Vern Oatman

Broken Bow, NE – Vernon Oatman age 89 of Broken Bow passed away on December 6, 2024, at the Community Memorial Health Center in Burwell.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 11:00 AM at the V-Bar Trailer Sales shop with Pastor John Parsons officiating. Private inurnment will be in the Broken Bow Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Custer County Foundation in Memory of Vernon Oatman. A visitation and time to greet the family will be held on Friday, December 13th from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Govier Brother Mortuary. Words of encouragement and remembrance can be left at www.govierbrothers.com 

Vernon LeRoy Oatman was born March 3, 1935, in Ainsworth, NE to LeRoy LaSelle and Elsie Maurine (Rolston) Oatman. Vernon was the youngest of five children: Marjorie, Robert “Bob”, Dale, and Iloe.

Vernon was raised on the Oatman Ranch 20 miles South of Johnstown. The family then purchased a ranch 10 miles South of Ainsworth, where they lived for approximately 8 years, and then traded it for a ranch 10 miles West of Ainsworth.

Vernon attended the Voss-Wrage school South of Wood Lake, from second grade through eighth grade, where he rode his horse seven miles to school each day. After his eighth-grade year, he attended the Ag School at Curtis, NE for a year and a half, then continued his high school education, in Ainsworth, graduating in 1952.

While in high school he was a member of the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association. In 1948 he rode his first cow at the first sanctioned high school rodeo in Curtis, NE, and in 1951, he was the All-Around Cowboy at the open FFA Rodeo in Ainsworth. After graduation, Vernon worked on ranches, roped in three different roping clubs, rode cows, and picked up broncs for six years steady in Nebraska and South Dakota.

Vernon married Velma Jeanne Painter from Springview, NE on July 25, 1957, in Lawton, OK. At that time, Vernon was serving in the United States Army as a helicopter flying crew chief, which he loved dearly, and in 1958 he was transferred to Fort Hood, TX in the same position. In his spare time, while stationed in Texas, he helped numerous people with their horses and goats. Vernon was released from the Army on January 10, 1959, at which time he and his wife had a ranch job waiting for them in Clearfield, SD. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Nebraska. While working at the Ansel Wrage Ranch north of Valentine, they began their family. They had three children, of which all three were born in the same Ainsworth hospital as Vern; a daughter, Tammy LaRae, a son, Kem LeRoy, and a daughter, Lesa Lyn, who was born while Vern worked at the Hanna Ranch just North of Brownlee. 

 In 1964, Vernon and his family moved from Brownlee to Broken Bow and took a job with the Nebraska Brand Commission. In 1977, Vernon and Velma proudly opened their own business, V-Bar Sales & Service. The entrepreneur tradition continued onto other family members and today, seven family members have started and/or own their business in the Broken Bow area. Vernon was very proud of his family and their achievements. 

In 1991 V-Bar began donating the use of a horse trailer to the Nebraska High School Rodeo Queen and then went on to donate the use of a trailer to the Nebraska High School Rodeo Timed Event Cowboy Champion. To date, this tradition continues. Vernon remained very active in the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association throughout the years. He not only put on the Broken Bow High School Rodeo for several years, but he also volunteered at several High School Rodeos and junior rodeos throughout the state. Vernon and Velma loved rodeos and the kids, they donated to the NeHSRA scholarship fund for over 25 years.

 V-Bar also sponsored a ranch rodeo team for over 10 years, of which it consisted of Vernon's family members. He judged several rodeos and ranch rodeos over the years as well as coordinating and sponsoring them. One of Vernon’s greatest passions was rodeo and for over 40 years he attended the Timed Event Championships at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, OK.

 Vernon ran cattle and raised horses, even to this day. He stood more than one stallion for over 30 years, trained his own horses, and took in horses for other people to ride. He and John Sennett started the 4-H horse roping events in the Custer County program and helped with several horse events at the Custer County Fairgrounds. Vernon was a 4-H horse leader for over 10 years, with a practice arena at his place since 1969 for everyone to use. Vern’s arena has held numerous family get-togethers, practices, and annual fun days, and over the years, his arena has also seen new beginnings, great achievements, a handful of broncs, a few mishaps ending in a dirt bath, and many smiles, laughter, and memories created by his family and friends.

 Vernon received several awards: Honorary Chapter Farmer FFA, Chamber of Commerce Board of Director, Custer County Crop Improvement Association, Feeders and Breeders, Friend of 4-H, Friend of Custer County Fair, Manning Feeds, and the Lifetime Achievement Award. Vernon also received two awards, which were the most cherished of all awards. The first was received by both Vernon and Velma in 2012 at the Nebraska High School Rodeo given by Bill and Marge Manning for their support and love of rodeo; the second in 2014, when Vernon was inducted into the Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame. Vernon also had the honor of being a director for the Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame. In 2019, Vernon was honored with the Honor Flight to Washington D.C.

 Vernon is survived by his wife Velma of Broken Bow, kids Tammy (Casey) Flynn of Broken Bow, Kem (Kimberly) Oatman of Broken Bow, and Lesa Oatman (Mitch Vodehnal) of Burwell, seven grandkids Sadye (Andy) Taylor, Travin Flynn, Lance Oatman, Jill Oatman, Destri (Jordan) Millsap, Shaley (Dustin) Miller, and Jacy Millsap (Kaleb White), five great-grandkids Remi, Mesa, Hazen, Beckett, and Ryker, sister Iloe Arent of Marshfield, WI, and sister-in-law Shirley Swan of Springview, several nieces, nephews, special friends, as well as others dear to his heart.

 Vernon was preceded in death by his parents Roy & Elsie Oatman, sister and brother-in-law Marjorie (Reece) Bligh, brothers and sisters-in-law Bob & Alberta Oatman, Dale & Delmira Oatman, brother-in-law Les Arent, niece & nephew Janet (Clyde) Brewer and a nephew David LeRoy Oatman.