Ronny Morgan
August 20, 1950
Kay Morgan
November 21, 1950
Cowboys aren’t all born in the rodeo arena; sometimes, they are built in the Sandhills raising cattle, kids and good horses. Ronny and Kay Morgan are this type of cowboy.
Ronny was first introduced to the Sandhills when he, his older brother, his parents, nine yearlings, and a horse made the trek from Tucumcari, NM, in an old truck. They moved to the family ranch northwest of Burwell, started in 1932 by his aunt Ollie and her husband, Alex Chapman. Almost 100 years later, the ranch is still growing and thriving, a testament to the dedication of hard work and intention to raise the next generation.
Ronny spent his younger years building a herd with his family, training horses and earning accolades in 4-H horse shows and cattle shows. Ronny and his older brother Dan spent the summers training horses for neighbors and friends, riding a different horse each summer. When his bronc started bucking, he found a tall hill and rode him up. If he was still bucking, he found another hill.
Ronny and his siblings, Dan, Jeanne and Jason, still found time to exhibit top-quality cattle. It was at a Hereford Show where he met Kay Munn. She had a bright career showing cattle as well, exhibiting nationwide and even the NE State Fair Champion Shorthorn Steer the same year Ronny showed the Champion Angus Steer. They became a team in all things family and ranching.
After attending college at UNL, Ronny and Kay wed and moved back to the family ranch. They began to work for other cattlemen exhibiting cattle at national shows. Ronny and Kay hit all the big national shows, The National Western, American Royal, Forth Worth Stock Show, North American International Livestock Expo, Northern International Livestock Expo, and the Cow Palace. The cattle they cared for and showed brought home many awards and Ron and Kay grew their circle of friends and acquaintances.
During his 4-H career, Ronny discovered a talent for judging livestock. He won numerous contests, even earning a heifer as a prize. Ronny put this skill to good use as an adult, judging 4-H and National Shows alike.
He was instrumental in building a herd that would excel in our Sandhills. Ronny inherited the seat his father held at the corner of the Burwell Livestock Market, taking bids every Friday. He spent days at sale barns purchasing small lots of 10 to 20 yearlings for summer grazing, grouping them together and creating a comprehensive herd that would sell as a single sort of over 600 head.
True to Ronny’s parents (Dan and Doris) wishes, Ronny and Kay continue the dream of a multi-generation family ranch. They have been instrumental in succession planning and setting up Morgan Ranch as a truly transitional ranch, ensuring that future generations of Morgan’s respect and hold the same sense of pride in Sandhills Cowboy heritage. Three generations of Morgan’s live, work and learn on the ranch.
Ronny and Kay have always had philanthropic hearts. They volunteered with the Rusty Rustlers 4-H Club and the Nebraska Junior Hereford Association. They served as Secretaries for the Nebraska Hereford Association for decades as they were raising their children. They have served as National Jr. Hereford Association Advisors, hosting many national shows. Kay was named National Hereford Woman of the Year and served on the national board, where she was instrumental in building leadership activities for cattlewomen and growing the fund for supporting our youth through scholarships. Kay represented the US National Hereford Women at the World Hereford Conference in Australia 2004. Nebraska 4-H has benefited from Ronny and Kay’s involvement, serving on boards, judging livestock and horse shows and judging 4-H exhibits.
They are the type of neighbor and friend that a guy can count on to help move a herd, rope a rank bull, drag a cow out of the frozen river (she lived), ride as a stand-in for a ranch rodeo team, or fix lunch for a crew on the fly. One could elaborate here, but those are good questions to ask Ronny and Kay; you’ll get a good story.
Both Ronny and Kay are lifelong members of the United Methodist Church. They are active in leadership roles and serve meals at the church. They raised their four children: Carrie, John, Roger and Patrick, in the church.
We all know Ronny and Kay are a team, but you might also say they are a perfect match. When Kay became ill in 2010 and learned she would need a kidney transplant, Ronny went through the testing. It confirmed what we all knew: he was a perfect match. Now, 13 years later, Kay still carries Ronny’s kidney with her.
Ronny and Kay have raised and still work alongside two generations of cowboys to hold on to traditions and continue ranching “the Cowboy Way.” All of the cattle work on the ranch is done the way it was in 1956: on horseback. The family values hard work, treating the land, the livestock, neighbors and friends with the honor and respect they deserve. Ronny and Kay may not have graced rodeo arenas, but they are true Sandhills Cowboys.