Get to know: Shauney Haveman

It’s hard to find a single phrase to describe Shauney Haveman, a local woman of diverse interests and talents.

Many in the area know her as the special needs and travel bus driver for the Bigfork School District, but at home and at venues throughout the Valley, she’s also known as a rocker, knitter and animal lover.

Haveman is a fifth generation Montanan on her dad’s side and grew up in Libby. She graduated from Libby High School in 1982.

It was her passion for music that brought her down to the Valley from Libby in 1987, when she was playing music in clubs a few nights a week.

“I’ve been singing ever since I was old enough to sing,” she said.

She used her vocal talents at church growing up, which was something her grandmother volunteered her for. She also got her start as a vocalist in a band in high school with one of her current band mates. She describes its style as similar to the Go-Go’s. Since then, she’s performed or played in bands on and off for the past 20 years. She’s done some recordings, including an album titled “Let’s get on outta here.” Haveman has been both a rock performer and country singer.

“I’ve mellowed a bit,” she said. “I can play in a country bar and do some rock but not reverse.”

She currently does guitar and vocals in a band called Me and the Boys, which performs 1950s and 1960s rock and classic rock at local venues.

After her move to the Valley, Haveman met her husband, Justin, and they had a daughter, Jaylee, who is a recent graduate of Bigfork High School and also a singer.

Haveman’s work and interests have been varied and have included driving a dump truck and raising elk. It’s at her home north of Bigfork that she explores her other passions.

“I like to learn about different subjects,” Haveman said. “Once I achieve a goal, I get bored. I need a lot of stimulus.”

That’s why she’s taken on projects like canning and a new green house. She also keeps chickens, a goat, three dogs and a growing group of alpacas.

“This is one of my favorite things,” she said, surrounded by her animals. “My animals — I love them. I couldn’t think of getting rid of any of them.”

She enjoys her animals both for their company as well as their resources. She likes to watch her chickens chase bugs and observe the personality of her goat.

“I like looking at the simple things in life. It’s a good way of living,” Haveman said.

The alpacas are a part of another one of her hobbies — knitting. They get sheared once a year and she takes their coats to a mill in Kalispell to be washed and dried. She spins some of it into yarn herself, a practice she finds relaxing. She then knits a variety of items including gloves, hats, socks and pants. Some of her work becomes gifts to family members and some she sells at a Christmas bazaar.

“It’s a form of art and creativity,” she said.

Knitting becomes something she can do on breaks, including while waiting for the students to get back on the travel bus for Bigfork schools. She’s been driving buses for about six and a half years and nearly all of that has been in Bigfork.

“I do like bus driving,” she said. “My job is to get them from point A to point B safely.”

Her mornings start at 5:45 a.m. when she gets up to head in to get her bus for the day. Each day she tries to make a difference for the kids on her route.

“That’s the thing about being a bus driver —  when you see them in the morning, you can help make their day a good day by talking to each of them as they get on the bus,” she said.

The work can be challenging, with occasional long days when trips are added in and the ever-changing weather, she said.

“You try to get to know the kids and then they can respect you,” she said. “It’s high profile and people expect us to be perfect.”

However, that’s all made easier by those she works for and with.

“I love the kids,” she said. “There are easier jobs out there so you’ve got to love the kids.”

Whether it's driving a bus or spinning yarn, Haveman said she finds joy in Bigfork, partially because she can explore her many interests. The setting helps too.

“It’s so peaceful out here,” she said.