September 11, 1942
Roy Stewart’s whole life has been devoted to cowboying and stewarding the land.
Roy was born in Stuart, NE on 9/11/1942 to Earl and Coletta Stewart. He had one brother, Jerald and 3 sisters Doris, Judy, and Carol. He married June Gindler of Fort Collins, CO on 4/28/1963 and they have two children Jody & Jay.
In high school, Roy played football and ran track. He participated in One Act plays for 4 years and was honored as homecoming king in 1959. Then, he went to college at Colorado State taking agriculture classes and participating in Livestock Club and Rodeo Club before meeting his wife and moving home. Roy also amateur boxed for 14 years and then coached for Rock County until he was 28.
Roy always worked on his father’s ranch 6 miles south of Newport. He was in a 3 way partnership with his father and brother for 17 years before branching out on his own with 6700 acres and 300 Hereford cows. This operation since doubled in acres with a partnership of Jay and Roy. “Today he and his wife are managing it all and I am an unpaid employee able to go fishing or on a trip whenever I want” – Roy.
Roy served as president of the Newport Rural Fire Department for 13 years helping build the first metal fire house and paint two military surplus fire trucks red in 1968. He helped build the wooden rodeo chutes at the Rock Country Fair Grounds in 1961. Roy rodeoed 6 year trying all events but only pursued bareback riding.
Roy went to A.I. School in Ainsworth in 1963 and practiced for 55 years. He started pelvic measuring replacement heifers in 1976 and still continues.
Roy served as Rock County Farm Bureau president for 6 years, president of the Sandhill Cattle Association in 1980, co-started Nebraska Ranch Expo in 1982 and served on the board for 25 years, director of the Rock County Ag Society (Fair Board) for 17 years and as treasurer for 15 years. Currently, a director for Upper Elkhorn NRD Board for the last 37 years.
Served 9 years on Ranchers Advisory Committee for the Barta Brothers Ranch-University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Served 6 years on the Rock County Planning Committee as Vice Chairman.
After college, he broke horses for ranchers in the area for 12 years. If he was unable to break them, he would sell them to rodeo contractors.
September 26, 1986 he received 1st place in Nebraska’s Master Conservation Award from the Omaha World Herald.
October 12, 1989 he received the Ranchman’s Award from the Nebraska section of the Society of Range Management
In 1996, he received “Commercial Cattlemen’s Award” from the Nebraska Hereford Association.
Was a member of the Nebraska Hereford Association for 58 years.
1996 he was a judge and speaker at the World Hereford Conference in Fort Collins CO. He has attended the World Hereford Conference in Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Canada. Conferences are held every 4 years.
Served as director of Commercial Bank in Bassett for 8 years.
Have installed 6 grade stabilization water structures on the North Fork of the Elkhorn River that runs through the ranch.
Planted 40,000+ trees for livestock protection since 1978.
Served for 20 years on the board of directors for Seven Springs Bottled Water and as the chairman for 8 years.