Mansch: Rocky Heckman leans on his family this summer

This was going to be the best year of Hanna Heckman’s life.

The 21-year-old from Choteau was named Miss Rodeo Montana in January, assuring a year’s worth of travel, adventure and memories to last a lifetime.

She began her reign in Kissimmee, Fla., in February before hitting the trail on an ambitious rodeo road destined to take her to all corners of the state while representing professional rodeo and her home state.

When Hanna was named Miss Rodeo Montana, following a grueling competition series in Great Falls, it seemed as if all her hopes and dreams had come true. And that all her worries were over.

But that’s not how life works.

WHEN A YOUNG Heckman boy was born 57 years ago in Baker and came into this world with what appeared to be two black eyes, his father thought of his favorite fighter named Marciano and named his son “Rocky.”

Rocky Heckman’s family eventually moved to the Rocky Mountain front near Augusta. Rocky started dating his wife Lorell, an Augusta girl, when she was 15. The family, which included son Colter and daughter Hanna, eventually moved to the Choteau area to start a successful outfitting business. Robust and ever-optimistic, Rocky became active in the rodeo community and joined the committee that planned the Big Sky Pro Rodeo Roundup in Great Falls.

Rocky and Lorell had ambitious travel plans for this summer, which included following Hanna’s schedule to Rapid City, Cheyenne and the many Montana rodeo hot spots.

That all changed when Rocky suffered a severe seizure in May. It was caused by a cancerous brain tumor.

HOW? WHY?

Rocky shakes his head.

“I’m doing all right for what’s going on,” he said with a smile. “I never smoked, never chewed or did any of the things that they said would cause cancer. It just came out of the blue.”

Talk about a diagnosis to produce the blues.

“I mean, you don’t know,” Rocky said.

He spoke softly.

“They tell you they’ve had people with this ... a year to 10 years,” he said.

So he tries to live every day to the fullest.

“You got to,” he said, smiling slightly. “You can’t think any other way. Got to keep your eye on the ball. It’s a son-of-a-(gun) though, Scott.”

THE BEST YEAR of Hanna’s young life? Well, yes and no.

“It’s been hard,” she said. “In the beginning I couldn’t even allow myself to think. It happened right when rodeo season hit. And then I was gone. And Dad being Dad, he wanted his baby girl to do her thing and so he would not allow me to give up any of my appearances. He wanted me to carry on.

“It’s been, just, hard.”

Hanna was a fine all-around athlete at Choteau High. She plans to return to barrel racing when her queen days are over.

“Dad’s taught me to be the horsewoman I am,” she said. “Mom groomed me how to be a lady, but all the tough things that have to do with horses and being a rodeo queen came from my dad.”

She said it’s been difficult to see her father so vulnerable.

“Definitely,” Hanna said, biting her lip. “That’s like the most ‘out-there’ thing that could have happened to our family. But here it is.”

ROCKY SUFFERED broken bones in his back and a dislocated shoulder during the seizure. A subsequent seizure did even more damage.

He underwent brain surgery in Great Falls and has been back to Duke University to explore whether experimental treatment might help in battling the tumor.

He wears a sling now to protect his left arm and shoulder and takes chemotherapy and radiation pills. The goal is to burn away what remains of the tumor. When the shoulder and back fractures are healed, he hopes to return to Duke to see about more treatment.

Colter is an engineer working in Great Falls. He’s also a professional saddle bronc rider and this summer has helped a ton with his Dad’s outfitting and guide business.

Rocky has reason to be proud of his family.

“Probably one of the hardest things,” he said, “is always feeling like I’m not doing enough for Hanna. I’m sure her mind ain’t on track all the time. I feel bad about that.”

LORELL SET UP a Caring Bridge website to keep folks updated. At last count, more than 7,000 people had checked on Rocky’s situation and progress.

For certain, there are many people in Montana who care about Rocky. He said he realizes it.

“I do,” he said. “I sure do. And it’s awesome.”

Rocky was instrumental in helping the Big Sky Pro Rodeo Roundup expand to five performances and become the going concern it is today. The State Fair has had rodeo for years. But only in the last decade has it grown in size and reputation. Tuesday night’s packed grandstand was a testament to the event’s popularity.

LIVE EVERY DAY like it’s your last?

“I think that’s (B.S.),” Rocky said. “How do you do that? You don’t buy groceries? You don’t fill up your pickup with gas?”

Then he laughed.

“You live every day,” he said. “You just live it.”

It’s still difficult, Lorell said, to wrap your head around what’s happened.

“We couldn’t believe it,” she said. “It took us a long time … But they’re pretty impressed with how well he’s doing.”

Lorell smiled when it was suggested that all of us — all the time — take things for granted.

“We don’t,” she said, eyes glistening slightly. “Not now. I think our family, especially in the beginning, learned how to …”

She hesitated. Then her eyes brightened.

“But we still argue,” she said with a laugh. “I told him this morning: You can clean out the dishwasher with one arm.”

She laughed again. But only for a moment.

“We’ve been really, really overwhelmed by the people and their concern,” Lorell said.

MIKE O’NEILL has been a rodeo committee member on the Big Sky Pro Rodeo Roundup for a long time. So he knows Rocky Heckman well.

“Rocky’s a hard-working guy,” O’Neill said. “He’s one of the original guys who contributed a lot to the rodeo. Through the years he’s done a tremendous amount of work to make it what it is today.”

O’Neill hesitated when asked what he thinks of his friend’s current situation.

“It’s tough,” he said. “But Rocky’s a very strong guy and positive individual. He’s trying to work his way out of it.”

That goes for the entire family. And make no mistake, they’re all in it together.

“We’re trying to make the best of it,” Hanna said. “It’s amazing how we can be put in this situation. It’s so horrible to other people, but we can still praise the Lord all the way and fine the teeny, tiny tender mercies that He gives to us every day. Those are the things that people should hear about, all the mercies.”

Scott Mansch is Tribune Sports Columnist and can be reached at 791-1481 or smansch@greatfallstribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at GFTrib_SMansch