Long-time ranchers Dennis and Melvina Krantz honored by ag community
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RONAN — As stewards of the family homestead, Dennis and Melvina Krantz, have spent the last 50 plus working and loving the land. Dennis is especially proud of his Krantz family roots that come from Benjamin Krantz who moved to the Valley in 1910. Dennis, a third generation farmer, still lives in the same house he and his 11 siblings were raised in and works the land his father, Hiram Frank Krantz, purchased in 1930. The chores incumbent on all farm raised kids helped Dennis develop a strong work ethic; a work ethic his son Justin claims he instilled in both him and his brother Tim.
Following six years in the National Guard, time at college in both Billings and Dillon working towards a Vocational Teaching degree, Dennis returned to the farm in 1974. He said the farm “called him back.” He worked various jobs, Plumb Creek Sawmill, Missoula Postal Service, 25 years with the Farm Service Agency and eight years on the county committee, while he grew hay and wheat and maintained 100 cow-calf pairs. According to his son Tim, a lot of that time was spent keeping the cows off Highway 93, a job he continues today.
Melvina married Dennis in 1971 and became a co-worker in the job of keeping cows off the highway, as well as keeping her two sons, several cats, a few dogs and her husband fed. She has been the official “bringer of food” to the field and the branding-time feasts that have included, cake, muffins, pies, scones, lasagna, and scotch-a-ros. No one kept count of how many times she won at the Good Ol’ Days baking contest. As with most women, she wore many hats. She worked for the Forest Service, as a librarian, a Den Mother for the Boy Scouts, participated in the Mission Farmer’s Market and as a lunch lady all while keeping a garden, growing flower beds, housekeeping, and being a church, bowling league and senior center member.
Having just celebrated 54 years of marriage, theirs is a unique relationship, as they are very different personalities. Dennis is a homebody and Melvina stays involved in clubs and is very social. According to son Tim, “They just work together … and evolved into what they are now.” He said, Dad is laid back, nothing in a rush, fixing things and doing his favorite job, “taking care of the cat.” Mom is always busy sewing and cooking. The cycle of ranching provides them with constant change of tasks due to the time of the year.
Tim says he enjoys hearing his Dad talk about how things were and is sometimes in awe watching his father at auction sales and seeing how many people across Montana he knows. Dennis can point out throughout the Bitterroot Valley where different ranches used to be and tell the history of the area.
There are many ranching Krantz families in the area, (all most likely related to Benjamin Krantz), who Dennis and Melvina enjoy sharing time with. Their son Justin and his wife Christy have a daughter, Josie, who is in the sixth grade. Dennis and Melvina make sure to keep their granddaughter engaged in the working of the ranch. Her Dad says Josie has her own chickens, takes horse riding lessons and loves to put names on the calves’ ear tags. Krantz ranching in the Valley appears to be moving on to the next generation.
