Clyde and Rae Marie’s Wedding Day – 1960
The National Parks in America are a source of pride and admiration. The beauty of each of the parks touches us at a very deep emotional level.
Clyde and Rae Marie Fauley had the privilege of living most of their lives in these national park monuments. Both were born close to Glacier National Park to parents who worked in the National Park systems. Clyde attended grade school in East Glacier Park and Rae Marie in Apgar. They both loved all animals and had 4 Norwegian Elkhounds, 2 cats, a Barred Owl and a Lop Eared Rabbit for pets.
Clyde graduated from the University of Montana with a B.S. Degree in Forestry and worked as a National Park Ranger from 1946 to 1958. After marrying in 1960, Clyde and Rae Marie transferred to Yosemite National Park in California. While on duty there, Clyde was assigned to guard President John Kennedy’s door while he stayed at the Ahwahnee Hotel in August of 1962.
“It was a wonderful exciting life and we got to see so many other national parks and monuments in and near the states we were living in as well as nearby big cities like San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Phoenix, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, and Seattle,” noted Rae Marie.
Canadian areas such as Victoria, Vancouver, Banff and Lake Louise, Calgary, Lethbridge, Waterton Lakes, were also on their long list of life experiences.
Clyde was instrumental in protecting the National Park systems with his 1980 report, “Threats to the National Parks” which resulted in Glacier Park receiving recognition as the most threatened park from outside influences.
After retiring in 1938, Clyde was presented with the Department of the Interior’s “Meritorious Service Award” by Secretary of the Interior James Watt in person at the 50th Anniversary of the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Rae Marie was lucky enough to continue working for the National Park Service in every park they lived in (Yosemite, Crater Lake, Grand Canyon and back to Glacier in 1971) until her retirement in 1986 as Secretary to the Park Superintendent at Glacier.
It was a wonderful exciting life and we got to see so many other national parks and monuments
The Fauley’s four Norwegian Elkhounds
Clyde and Rae Marie’s four Norwegian Elkhounds were precious enough to them to be honored with a permanent picture on the back of Clyde and Rae Marie’s memorial monument headstone honoring Clyde’s resting place.
Rae Marie spends her retirement days working in her flower garden and helping the Lakeside Community Club and the Lakeside Community Chapel.
They will both be remembered and honored for their tireless efforts as responsible stewards to our precious National Park Systems.
Clyde & RM – Vista Linda 2007
