Texan
Well-known member
For those of you who only visit PB, this is a continuation of an article that I posted in Ranch Talk. I wanted to finish it in here so that people could discuss the political aspect of it without causing trouble in Ranch Talk. Read the first part of it here:
http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=464007#464007
===========================
A SOLID TEAM, Rob Krentz and his partner, Blue, are pictured doing fence work
on the Krentz family ranch in Arizona. The two were gunned down March 28 when
the rancher attempted to help what he thought was an illegal alien in distress.
Slain Arizona Rancher Recalled By
All Who Knew Him As Good Man
By Jim Olson
(Editor’s note: The following article puts a human face on the man whose brutal murder appears finally to have awakened a broader segment of the public to the violence and danger of this country’s porous southern border. It is beyond shameful that it has taken such an event.)
(continued)...The immigration vs. secure border issue has gotten more press lately than a political love scandal. It seems everybody has an opinion on the subject, and most are quite vocal. But you know what they say about opinions ...
While this subject is not new by any stretch of the imagination, if you could point to one thing that has brought it to the forefront of political issues lately, it would have to be the murder of a southern Arizona rancher on his own property. On March 28, Rob Krentz became the poster child for the secure border issue. Unfortunately, it cost him his life.
At the time of this writing, Rob is without a doubt the most widely known rancher in America, maybe the world. Just ask anyone, anywhere, to name an American rancher today and they will more than likely say Rob Krentz, or at least, “You know … that guy that got killed down along the border.”
As I read with interest all of the stories concerning the border and immigration, I started to wonder, “Just who was Rob Krentz?” I mean the person Rob Krentz, not the image or martyr that he has become for the secure border issue. I know several of the Krentz Ranch neighbors, and when one of them approached me about doing a story on the subject, I readily agreed on the condition that it was with the Krentz family blessing and that it would be a story on the man himself, not the political issues. I am honored that they agreed, because now I feel as if I know who Rob Krentz really was. I only wish that I could have met him prior to March 28.
While interviewing several family members and neighbors of Rob’s, I got a glowing report of a great man. Friend, family man, conservationist, good rancher and kind-hearted were all thrown about. Of course they wouldn’t have bad things to tell me about one of their own, I thought, but you know what? I read articles and contacted several people who are on the other side of the political issue, if you will, and couldn’t find one single person who had anything bad to say about Rob.
Even the most adamant immigrant rights people had nothing bad to say about the person Rob Krentz himself. All they could talk about was being against the reform issue. Amazing! Even the so-called enemy could not run down Rob’s character. Here is why:
Rob Krentz was a man of values. From the time he was just a little boy, Rob’s dad Bob grilled into him the importance of doing things the right way. Throughout his life, Rob worked extra hard on doing just that. He wouldn’t cut corners when it might have been easy to do so — not if it weren’t the right thing to do. Little things that some people don’t think twice about, like moving cattle without the proper inspection papers or running red (illegal) diesel in his pickup truck were out of the question as far as Rob was concerned. You never cheat, not even one little bit, was what Rob lived by, and he inspired friends and family in the same way.
To understand Rob, you need to know more about his family history. The Krentz family emigrated (legally) from Alsace-Lorraine, once a little country between Germany and France and now part of France, around the turn of the last century. They were butchers by trade and first went to St. Louis. Family lore says that after government regulations became too cumbersome there (even back then), the Krentz family headed west.
Upon leaving St. Louis, they settled in Winslow, Ariz., about 1902, operating a butcher shop and a ranch. While operating the Chevelon Creek Ranch south of Winslow, the family recorded one of the earliest brands in the state of Arizona, the 111 bar brand, which is owned by the Babbitt family today.
In 1907 the family sought out new ventures in the border town of Douglas, which was booming at the time. The Krentz’s bought the historic Tovrea Meat Market in Douglas and also the Spear E Ranch at the foot of the Chiricahua mountains. In about 1918, the meat market was sold and they concentrated their efforts solely on ranching from then on.
It took several years, but eventually the Krentz family was able to buy up the little homesteads surrounding them when they became available. Back then just about everyone in that country had a section or two of land that had been homesteaded. As people went broke or moved away, the Krentz family was in a position to buy out the smaller outfits and eventually put together one big ranch. Most of their pastures had been individual homesteads at some time, and are named after the original homestead. Each has its own history as well.
In media reports that circulate these days, the Krentz ranch is said to be 35,000 acres. I can tell you that isn’t quite right, but it is impolite to ask a person the size of his or her spread. It’s kind of like asking people how much money they have in the bank. Only the IRS and a rancher’s banker are privy to that information in the eyes of most ranchers, including the Krentzes.
The family were pioneers. They were the kind of people who settled and developed this country and made it safe for others to follow. They are the kind of family that should be considered the backbone of America. Surviving bad drouths, cyclical markets, government regulations, and a myriad of other issues made them into the strong ranching family that we have today. The Krentz Ranch has been there since before Arizona was a state. It has been there since long before there was ever a United States Forest Service dictating rules to them. This is the background and legacy that Rob was born into, a salt of the earth kind of old-time ranching family.
