The Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame held their annual induction ceremony on Saturday, June 14 at the Community Center in Callaway.
Rod Palmer of Ainsworth is the founder of the organization and he explained why he thought it was important to honor the cowboys of Nebraska. Palmer said they felt that many generations of cowboys were being forgotten and felt that they should be memorialized and that is why they started this non-profit organization.
There were eleven men inducted in to the Hall of Fame on Saturday and they are as follows: Felix Becker – Alliance; Peter Becker-Ashby; Howard Haythorn – Maxwell; Gordon Kostman – Arthur; Homer Kenner – Woodlake; Bill Shrewsbury – Alliance; Bob Whitlock – Alliance; Bernard “Bud” McKillip – Maxwell; Edward Becker – Chadron; and Broken Bow’s own Vern Oatman. The eleventh inductee was a surprise; the board voted secretly to induct Rod Palmer for all that he has done for the organization.
Bret Younkin of Ainsworth serves on the Executive Board and encourages everyone to think about their uncles, aunts, Grandfathers, and Grandmothers that carry on the cowboy heritage in the Nebraska Sandhills and nominate them. They accept nominations all year long and the Executive Board meets in January to make the final decision for the year.
Palmer’s office at 355 North Main Street in Ainsworth is also the location of the memorabilia, biographies and photos of past inductees. They are open 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday and encourage the public to visit. The biographies of the 2014 inductees should be online in the next week. You can see past inductees and find a nomination form at www.sandhillscowboys.com.
Vern Oatman is the Chairman of the Board for the 2014 and was responsible for organizing the gathering. The food was catered by the Triple T in Callaway and entertainment was provided by South Loup Sunrise.
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