Brent Fjeldheim, a man with a deep sense of compassion and empathy, was the Publisher of Bozeman City Lifestyle. He came into this world with a courageous heart on March 13th, 1973, and tragically passed away in a car accident on July 7th, 2023. Brent was raised in Glasgow where he graduated from high school in 1991. In high school, Brent played football, was on the swim team, was co-captain on the wrestling team, and was involved in the youth group at First Lutheran Church. He worked at the family business in Glasgow Livestock Sales Yard, which I had the privilege of getting a personal tour with stories of ranch life last summer when we made the trip together for his dad’s service.
Over the past 21 months since we met, I have come to know and respect Brent as I learned of his struggles and adventures throughout the 48 years before we met. Some were of his adult life, but the fondest memories took place on the Olson family ranch in Grass Range, Montana. As he told the stories in detail, the love and adoration for his grandparents, parents, siblings, and multitude of cousins made his face light up. He appreciated his Norwegian heritage and family traditions. He also appreciated and took a genuine interest in everyone’s culture that he met during his life journey. Family was the most important foundation of life to him, not only biological but to use his heart for unity to bridge gaps between strangers to expand us all into one big family.
Brent attended Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, majoring in business. He loved being elected president of the Student Body with only one, his competition, voting against him, whom he later became friends with. He worked as an RA in the dorms, and really enjoyed being a lift operator, as well as waxing skis at Howelsen Hill. He was a proficient skier, and partook in adventurous back-country climbs, and off-trail skiing. One of those summers, he was a whitewater rafting guide, and he found true heartfelt joy in the vast landscapes and nature as he hiked and explored the Colorado mountains.
His ranch experience landed him a job as a wrangler on the Vista Verde Guest Ranch in Clark Colorado. He led dude trail rides, cleaned cabins, helped serve in the dining room, and taught himself to play the guitar to entertain guests around the campfire. At the age of 28, Brent experienced working on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska for a summer which he later wrote 30 chapters in 30 days about his experience. We began editing this book together a month before his tragic accident in hopes of finally publishing it. After returning from Alaska, Brent and a friend started a business together as a carpenter, contractor, and construction consultant in Colorado which he operated for almost a decade in the Aspen Colorado valley. In 2007, Brent became a dad to his oldest, Sophia, then followed Clairebelle, Benjamin, and Addison over a span of 10 years. His four beautiful children became his whole world. He loved reading to them and singing songs to them. One of the songs he sang regularly was Randy Travis ‘Deeper than the Hollar,’ which made his youngest daughter’s face light up as she heard it in my car last month. She stated, “This is the song my daddy sings to me all the time. I love it, turn it up!”
Brent moved to Bozeman in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine to pursue his dream of being a publisher. He told me his biggest challenge was that he had to put a mask on every morning and “hit the boots to the ground,” and that people were not very receptive while the world was in panic mode. He persevered, and the impact he made on the community members with his gentle compassionate spirit was profound. This was all due to his warmth and genuine interest in each person he spoke with. After all the hard work, he began in March of 2020, and he was able to publish his first issue of the magazine in December of that year.
One of his advertisers, Garrett Carter from Carter’s Boots, described Brent as the following: “Beyond his vast love for Montana, Brent had an innate ability to make everyone feel seen and understood. No matter the circumstance, he would lend a helping hand, offering support and comfort to those in need. His selflessness was a testament to his character and the impact he made in the lives of others."
Brent’s goal, not only through Bozeman City Lifestyle Magazine, but also through a personal dream, was to connect the spirit of a community with local businesses to create harmony and unity. He genuinely cared and took an interest in each individual he met and was eager to hear their stories. This is what made Bozeman City Lifestyle Magazine loved by thousands of readers.