When asked about some of Rob’s other qualities, over and over again I am told about his willingness to help out. Rob’s wife, Sue, says, “Most of the time when Rob left the house he would say, ‘I am going to help (fill in the blank).’” Rob’s neighbors all have great stories to tell about Rob going out of his way to help them out of a jam. Not only would he help a neighbor, but Rob was kind to strangers as well, including the illegal immigrants who inundated his property.
Rob was known to help out a thirsty, starving or wounded immigrant on more than one occasion. That may have been what got him killed. Rob’s last radio transmission to his brother Phil was something like: “Going to help an illegal in distress.” Rob and his dog, Blue, were found shot several hours later.
Rob’s friends and family could not stress strongly enough that he loved to help people. “A friend in need is a friend in deed” was a motto of Rob’s. Not only did he help out friends and strangers in and around the ranching country of southeastern Arizona, but Rob was very involved in many other projects as well.
Rob was very active in the cattle growers’ associations at the local and state levels. He worked with the Malpai Borderlands group, trying to preserve ranching and wildlife habitat for future generations. He testified numerous times to Congressional leaders about the issues facing the international border and always seemed to find the time to continue helping out where he could.
The Krentz family were well known as good stewards of the lands that they control. They were honored for practices such as their long gravity flow water pipeline that served cattle and wildlife across their large ranch. Rob and his family took such good care of their land that they were used as examples of range stewardship on numerous occasions, and to top it off, the Krentz ranch was inducted into the Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, 2008.
Rob was a favorite around brandings on the nearby ranches. He was nicknamed “Crunch,” and everybody laughs as they recall the “Krentz Crunch” that Rob used on waspy calves. Rob was a large man physically, and after watching younger or smaller cowhands get mucked out by an unruly yearling, Rob would come running and put the Krentz Crunch on the offending animal. The move has been described as a cross between tackle football and wrestling.
Rob loved to hunt, fish, and do just about anything outdoors. He was a good roper, rancher, horseman, cowman, husband and father. Everybody I talked to had nothing but praise for Rob. He was easy to get along with. He was always positive. He was a genuine kind of person. Those are just some of the comments.
Rob loved life and would constantly tell his family, “We are so very blessed. We are blessed to live in this beautiful place that we live in. We are blessed to get to live the lifestyle that we want to and do what we want to every day.” As one of Rob’s friends put it, “Rob was one of the good guys, he was a good ole boy.”
http://www.livestockweekly.com/papers/10/05/13/whl13krentz.asp
http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=464007#464007
===========================
A SOLID TEAM, Rob Krentz and his partner, Blue, are pictured doing fence work
on the Krentz family ranch in Arizona. The two were gunned down March 28 when
the rancher attempted to help what he thought was an illegal alien in distress.
Slain Arizona Rancher Recalled By
All Who Knew Him As Good Man
By Jim Olson
(Editor’s note: The following article puts a human face on the man whose brutal murder appears finally to have awakened a broader segment of the public to the violence and danger of this country’s porous southern border. It is beyond shameful that it has taken such an event.)
(continued)...The immigration vs. secure border issue has gotten more press lately than a political love scandal. It seems everybody has an opinion on the subject, and most are quite vocal. But you know what they say about opinions ...
While this subject is not new by any stretch of the imagination, if you could point to one thing that has brought it to the forefront of political issues lately, it would have to be the murder of a southern Arizona rancher on his own property. On March 28, Rob Krentz became the poster child for the secure border issue. Unfortunately, it cost him his life.
At the time of this writing, Rob is without a doubt the most widely known rancher in America, maybe the world. Just ask anyone, anywhere, to name an American rancher today and they will more than likely say Rob Krentz, or at least, “You know … that guy that got killed down along the border.”
As I read with interest all of the stories concerning the border and immigration, I started to wonder, “Just who was Rob Krentz?” I mean the person Rob Krentz, not the image or martyr that he has become for the secure border issue. I know several of the Krentz Ranch neighbors, and when one of them approached me about doing a story on the subject, I readily agreed on the condition that it was with the Krentz family blessing and that it would be a story on the man himself, not the political issues. I am honored that they agreed, because now I feel as if I know who Rob Krentz really was. I only wish that I could have met him prior to March 28.
While interviewing several family members and neighbors of Rob’s, I got a glowing report of a great man. Friend, family man, conservationist, good rancher and kind-hearted were all thrown about. Of course they wouldn’t have bad things to tell me about one of their own, I thought, but you know what? I read articles and contacted several people who are on the other side of the political issue, if you will, and couldn’t find one single person who had anything bad to say about Rob.
