Dorothy and Tom Mccleary loved helping and caring for their neighbors. Dorothy was the town's cook serving the best pies and rolls in the land. Her neighbors knew that she was always there when they were hungry or just wanted a sweet piece of pie to sink their teeth into. She came by it honestly, her father and grandfather were both known for feeding the people around them. Her father, Joe Redel was a legendary fisherman standing 6'4" tall, would work the mines during the day, and take his fishing rod down to the river after work to catch enough trout to feed the families in his mining camp.

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As more and more travelers found refuge in Roundup, Dorothy and Tom saw an opportunity to bring their hospitality to the people traveling through their hometown. In 1977, they opened the Big Sky Motel, built new buildings and new rooms, and offered their top notch hospitality to countless visitors.

 

 The parents of seven children (Donna, Denise, Doreen, Denelle, Diana, Debbie, and Mike), Dorothy and Tom saw the opportunity to build a family business that would not only support generations of travelers long into their future but would also support their own family for decades to come. In 1994, their daughter Donna stepped into the role of the motel's Innkeeper. Her passion has always been hospitality. Providing every traveler with a comfortable, clean and welcoming place to call home during their time in Roundup - whether they are visiting for one night or for weeks at a time. Over the decades she spent building the Big Sky Motel, she built relationships with countless guests that would return year after year. She always went above and beyond to make sure everyone had a place in her motel and travelers from around the world took notice. 

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As a child, I grew up eating Great Grandma Dorothy's pies. I grew up riding in Great Grandpa Tom's Model-T pickup truck. Most importantly, I grew up watching my Grandma Donna build a business on friendships with people from around the world. I was by her side the night a man showed up desperately looking for a room only to find there wasn't a motel room anywhere in town. We did the only thing we could - we carried a bed, sheets, and coffee pot to the laundry room and built a place for him to sleep for the evening. That was the night the Big Sky Motel had 23 rooms. 

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When I graduated from Roundup High School, I realized that I was the fifth generation of three family lines to graduate on that very stage. As the newest owner of the Big Sky Motel, I stand on the shoulders of my family who have called Roundup home. They have built business, raised families, and given back to the community and I look forward to doing the same in the decades that come. 

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For me it is not only a privilege, but an honor to stand where my great grandparents and my grandparents stood to welcome you to the Big Sky Motel where it is our goal every single night to make sure every guest is comfortable and is invited to be a part of the community's story whether they stay for a night or a month; whether they travel for pleasure or for business. At the Big Sky Motel, you're only a stranger once. 

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Morgan A. Belveal