Glenn John Hegsted

Glenn John Hegsted died on March 25, 2025, at his daughter's house in Afton, Wyoming.

He was born October 13, 1944, to Julia Genevieve Howe and Victor Orville Hegsted in Idaho Falls, Idaho. His early life was spent on the family ranch outside of Ririe. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and he became a real horse whisperer.

His father died when he was 9. He lived in Pocatello and spent summers in Yellowstone Park where his mother worked. He spent time with his sister, Julia Contour, and her husband, Roger, a park ranger. At age 12, he packed horses at Rocky Mountain National Park. He also spent time with his mother at Green Mountain Ranch.

He ran the 440 in Track at Orem High School so he could play football. He played on the Varsity team when he was a Sophomore. He spent summers on land his brother, Victor, owned by Terreton, Idaho.

Glenn loved football. He played Varsity his Sophomore year and they always had winning seasons. His team won the state championship his Senior year. He was All State first string middle linebacker 2 times. He was All State first string fullback one year and All State second string fullback a 2nd year. So he was All State Player on both offense and defense. He also wrestled in high school.

After he graduated in 1963, he worked in the Forest Service in Mountain View, Wyoming. He packed horses, people, and equipment into the fire lookout. At 18, he was the youngest packer they ever had on the Forest Service payroll. He attended the College of Eastern Utah that first year after high school. He played football there in the Fall of 1963. Then he went and played Spring ball at BYU for Lavell Edwards. The Spring of 1964, he went to Glacier Park, Montana, and became a Fire Control Aide, and at age 19, and became a Fire Control Ranger. He spent a week at a Lookout Fire Tower. Then he worked as a Pack Ranger with mules.

In September 1964, he married Diann Rowley.

Glenn studied Forestry and Geology at Utah State University in the Fall, 1964 for three quarters and did landscaping there in the summer. In September 1966, he was drafted into the Army. At Fort Carson, all the men were given several weeks of military tests for Officer Candidate School. He later learned that he received the highest score ever recorded at Fort Carson. He trained officers for combat survival.

Glenn wore a black beret and was part of the group that became the Delta Force. He went to Fort Riley, Kansas, and was later sent to Thailand and Cambodia. He returned in a body cast with his arm in a sling. Later, he attended Pueblo State College and graduated from a crash course in electronics. He continued in the reserve forces, with top secret clearance. His first daughter, Wyndy, was born in 1967 during his time in the military.

After the Army, Glenn, Diann, and Wyndy moved to Boulder, Utah, for two years. Glenn punched cows, rode horses daily, delivered calves, and addressed his PTSD from Vietnam. Then he worked for Clegg Construction Contractors in American Fork and he worked for his brother Victor one year. Then the two brothers purchased a sawmill in Montana. Later, Glenn ran the sawmill himself. He lived in Dillon and ran a logging operation called H&R Lumber from 1971 to 1983. His second daughter, Dezerene, was born right before they moved to Dillon and his son, David, was born in Sheridan in 1976.

Glenn endured two sawmill fires and two log fires during his 12 years owning H&R Lumber. He designed a circular band slat saw that was quite remarkable for his sawmill. At one time, he owned a fleet of trucks and had them on the road 24/7. He had extensive experience in all phases of construction work and was a heavy equipment operator.

In 1983, the timber industry was failing and he went into the oil business under the name of Blizzard Oil. He did roustabout services for 20 different oil well rigs for many years. He ran a trucking company, leased equipment, handled security, built roads and platforms, maintained the oil well pads, and then reclaimed the land.

In 1988, when the oil business slowed and moved out of Montana, he turned his rough cut sawmill into a cut up plant. His business was H&R Lumber Products. It burned to the ground in 1989. He purchased the Peat Moss Plant and ran Phoenix Wood Products. Glenn worked on the Alaska pipeline and then at Prudhoe Bay as a foreman for Con Am in 1990. Then he became a house log manufacturer. After that, he worked at Montana (Pride) Cubing Plant for two years as a safety inspector in charge of quality control.

In 1978, Glenn and Diann purchased a 300-acre ranch south of Dillon. They built a log home there. He also built a swimming pool, a road to the upper fields, two big fishing ponds, three cabins, and two decks for teepees.

Glenn purchased great horses for his girls to rodeo on. He was the National Director for the Montana High School Association from 1988-1991. He loved working in the arena at the National High School Rodeo Finals.

His wife, Diann, received a cancer diagnosis. She died in September of 1996.

In 1997, Glenn married Judy Jones. Together, they began running the Hidden Valley Guest Ranch. Then Glenn developed his water bottling plant. His water had unique properties and soon Montaqua became a well-known bottled water.

Glenn moved to Idaho Falls in 2009 and worked at the Idaho Nuclear Laboratory as a hazard reduction technician. He began his Crazy Horse Carving business. He made animals and jewelry and entered several craft shows. Then he worked several years for Conrad Bischoff as a facilities maintenance technician. Finally, Glenn made beautiful wavy wooden flags that were 2 to 4 feet in length.

Glenn had a busy and varied life. He taught each of his children the value of hard work. He was a man's man. A tough cowboy. And a reliable military leader.

Glenn is survived by his wife, Judy; three children, Wyndy McGinley (Jess), Dezerene Haderlie (Roy), and David Hegsted. Glenn has 22 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. (10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren with Diann, and 12 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren with Judy).

Glenn was preceded in death by his parents, Victor Orville and Julia Hegsted; his siblings, Victor Hegsted, George Hegsted, and Julia Hibbert; his first wife of 32 years, Diann Hegsted; and grandson, Garrick McGinley.

A Memorial Service will be held on April 5, 2025, at 12 Noon at the Parley Ward Building in Idaho Falls, Idaho, 1660 12th Avenue.

Services may be viewed live here .