Even the most adamant immigrant rights people had nothing bad to say about the person Rob Krentz himself. All they could talk about was being against the reform issue. Amazing! Even the so-called enemy could not run down Rob’s character. Here is why:
Rob Krentz was a man of values. From the time he was just a little boy, Rob’s dad Bob grilled into him the importance of doing things the right way. Throughout his life, Rob worked extra hard on doing just that. He wouldn’t cut corners when it might have been easy to do so — not if it weren’t the right thing to do. Little things that some people don’t think twice about, like moving cattle without the proper inspection papers or running red (illegal) diesel in his pickup truck were out of the question as far as Rob was concerned. You never cheat, not even one little bit, was what Rob lived by, and he inspired friends and family in the same way.
To understand Rob, you need to know more about his family history. The Krentz family emigrated (legally) from Alsace-Lorraine, once a little country between Germany and France and now part of France, around the turn of the last century. They were butchers by trade and first went to St. Louis. Family lore says that after government regulations became too cumbersome there (even back then), the Krentz family headed west.
Upon leaving St. Louis, they settled in Winslow, Ariz., about 1902, operating a butcher shop and a ranch. While operating the Chevelon Creek Ranch south of Winslow, the family recorded one of the earliest brands in the state of Arizona, the 111 bar brand, which is owned by the Babbitt family today.
In 1907 the family sought out new ventures in the border town of Douglas, which was booming at the time. The Krentz’s bought the historic Tovrea Meat Market in Douglas and also the Spear E Ranch at the foot of the Chiricahua mountains. In about 1918, the meat market was sold and they concentrated their efforts solely on ranching from then on.
It took several years, but eventually the Krentz family was able to buy up the little homesteads surrounding them when they became available. Back then just about everyone in that country had a section or two of land that had been homesteaded. As people went broke or moved away, the Krentz family was in a position to buy out the smaller outfits and eventually put together one big ranch. Most of their pastures had been individual homesteads at some time, and are named after the original homestead. Each has its own history as well.
In media reports that circulate these days, the Krentz ranch is said to be 35,000 acres. I can tell you that isn’t quite right, but it is impolite to ask a person the size of his or her spread. It’s kind of like asking people how much money they have in the bank. Only the IRS and a rancher’s banker are privy to that information in the eyes of most ranchers, including the Krentzes.
The family were pioneers. They were the kind of people who settled and developed this country and made it safe for others to follow. They are the kind of family that should be considered the backbone of America. Surviving bad drouths, cyclical markets, government regulations, and a myriad of other issues made them into the strong ranching family that we have today. The Krentz Ranch has been there since before Arizona was a state. It has been there since long before there was ever a United States Forest Service dictating rules to them. This is the background and legacy that Rob was born into, a salt of the earth kind of old-time ranching family.
When asked about some of Rob’s other qualities, over and over again I am told about his willingness to help out. Rob’s wife, Sue, says, “Most of the time when Rob left the house he would say, ‘I am going to help (fill in the blank).’” Rob’s neighbors all have great stories to tell about Rob going out of his way to help them out of a jam. Not only would he help a neighbor, but Rob was kind to strangers as well, including the illegal immigrants who inundated his property.
Rob was known to help out a thirsty, starving or wounded immigrant on more than one occasion. That may have been what got him killed. Rob’s last radio transmission to his brother Phil was something like: “Going to help an illegal in distress.” Rob and his dog, Blue, were found shot several hours later.
Rob’s friends and family could not stress strongly enough that he loved to help people. “A friend in need is a friend in deed” was a motto of Rob’s. Not only did he help out friends and strangers in and around the ranching country of southeastern Arizona, but Rob was very involved in many other projects as well.
Rob was very active in the cattle growers’ associations at the local and state levels. He worked with the Malpai Borderlands group, trying to preserve ranching and wildlife habitat for future generations. He testified numerous times to Congressional leaders about the issues facing the international border and always seemed to find the time to continue helping out where he could.
The Krentz family were well known as good stewards of the lands that they control. They were honored for practices such as their long gravity flow water pipeline that served cattle and wildlife across their large ranch. Rob and his family took such good care of their land that they were used as examples of range stewardship on numerous occasions, and to top it off, the Krentz ranch was inducted into the Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, 2008.
Rob was a favorite around brandings on the nearby ranches. He was nicknamed “Crunch,” and everybody laughs as they recall the “Krentz Crunch” that Rob used on waspy calves. Rob was a large man physically, and after watching younger or smaller cowhands get mucked out by an unruly yearling, Rob would come running and put the Krentz Crunch on the offending animal. The move has been described as a cross between tackle football and wrestling.
Rob loved to hunt, fish, and do just about anything outdoors. He was a good roper, rancher, horseman, cowman, husband and father. Everybody I talked to had nothing but praise for Rob. He was easy to get along with. He was always positive. He was a genuine kind of person. Those are just some of the comments.
Rob loved life and would constantly tell his family, “We are so very blessed. We are blessed to live in this beautiful place that we live in. We are blessed to get to live the lifestyle that we want to and do what we want to every day.” As one of Rob’s friends put it, “Rob was one of the good guys, he was a good ole boy.”
http://www.livestockweekly.com/papers/10/05/13/whl13krentz.asp