June 18, 1940
Samuel Joe Connell was born in his maternal grandparents’ home in the very southwestern corner of Thomas County. He was the fourth born to Dan and Fay (Paxton) Connell, joining Daniel, Barbara and Carolyn. Later, the family grew to include Lora, Michael, Wilma and Wanda. The family also welcomed several foster children, including Colleen. Sam was born on a family ranch, and some would say, in a saddle, which become his seat of choice throughout his life.
Sam attended District #12 for all his elementary years and completed his schooling at Thomas County High School, graduating with the class of 1958. He married his sweetheart, Phyllis Connell January 10, 1960, and started raising a family of their own shortly after. All his children, Gordon, Sandi, Casey, Mardel, DanDee and Luke, know they were raised by the best cowboy in the land.
Sam took to the cowboy life naturally and was known throughout the state at a very young age for exceptional skills. One of the last of the “Bunkhouse Cowboys”, he was sought after as a ranch hand for his entire life. His second to none work ethic along with his outstanding skills with horses and cattle made for a strongly coveted right hand man. Sam never left the Sandhills, working on some top ranches. Sam claims to this day, some of his favorite times were on the Hardy Bros Ranch, the Miles Ranch and Hershel Dobbins Ranch as well as working on the Connell ranch as well as his own. The Milldale Ranch was one of his favorites where he worked until his late seventies. While Sam was working ranches in the Brownlee area, he added a little fun to his resume and spent a few summers jockeying for the Miles Ranch and Eatinger Ranch at the tracks in Valentine.
Sam’s work in the cattle industry included working at Cattle Growers Feedlot in Stapleton, NE. He also worked for the Nebraska Brand Committee and is the first of three generations to be a Nebraska Brand Inspector. This spring of 2025, at the age of 85, he retired from his longest employment endeavor. Sam has worked for the sale barn in North Platte, NE since the 80’s, working for nine separate owners. Sam’s love for cattle and horses met up with his love for the youth when he served 40 plus years as a horse 4-H leader. He earned his diamond clover pin in the 90’s and served many years more. He also was an area 4-H horse judge. One of Sam’s favorite times of year was late May, when young horsemen met at the C-C ranch for Rodeo Bible Camp. Sam had a desire for the youth to grow up loving the cowboy way of life but more important growing in their walk with Jesus. Sam served as the Arena Boss and in his later years added an announcer to his job title.
Many knew Sam for his quiet hand with horses, and he spent a lot of time through the years breaking and training them for people from all over the country. Sam quickly earned the reputation of being a top hand with horses, especially the broncs others could not touch. Outlaws came from miles only to be returned to their ranch as a quality mount with Sam’s signature tough.
As Sam grew older, he added the love of poetry and highlighted his love for his Lord and Savior, to his cowboy tools of the trade. With his excellent understanding of the cowboy way of ife, combined with his unique writing abilities, he has thrived as a Christian Cowboy Poet, publishing his book “Almost Poetry”. Sam has been asked to share his poetry at multiple festivals and celebrations throughout the years, and his pieces have always been a highlight of the show. He has been featured at Valentine, Nebraska’s Old West Days and The Gathering of Cowboy Poets at Comstock, Nebraska and several other events.
Today you will find Sam trading in his saddle for a stadium seat. He spends his time supporting his family at all their events. Even though the years have stolen the chances of seeing him horseback, he is still very known as “Cowboy Sam”; an icon in the area as he leaves his imprint for the next generation to come.