Henry A. Rate

Hank Rate passed away on September 28, 2025 at Brookdale Springmeadows  Assisted Living in Bozeman with his daughters and granddaughters at his side. They sang songs to him and placed a glowing sprig of golden red aspen leaves across his heart.

Hank was born on September 21,1931 in Iowa City, Iowa to Edward and Maude Rate. His birthday was a couple of days before the banks failed, and with no money available he was never sure how his folks arranged to pay to get him home.

He grew up during the depression and was a young boy when WWII started. He remembered the time as one of pervasive unease and uncertainty. While delivering newspapers, he saw a lot of blue stars on front doors turn gold. He recounted how he received the only spanking he did not deserve on the day that Japan bombed Pearl Harbor – a tense time.

But he also had the run of the Iowa River bottom and Iowa farms. These were his early stomping grounds where a deep love and appreciation of nature – from the stars in the sky to the rocks on the ground was ignited. This passion guided his steps and ultimately defined his life.

He attended Harvard University (he was awarded a presidential scholarship for growing up within 15 miles of the Chicago/Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks) where he graduated with a degree in physical sciences. The highlight of his college experience was playing football. And the purchase of his Swiss Army knife at a tiny cutlery shop in Boston in 1949. He carried it in a handmade leather sheath, and it was with him every day of his life.

Following graduation, he volunteered for the draft the summer of 1953 and served in the Army in Counterintelligence during the end stages of the Korean War. He spent most of his time in Niigata, Japan just off the coast of Korea.

When he got home – thinking that maybe all the future held was war – he figured his best bet was to pursue a military career. But his Harvard football teammate and lifelong friend, a Minnesotan name of John Ederer, said “come with me you crazy S.O.B.!” And he took him on a canoe trip to the North Woods. The trip inspired him to abandon the military notion, as the flame of his passion for the outdoors and nature was fanned.

He instead opted to attend Colorado State University in Fort Collins on the GI bill where he obtained a degree in Forestry, and from there he pursued a career with the U.S. Forest Service. His early days with the agency took him all over eastern Montana from the Highline to the Bighorns. While stationed in Red Lodge, he was coaxed into going to a square dance class where he chanced to encounter a very special young Montana girl from Billings named Dorine. Being a self-described “social cripple”, it took several months for him to work up the courage to give her a call. And when they finally went on their first date - wouldn’t you know it - he was called to fight fire up high in the Beartooths.

He persevered and they were married in Red Lodge on April 22, 1961. They lived at Fleecer Guard Station out of Butte for the first year of their marriage. They then lived at Meyers Creek Ranger Station near Nye for four years. From this outpost he served as the last District Ranger of the Stillwater District on the then Custer National Forest. Hank and Dorine’s daughter Rebecca (Becky) was born there.

While Ranger on the Stillwater, Hank engineered and supervised the connection of the East Rosebud Trail to the Russell Creek Trail over Impasse Falls. This trail, now known as “The Beaten Path”, connected the East Rosebud to Cooke City and is the most traveled trail in the state of Montana. He also placed a registry box on the top of Granite Peak which took two attempts due to snowstorms.

Becoming discontented and disillusioned with the frustrations, constraints and overall philosophic course the Forest Service seemed to be taking, he made what most would call a foolhardy life decision to leave the agency and took the job as manager of the N Bar Ranch in central Montana. Daughter Wendy was born while Hank and Dorine were on the N Bar.

The family then moved to a small spread at the mouth of Cedar Creek on the bank of the Yellowstone River in 1968 where they took up residence in the old Cedar Creek schoolhouse. The deal was “$5000 down and pay when you can.” They ran a small cow/calf herd, had a steady little band of horses and mules, and always one or two good old pups and cats. Family backcountry pack trips were the highlight of every summer. They put their daughters through Gardiner School. He and Dorine were avid supporters of all athletics, and the activities of their grandkids filled their later years. They were hard pressed to miss any event!

The move to Gardiner was bold as they had two young daughters and no secure job. Hank worked miscellaneous odd jobs (shoeing horses, writing for outdoor magazines, guiding elk, sheep, and goat hunts, and artificial insemination of cattle). Dorine kept the home fires burning. In the early 70’s, they needed a piece of land surveyed but could not afford it, so Hank obtained his land surveying license. He ran his land surveying business (with conscripted family crew) performing all types of land surveying projects encompassing all of Park County for the next 45 years. Becky obtained her license around 1995, and they worked together for the next several decades.

Throughout this time, Hank’s passion for the backcountry and wildlife was channeled through Dorine’s upbringing in the Montana mountains. She always said she grew up in the shadow of Cutoff. This led to a life dedicated to conservation and appreciation of all landscapes and creatures that are naturally authentic.

Hank was a founding member of several local action groups dedicated to preserving the integrity of the area, including the Cedar Bassett Action Group which successfully worked to prevent roading and logging of those drainages. The Upper Yellowstone Defense Fund aimed to curb an imminent threat of rampant development in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He – as he would have said, “Gave ‘em fits!” He was a bulldog in a fight for a just cause and had an uncanny ability to sway folks to his way of thinking. He was a long-time member of Bear Creek Council and weighed in on many environmental issues.

A later highlight of his life was the Voices of Yellowstone’s Capstone book published in 2019. The book celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness and it pays tribute to him.

He celebrated when the Allenspur Dam proposal near Livingston was abandoned – the Yellowstone remains the longest free flowing river in the lower 48 states. And when our renowned and beloved Absaroka Wilderness was declared. We all reap the rewards of his work, and hopefully we have an iota of his fortitude to pay it forward. In any way - big or little - whether it be advocating for the voiceless or a small kindness in a moment.

Hank lost Dorine, who was “the wind beneath all of our wings” in May of 2021 shortly after their 60th anniversary. He is survived by his daughters Becky (special friend Lloyd) Johnson of Gardiner/Jardine, MT and Wendy (Jerry) Thomas of Gardiner, MT; grandchildren Tess Thomas of Reed Point, MT; PJ (Luis) Diaz, of Lawton, OK; Clancy Thomas of Gardiner, MT; Josie Thomas of Reed Point, MT; sister Julie (Dwight) Perkins of Boston, MA; sister Mary (Jon) Swanson of Charlottesville, VA; brother John Rate of Anchorage, AK; and many nieces and nephews – he was especially close to his nephew Alex Rate and his wife Jenny Harbine of Livingston, MT.

A special word of love and gratitude goes out to the truly amazing caregivers at Brookdale Springmeadows, Enhabit Home Health, and the wonderful folks who gave us so much help and support here at Cedar Creek. We miss you so much, Sandy Monville.

And finally a message from him: “This is pretty nuts and bolts and can’t possibly convey the love I have for Dorine and Becky and Wendy and Ma and Ed. To say nothing of Julie, Mary, and John . . . their spice and offspring. Friends like John Ederer and his families. The Town of Gardiner which I’m proud to have chosen as home . . . Never any second thoughts. . . Full commitment to the people, community, and school. Yellowstone Park and the Absaroka-Beartooth which have been my backyard.”

An informal celebration of Hank and Dorine’s lives will be held on Saturday, October 18th beginning at 2 pm at Yellowstone River Lodge Barn, 1037 US Highway 89 S. Pizza and beer will be provided. Feel free to bring anything else you want by way of provisions and stories to share.

If inclined to contribute in their honor, please make a donation to the Gardiner Ambulance, PO Box 724, Gardiner MT 59030.

To leave a condolence, please visit below.  Franzen-Davis Funeral Home has been honored to care for Henry and his family.