Ronald LeRoy Evans, 70, of rural Lemoyne, passed away on April 12, 2024 at the Perkins County Hospital in Grant, Nebraska. Ronnie, as he was known in his early years, was born in Denver, Colorado to LeRoy Evan Evans and Carol Alice Schou Evans on August 14, 1953. He and big brother, Roger, grew up on the family homestead north of Elizabeth which was known for the Uncle Sam mailbox at the highway and big red barn and silo which stands to this day. He attended all 12 years of schooling in the small town of Elizabeth Colorado and graduated with 9 other seniors in 1971. He worked at his family’s dairy and beef cattle operation while in high school helping to milk cows before and after school. He drove a country school bus after graduating and worked part-time for the local veterinarian learning many minor surgical procedures and treatments for beef cattle ailments. He also had his own business artificially inseminating and pregnancy-checking cows in several counties both in Elbert County and later in Keith and Garden County, Nebraska.
In 1984, the Evans family felt Denver overtaking their cattle pastures and chose to re-locate their cowherd, looking at several different ranches in Wyoming, Montana, and Nebraska before settling on a ranch on the north shore of Lake McConaughy.
Ron was an avid supporter of 4-H and county fairs and served on the Elbert County Fair Board for several years. This volunteerism is where he met and fell in love with the local Extension Agent. How many people can say their first date was to the junk yard after the fairground clean-up day? Ron and Melissa Miller were married in a quiet ceremony at the Julesburg Courthouse on October 18, 1985 and settled in the ranch house north of Lemoyne where Ron had moved the previous year. To this union two children, Lacey Jane and Ridge Lee were born and raised on the family ranch.
Ron was an excellent livestock evaluator and selected A.I. sires to produce champion show steers in their own herd. The ranch competed at the National Western Stock Show and won Grand Champion Stocker Feeders with a set of Hereford show steers in 1989, against all other breeds and great odds. The ranch sold show steers to several distant states and maintain close relationships with those exhibitor’s families to this day. He was most proud of the year one of the ranch’s Hereford steers won the Arizona National Livestock Show. Lacey and Ridge loved to ride with their dad during calving season because the rule was “whomever claims the calf first, gets to show it at the county fair as a Stocker Feeder and the next year as a Market Steer”. For several years it was tough keeping track of the lists for Ridge and Lacey. They were each able to win Grand Champion steer at the Keith County Fair with homegrown steers.
When Lacey and Ridge were old enough for 4-H, he became involved in the Keith County Ag Society and volunteered for the 4-H program. He was honored with the “Friend of 4-H” award in 2008 and served as scale master and breed classifier for the Keith County Fair for several years until this past January. He also served on the National Western Stock Show Feeder Calf Committee with his brother, Roger. The Evans Family was honored with a plaque on the NWSS Hall of Fame in the Livestock Sale Pavilion for their many years of competing at the Stock Show.
Ron loved to hang out at the local sale barn, “monitoring the market”, while visiting with the regular order buyers and sandhill ranchers marketing their calves. Ron was a magnet for small children who were drawn in by his sense of humor and big heart. He loved giving nick names to those around him, and it was common knowledge, “If he didn’t tease you, he didn’t like you.” His grandchildren were the light of his life, and he loved teaching them to drive in the pastures.
He was preceded in death by his mother Carol Evans and brother Roger Evans.
Ron is survived by his wife, Melissa; one daughter Lacey (Mitch) Williams of Elm Creek, one son Ridge (Taylor) Evans of Lemoyne; father LeRoy (Sue) Evans of Elizabeth, Colorado; one granddaughter Canyon Evans of Lemoyne, four grandsons Karder, Knox and Kowen Williams of Elm Creek and Ryatt Evans of Lemoyne; Mother-in-Law Marilyn Miller of Paoli Colorado; Sisters-in-Law Diane Evans of Castle Rock Colorado and Melinda Groshans of Paoli Colorado, Brothers-in-Law Mitchel (Julie) Miller of Parker Colorado and Michael (Marlene) Miller of Holyoke Colorado, and several very special aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Ron passed away only eight days after checking calving pastures in his Polaris Ranger due to complications from a very rare, aggressive cancer. He was cared for with compassion and love by the staff at Perkins County Hospital in Grant during those eight days.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 20th,2024 at 11:00 a.m. MT, at Figure Four Traditions on the Historic Haythorn Ranch with Pastor Matt Waitley officiating. Cremation was chosen and Ron’s cremains will be scattered into the winds on the family ranch at a later date.
Memorials may be directed to the family.
Online condolences may be sent by going to www.drauckerfh.com.
Services will be live-streamed at www.drauckerfh.com.
Draucker Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.