2025 News

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Michael Alan Deewall (77 years) of Coldwater, KS passed away November 10, 2025. Mike was born October 16, 1948 in Stillwater, OK. He was the only child of Orville and Gertrude Deewall. Mike’s childhood was spent growing up on the Par-Ker Ranch near Choteau, OK which his father Orville managed. This is where Mike first developed his love for ranching and Hereford Cattle. Mike attended school in Chelsea, OK and graduated from Chelsea High School in 1966. Mike was very active in FFA participating in livestock judging, showing cattle, and speech contests. He showed the Reserve Champion Hereford Steer at the Tulsa State Fair in 1965 and earned his FFA State Farmer Degree in 1966. After high school, Mike attended Oklahoma State University majoring in Animal Science. 

He was a member of the 1969 Livestock Judging Team which won High Team in the Denver Carload Contest, High Team on Cattle in Denver, Ft. Worth, and the American Royal where Mike was 4th High Individual. During his time at OSU, Mike earned many awards for judging, showmanship, and scholarships including being ranked 2nd in the 1970 graduating class in the College of Agriculture. He loved his time at OSU and made many lifelong friendships with professors and classmates. While working at the OSU Beef Barn, Mike met his future wife, Jane Nash. Jane said she knew Mike was the guy for her because he was the only one working while everyone else was busy talking! Mike and Jane were married on July 8, 1972. To this union, two children were born, Kelly in 1977 and Kent in 1980.  

 Mike’s entire adult life was spent working hard and sharing his passion for Hereford cattle. Following graduation from OSU, Mike was the herdsman for Winrock Farms – Turner Ranch division in Sulphur, OK where he was in charge of all show and sale cattle. He showed cattle all over the United States with great success. Numerous champion bull and heifer titles were won including the 1973 National Western Livestock Show Champion Hereford Bull. In 1973, Mike and Jane returned to OSU where he became the Purebred Beef Superintendent overseeing the university’s purebred cattle herd’s breeding and development program. In 1975, Mike became manager of Higgins Hereford Ranch in Nowata, OK. In 1979, Mike, Jane and their growing family moved to Middleswarth Herefords in Henry, Nebraska to become their herdsman. Mike was instrumental in their AI (artificial insemination) program, caring for 500 + registered cows, their show string, and helping with hay and feed operations.