How many kids does producer Marty Raney have?
Introduction
For fans of Marty Raney and the rest of the stars of the Nat Geo hit show, Homestead Rescue, this is a pretty common question.
Viewers of the show, which has been running on the National Geographic channel since 2016, are always eager to learn more about Marty and his family.
With two of his children also starring on the show, it’s no wonder fans are so invested.
When the Raney family first appeared on the show, Marty captivated audiences with his independence, down-to-earth nature, bravery, and his ability to provide for a family of six in one of the world’s most unforgiving environments.
As a former climbing guide for the Spirit of Alaska film, an avid mountain climber, experienced film crew—he used to be a cameraman—and a musician who has performed at 20,310 ft elevation on the summit of Denali, Marty Raney is a fascinating character.
Factor in his now famous family, and it’s no surprise that the show has been renewed for another season.
Since Homestead Rescue shows no signs of slowing down, we’re here to unpack everything we know about the beloved Raney family.
Starting with the patriarch himself.
Who is Marty Raney?
Marty Raney and Barton Seaver – @Getty
Martin Raney was born in North Bend, Washington, in 1957.
He came from a family with a history of homesteading that reached back to the late 1800s in the Ozark Mountains.
The Ozarks—a mountainous, isolated region that covers 47,000 square miles through Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas—are no luxury ski resort.
With temperatures dropping to 27°F and getting as high as 89°F, it’s isolated, cloudy, and living can be harsh.
Fortunately for Marty, he had a long history of self-reliance.
He could build, he was a stone mason, he could carve, he could fend for himself—and at 16 years old, he packed up and headed for Alaska.
When did Marty Raney get married?
@Getty
Not long after setting himself up in Alaska, where Marty scored a job as a logger on a floating loggers’ camp, he met Mollee Roestel.
Mollee was no stranger to Marty’s lifestyle, and has said in interviews that she prefers the solitude and authenticity of her lifestyle to the “chaos” of life in a big city.
The pair got married on March 1, 1975, and moved to Haines, where they would set about buying a 160-acre section of land that was more than 100 miles from the nearest town.
It was here that the pair put down roots, building their homestead and starting their family.
How many kids does Marty Raney have?
Marty and Mollee Raney would go on to welcome four children into their family over the next decade.
Growing up far from the hustle and bustle of city life, the Raney kids are an adventurous lot with true explorer hearts.
They fish, hunt, and are capable of building, guiding, and hiking.
In fact, when the youngest of the bunch was just 2 years old, the whole family hiked the Chilkoot Pass.
Melanee Raney
Their firstborn is a daughter named Melanee, who was born on October 16, 1976.
The only one of the Raney children not to be born in Haines, Mollee had some complications during labor and was airlifted to Whitehorse, Yukon—Northern Canada’s largest city—to have her daughter.
Growing up, Melanee explored the outdoors as bravely as her parents.
She has skied Denali, worked as a rafting and skiing guide, and famously guided retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in Alaska.
Melanee met her husband, Ari Stiassny, on Cornbiscuit Mountain in the Chugach, Ari is a fish biologist and guide, and the pair have three children together—Mia, Col Dov, and Taz.
Melanee was initially approached to join Homestead Rescue with her father and two of her siblings.
She declined, saying, “I don’t own a TV, and I don’t want to be on one.”
Miles Raney
Two years after Melanee’s arrival, Marty and Mollee welcomed a son named Miles.
Miles Raney is an intrepid adventurer and prolific traveler, having visited some obscure spots in the last 40+ years—places like Mongolia, Timbuktu, and Gabon.
The majority of his social media feed is filled with photos from his travels, alongside people he has met along the way.
He is also a musician and songwriter, and has appeared alongside his father in the Spirit of Alaska, Surviving Denali, and Han-Denali, where he served as a guide.
Misty Raney
Misty is Mollee and Marty’s third child, and the first to appear on Homestead Rescue alongside her father.
She is also heavily involved in her parents’ business—Alaska Stone and Log.
Handy with tools and good at construction, farming, hunting, and gardening, Misty is a straight talker with a keen eye for where to improve each homestead the family encounters on the show.
Fans have watched her build greenhouses and predator proof livestock enclosures, and she’s learned from her family how to grow food and sustain a family in a harsh environment like Alaska.
She also knows first-hand how tough things can get, as she and her husband Maciah built their own homestead in Hatcher Pass, Alaska, and are raising their son there.
At least, part of the time…the family head for Hawaii each year to surf and soak up some much needed sunshine.
Misty jokes that she always makes it “home” in time for the family hunt and to go fishing with her brother.
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Matt Raney
Matthew Raney is the baby of the family, but you wouldn’t know it.
Just as hardy as the rest of the bunch, he was only 2 years old when his family hiked the 33-mile, 3,700-foot elevation Chilkoot Pass.
He’s also the Raney son fans are used to seeing on Homestead Rescue.
More than capable of managing all aspects of a homestead on his own, he learned everything he knows about farming and animal husbandry from his uncle and aunt in Alaska.
Matt married his wife, Katie, and the pair branched out from family tradition by remodeling an old mechanic’s shop as their home—complete with power and running water.
They didn’t branch out too far, though—they moved the building onto a piece of land owned by Marty and Mollee.
The family’s goal is to construct one “super homestead” on the land, where multiple generations can live together.
Matt and Katie have a son named Indy and a daughter named Ruby, who they welcomed on August 21, 2021.
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I am Bulgarea Candin Stefan, and I founded FamousPeopleToday.com in 2018. I’m using my bachelor’s degree in economics and 9 years of experience in blogging to guide millions of people through the incredibly complex world of celebrity net worths.