[RedMonqey]

Great Grandpa Lurkin “rode fence” on the Irvine Ranch. Does that mean he was bottom rung?

Generally speaking, yes.

Unless he was the owner of said ranch. We mend our own fences and we are not lower rung but then again we are not cowboys in the "Golden Age of the West"(middle Tennessee farming family)
Did he do this as a young man? Or on a "dude ranch?(pay to play ranch hand)
I don't know your family history so you should investigate.

[BenLurkin]

He was not the owner. It was not a hobby. And yes, I believe this was as a young man before he found better work.

[Bodega]

Great Grandpa Lurkin “rode fence” on the Irvine Ranch. Does that mean he was bottom rung?

Generally speaking, yes.

Unless he was the owner of said ranch.
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It is so odd...all of us “rode fence” one time or another. Maintaining fence integrity was actually everyone’s responsibility. I don’t recall any one person having to do it as a “responsibility”. But then I was young and wasn’t familiar with doling out job responsibilities.