Huey “Nook” Malmay has been honored with the title of Oldest Logger in conjunction with the 2022 Zwolle Loggers and Forestry Festival.
He was born on November 2, 1945, to the late Willie and Mary Malmay and attended Ebarb School. In 1959, he began working in the timber industry for G.L. “Chooch” Martinez, along with his father Willie and brother, Doug, peeling high line poles.
In 1974, he went to work for the Martinez Brothers, G.J. “Pie” and A.T. “Bebee”, after their father retired. He drove old 4N Ford tractors, Log Hog tractors, then updated to a 440A John Deere grapple skidder.
Years later, the Martinez brothers decided to part, and Huey went to drive a log truck for Pie. He began driving a 1974 Chevrolet gas burning, single axle with no air conditioning. He loaded his first load of timber with a Log Hog loader at the addition to the St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery. It took him five hours to load his first load, but after many years of experience, he was able to load in a few minutes.
In 1980, he carried the first load of pulpwood to International Paper Mill in Mansfield in his new 1981 Mack. The paper mill wanted to see how the new Helli Crane would work unloading the whole load of wood at one time. His CB radio name was “Blue Lake Kid”. He always got up between 3 a.m. – 4 a.m. every morning.
Pie Martinez decided to retire and Huey’s sons, Clifton and Huey, formed their businesses. Nook went to work with his son, also named Huey, driving a log truck. After working over 45 years in the industry, he decided to retire due to health reasons.
He has six children: Clifton Malmay, Tammy Carnline, Huey Malmay, Gena Perry, Jason Malmay, and Jonathan Malmay. He has 15 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. All of his sons and some of his grandsons have carried on the tradition by working in the logging industry.
Mr. Malmay is extremely honored to be the 26th Zwolle Loggers and Forestry Festival’s Oldest Logger.