Distinctly Montana Magazine

106 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • FA L L 2 0 2 3 ENGINEERING FIRM www.seaeng.com 50 YEARS OF ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors HELENA OFFICE 530 Centennial Drive Helena, MT 59601 (406) 442-8594 BOZEMAN OFFICE 851 Bridger Drive, Suite 1 Bozeman, MT 59715 (406) 522-8594 BILLINGS OFFICE 2223 Montana Ave., Suite 201 Billings, MT 59101 (406) 601-4055 CODY OFFICE 1001 12th St. Cody, WY 82414 (307) 509-5541 BRIDGES SURVEYING SITE DEVELOPMENT/SUBDIVISIONS TRANSPORTATION STRUCTURAL WATER/WASTEWATER 52 Brahma bulls, 145 Mexican steers, and 40 parade horses" ac- cording to the music and entertainment magazine Billboard. Nowadays Cremer's great-granddaughter Ronda Johnston owns and operates the original homestead, which is known locally as the "home ranch." She operates the ranch with her husband Rod, son Jake, and his wife Chelsie and their two little girls. The Big Timber Pro Rodeo, an event her great-grandfather Leo first contributed stock to, is also one of her responsibilities. It celebrated its 100-year anniversary in June. Ronda's brothers, Leo and Matt Cremer, also own other portions of the historic Cremer Ranch nearby. "I wish I had the opportunity to ask my great-grandmother and grandparents all of the questions I now have as an adult," Johnston said. She said she never knew her great-grandfather but did know her great-grandmother Bertha. "I am proud they both were my great-grandparents." People can learn more about the rich history of Leo Cremer and the Cremer Ranch at the Crazy Mountain Museum in Big Timber. The museum tells much of the Cremer Ranch's history, including a collection of chaps and brands that pay tribute to its continued progress. Affectionately known as Mr. Rodeo by many, and "Leo the Lion" by his cowboys, Leo Cremer cherished his family and prized bucking horses. In recognition of his profound contribu- tions to rodeo, Cremer was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1979, and the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2010. Leo Cremer's contribution to Montana's story and the histo- ry of rodeo is unmistakable, and it should be widely recognized and indelible. His legacy is woven not only into the many rode- os that continue to march on all those years after his passing, but also into the very fabric of the land there in the shadow of the Crazy Mountains, where his ranch still sits, tended to by the family he cherished so much. Cremer was a family man, a showman, a steward, a legislator, and a cowboy. He embodied the American Dream and the very essence of Montana. And as the years pass and the tales of Mr. Rodeo faded into the mythology of the West, one thing is cer- tain: Leo Cremer's spirit will forever ride high near Melville with his beloved Crazies not far from view. LEO CREMER'S CONTRIBUTION TO MONTANA'S STORY AND THE HISTORY OF RODEO IS UNMISTAKABLE, AND IT SHOULD BE WIDELY RECOGNIZED AND INDELIBLE...

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