Marion couple seeks to build retreat for veterans

On his heavily wooded property just west of Marion, Randall Dugan has been hard at work for the past two years looking to transform the area into a haven for military veterans.

Since May 2019, Dugan and his wife, Mary, have lived in their RV on the property as he has spent more than 10,000 hours clearing trees, building roads and clearing brush. Dugan is striving to complete the Kylily Veterans Ranch and Retreat in honor of their two children, Kyle and Lily.

"It's getting there. It's just going to take some time," he said of the work. "I'm 60 years old and I never thought I would be involved in a 10- to 20-year project at this point in my life."

The story of the Kylily Veterans Ranch begins with the death of the Dugans' son, Kyle, an Air Force veteran, in an automobile accident in January 2012. He was 23.

Tragedy struck the family again in May 2015 when their daughter, Lily, was killed in another car wreck. The 20-year-old had been on her way home after bringing her boyfriend to meet her parents.

Devastated by the loss of their two children, the Dugans sold their home, bought an RV and set out on a journey to find meaning in their lives.

WITH THE idea of building a ranch to honor their children, the couple began looking for property in 2018. When they first saw the 47 acres for sale just past mile marker 94 on U.S. 2, they knew they had found exactly what they had been searching for.

"We walked through this place and saw it had a creek and a pond, and we just knew this was the spot," Randall Dugan said. "It had everything we were looking for."

With the land secured, the real work began. Beginning in May 2019, Randall spent five months clearing trees and brush, building a road and clearing a spot for the RV.

Dugan estimated he's cut down more than 3,000 trees of all sizes. But there is still much work to be done before he can realize his dream of honoring his veteran son and philanthropist daughter. While several organizations and individuals have come out to assist the effort, there always seems to be a new task on his checklist.

"I'm constantly going from one job to another and never actually getting anything finished without five more things popping up," Dugan said. "It's driving me a bit nuts, but there is a lot that needs to be finished if we are going to complete this project."

DUGAN ENVISIONS the ranch will consist of seven or eight cabins, a dozen or more camping sites, a community garden, a central gathering place and more. He plans to offer horseback riding, fishing, hiking and other activities. His hope is to provide a place for military veterans to unwind, away from the stresses of everyday life.

"I want our veterans to be able to come out here so they can relax," he said. "If they need to work out some stress, they can swing an ax or work with a chainsaw or whatever they need to do. I want them to be able to come here with their families free of charge for up to two weeks if they need to.

"People don't realize that PTSD doesn't just affect one person; it's a family process that everyone has to deal with," he added. "That's what this place is going to be for. I want to help people work through the tough times so they can learn to live again. If I can help save the life of just one veteran, then all this work will have been worth it."

Dugan acknowledged the work ahead won't be easy.

"We will take any help we can get. People can do as little as pick up sticks and that would be helpful. Anything helps." he said. "It's all for a good cause."

More information about the project can be found on the Kylily Veterans Ranch Facebook page.

Reporter Jeremy Weber may be reached at 406-758-4446 or jweber@dailyinterlake.com.