Morris McCarty

Morris McCarty was born in June of 1920 in Terry, Montana. He attended school there until the 9th grade when he quit school to work. He worked breaking horses and building ditches with a Fresno and a team of four horses. During the war he was in the CCC’s and did a lot of conservation work. He worked on several ranches in Montana before moving to Wyoming when he was in his twenties in 1942.

It was after his move to Wyoming when he met his wife, Pauline Larson, while working for the Pitchfork Ranch in Meeteetse. They were married in June of 1946 and to this union was born Joyce Helen McCarty and Earl Edward McCarty. Morris spent many years working for the Pitchfork punching cows and worked through the split in 1945. He later went on to continue his work at various ranches including: Cow Foreman for Glen Neilson, Phelps, Owen, Hoodoo, Herman Warner, and riding for Holding well up into his 70’s. It was said that anything he was doing, he was doing horseback.

After he retired in 2000, at the age of 79, he went to work for Jake Clark guiding hunters and later cooking in hunting camp. Morris helped Jake build his house in Ralston and lived with Jake and Kay for many years helping around the place. In 2004 he was featured on the cover of Western Horseman magazine. Morris in his downtime braided miles of picket ropes, halter ropes, made bridle reins, and repaired a lot of tack.

Kay Clark has tributes on her Facebook page about Morris. One of those tributes in 2014 shortly after Morris died features a picture of an old grey mare, Flicka, the grey mare, is 28 years old this year. Still doing her job, keeping the mules together. The best thing is she was the last horse that bucked with Morris McCarty when he was in his late 70’s and on a summer trip. He was a heck of a cowboy and was still able to put a good ride on her.”  Many others commented as to what an exceptional cowboy he was and the lasting impressions that he left with all that were around him.