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History

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MIKE
AND DEBBY
Mike
and Debby raised four children on the ranch and all pitched
in to help with the daily ranch work. For the early years
of their schooling the children attended a one-room school
a mile from home, then completing their high school education
at Burwell High School, 35 miles south of the ranch.
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JESSE:

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BETHANY:

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JOHANNA:

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RANSOM:

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Jesse
is a partner of the law firm Baird and Holm, working in Corporate
and Business and Tax, Trusts and Estates sections from Omaha.

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Bethany and her husband, Joel, have moved back to our family ranch. Joel helps manage the cowherd and rangelands. Bethany works for the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition as its ranch transition task manager, assisting families with their estate and transition planning. |
Johanna
is a Nurse Practitioner at a rural critical access hospital.
She works in the clinic and emergency department.

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Ransom
received his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Nebraska-
Lincoln in 2010, graduating with a Major in Entomology and a
Minor in Range Management. He is employed as a Research Associate
for Pioneer Hybrids in LaSalle, Colorado. |
The
Sitz family has a long history with Angus cattle. Starting
in 1923 Grandfather, William August Sitz and his wife Frieda
purchased registered Angus cows from William Williams of Clarks,
Nebraska. When these heifers calved the bull calves were traded
back to William Williams for more heifer calves and thus began
the expansion of the Sitz Angus herd.
In the late 30’s and early 40’s Will and Frieda’s
oldest son, Bill, spent many a night sleeping in the barn
with the cattle while he and his family were on the road showing
cattle. Bill enjoyed showing at the County Fairs, AK-SAR-BEN
and the State Fair. He remembers driving the family’s
registered Angus cattle and Hampshire hogs to the railroad
dock at Buda where they loaded them on a rented cattle car
on the route to various fairs.
Bill
and Dee as newly weds in the 1940's. |
In
March of 1937 with Bill, Delores and little Bobby in
tow, Will and Frieda left their farm in Buda, Nebraska
and began a new life in the ranching community called
the Green Valley south of Atkinson. During this time
in 1945 Bill became a lifetime member of the American
Angus Association.
In
1947 Bill Sitz and Dee Stout were united in marriage.
Living in Holt County they named their ranch the 36
Angus Ranch. Shortly after they moved with their cowherd
to the ranch in southeastern Rock County where they
raised Angus cattle and their children, Bill Jr., Judy,
Sheryl and Mike.
Mike
was active in FFA and in 4-H showing cattle. The Burwell
FFA were formidable competitors and Mike came home with
many top honors including the gold medal as the top
Senior Showman at the State Fair along with garnering
top awards at the AK-SAR-BEN. After graduating from
UNSTA in 1974, Mike returned to the ranch in Rock County. |
Mike
and Debra Cook, a cattle feeder’s daughter, were married
in 1975. The young
couple struggled and survived through the 1980’s. Though
it didn’t seem economical
at the time, Mike continued to AI, performance test, and register
his calves.
It was during this time that the young couple was advised
by their banker to
either crossbreed their registered herd to Charolais bulls
or move to town and
get a job. Mike firmly believed that there was more to the
profitability of a cowherd
than high weaning weights and crossbred vigor, so he chose
to ignore his
banker’s advice and to breed and cull for only the most
profitable angus cattle. |

William
and Freida Sitz with their
Heifers at AK-SAR-BEN in 1948.

Mike
and the Burwell FFA boys at a beef
show in the 1970's.
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Mike
with 1972 Grand Champion Market Steer.

Sitz
Family today
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Sires
used through the years that have kept profitability
in the herd are:
Eileenmere
of Yuma 50
ONeills Jingo Ballot 30
Sun Up of Bloage D29
Marshall of Wetonka 648
CSU Rito 4114
QAS Traveler 23-4
GDAR Rainmaker 340
DHD Traveler 6807
PAPA 2816 SC 9104
PAPA Forte 1921
Sitz Traveler 8180
PAPA Perfection 915
PS Sasquatch 904
GDAR Rito 054
Tomwall Shoshone 578
RR Regal 1459
RR Hero 6267
OCC Bonanza
Sitz Traveler 6802
Sitz Value 7097
OCC Hiram
CRA Bextor
BT Right Time 24J
MSAR Forte 6776
MSAR Right Time 7757
CAR Chinnook 786

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Click
on map to enlarge.
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The
same cow lines of the Marshall Queens, Blackbirds,
Evidences Eppionia’s, Erica Ellen’s,
Proud Formera’s, Dora’s and the Emma
E’s that once originally grazed on the Sitz
farm in Buffalo County in the 1920's, and then
later on the ranch in Holt County, still continue
in the present day herd.
Mike
and his wife, Debra, continue the Angus tradition
on the ranch in southeastern Rock County where
they raised their four children, Jesse, Bethany,
Johanna and Ransom. |
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©2010
Copyright Mike Sitz Angus Ranch. All Rights Reserved.
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