Ralph Leroy Mefferd, Jr. was born Sept. 1, 1932, to Ralph L. Mefferd Sr. and Dorothy (Dodds) Mefferd in the Ainsworth, NE hospital. He died Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at the Western Nebraska Veteran’s Home in Scottsbluff, NE.
Ralph’s life began in the fossil digging camps of Morris Skinner and Company. There his father found employment on bone collecting expeditions that ranged across the Nebraska and Wyoming prairies and South Dakota Badlands. During those years, Ralph’s winters were spent in New York City attending school as the excavation team researched and processed their summer’s finds for Frick Laboratory in partnership with the Museum of Natural History. Disliking New York City, the Northeast winters, and attending school in such a large city, Ralph began living and working on his grandparent’s (Frank and Vivian Dodds) ranch while attending school in Raven, NE. He took up boxing after starting high school in Ainsworth and found the sport to be a great outlet for his natural toughness and fighting spirit. Ralph’s time spent boxing saw him qualify for state on two occasions. He placed second his sophomore year and he was undefeated his junior year before the Ainsworth boxing team became stranded while traveling to the state tournament in the Blizzard of 1949. Nebraska outlawed the high school sport his senior year.
Following high school, Ralph received his draft notice and become a veteran of the Korean War.
He served in the United States Army from Jan. 7, 1953, to Sept. 1, 1954, and spent most of his time in service overseas. Ralph operated heavy equipment to build roads and other infrastructure in Korea as he served as a combat engineer and rose to the rank of corporal. After leaving service Ralph returned to his hometown of Ainsworth.
Upon his return home, Ralph married his longtime girlfriend and fiancé Betty J. Propst of Springview, NE on June 24, 1955. The following year, Ralph and Betty began their family as Sandra, Michael, and Kelly, joined the world and learned to live and work as hard as their parents. A faithful and devoted husband, Ralph celebrated 67 years of marriage with his lifetime sweetheart.
Ralph’s life was driven by the cowboy spirit. This began at the young age of three as “Ralphy” rode a simple stick through camp at his father’s dig sites and dreamt of his future life as a rancher and rodeo enthusiast. This carried through his high school years as he worked a local dairy farm while attending school.
Following his time in service, Ralph picked up his life as a cowboy and returned to the three rough stock events. There he once successfully rode 54 head of bucking stock straight before retiring from the events and focusing on his young family. Alongside his rodeo days, Ralph and his family lived and worked on several ranches in the area including Wood Lake, Nenzel, and Bassett, NE, as well as Hamill and Edgemont, SD. His ranching days were far from uneventful. One winter, while loading a large stack onto a hay sled, Ralph’s glove became caught in the tractor’s winch. Being unable to stop the winch in time he suffered the loss of three fingers in the accident. Also, in 1974, after managing the “Old Savage Ranch” for Rich and Dean Kinney, Ralph and his family recreated the old-time cattle drive as they relocated 200 angus pair 100 miles from Hamill, SD to their new ranch in Bassett, NE; a highlight for the livestock-focused family. Later, Ralph would purchase his second ranch on the Cheyenne River near Edgemont, SD, operating it for several years before returning to Nebraska.
In between calving seasons, brandings, fixing fence, and cattle drives, Ralph enjoyed returning to his younger days by fossil and arrowhead hunting on the prairie. He also found time to attend many local dances with his wife Betty and young children and enjoyed spending time with his grandkids as his family grew. Ralph took pride in his near self-sufficiency as he mastered horsemanship, mechanical work, and many aspects of veterinarian care. Throughout his life he became fond of great Western fiction, especially stories written by the novelist Louis L’Amour.
Ralph was preceded in death by his parents; daughter Kelly Mefferd, who tragically and unexpectedly passed on March 28, 2021; parents-in-law Henry and Gladys Propst; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Richard and Sandra Propst, and William and Susan Propst.
He is survived by his wife Betty of Scottsbluff, NE; daughter Sandra Mefferd of Chadron, NE; son Michael (Carmen) Mefferd of Rapid City, SD; brother Charles Mefferd of Kearney, NE; grandchildren: Chancy Stewart of Orchard, NE; Mikalya Bentley of Milliken, CO; Marc Mefferd of Lander, WY; Ty Brown of Marsland, NE; and Wil Brown of Loveland, CO; brother-in-law Elvin Propst of Tuscon, AZ; great grandchildren Carter, River, Eli, Nash, and Brixleigh. Memorial services were held on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at Hoch Funeral Home in Ainsworth. Pastor Paul Smith of Hay Springs, NE officiated at the service. Inurnment will take place in the Ainsworth Cemetery at a later date. Memorials were suggested to the family for future designation. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hochfuneralhome.com.
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