ronan. In 1946 the family moved to Martin City where he finished his schooling. Dad loved to fish and hunt, and spent every opportunity pursuing this. He loved horses and was interested in horse racing at a young age. When he was about 12 years old he worked odd jobs on a ranch near Glacier Park.
The ranch had a racetrack where they trained and raced horses. Dad watched their fastest horse run and told them, “My brother has a horse that can beat him.”
He was told “Bring him up, kid, and we will see how fast your horse is.”
A couple days later Dad galloped his brother Bud Jr.’s horse five miles to the ranch. They put him on the track with their horse. Dad rode the horse bare back, and won the race by a dozen lengths. Dad went on to race his own horses in later years.
Dad was never without a job. He tried his hand at many different kinds of work, everything from a paper route, dude wrangler, hunting guide, ironworking, hairdresser, cooking and horse racing.
Dad was an amazing cook and a hard worker to the very end. He worked as a cook until this spring when his health wouldn’t allow it anymore.
Dad’s earthly journey ended in the early morning of Oct. 4. He is in the presence of his Lord; his mom, Adelle; his dad, Bud Sr.; his sister, Viola; his son, Billy; his granddaughters, Amanda and Lacey, his first love and friend, Carole Perry and many other loved ones. What a party they are having.
He leaves behind his children: Ken Cheff Jr., Roxy McDermott (Bill), Wendy Cheff (Shawna), Spring Stolle (Daryl), James Cheff (Rachel), Kendra Ortiz ( Juan), and Casey Cheff (Chrystal); 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren; his brothers and sister, Bud Jr. (Laurel), Buck (Cheryl), Mick (Karen), Hap (Sherry), Roxy (Don) and countless nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Memorial services for Kenneth will be held in the spring of 2017. Memories and condolences may be sent to the family at: www.thelakefuneralhomeandcrematory.com.
