BARR, VONNIE MAE (COTANT) AND DALE

Vonnie Mae Cotant was born 1941, to Harvey and Elva (Willis) Cotant on the Willis Ranch, 8 miles northwest of Mullen, Nebraska where her parents resided. Her grandparents were Steve and Sarah (Herbig) Willis and Olive (Cotant) Knutson who all had homesteaded in Cherry County. She is the fifth child of eight children. Her brothers and sisters are Harold, Willis, Garry, Doug-las, Dennis (Mick), Shirley Shears and Mary Jane Younkin.

Vonnie attended Kindergarten at the Reigle School in Cherry County. In 1947, the family moved to a home on the west edge of Mullen. The rest of her school years were spent in the Mullen Schools, graduating in May, 1959. Her brothers and sisters all graduated from Mullen High School.

After graduation, she worked on a ranch north of Mullen until Sept. At this time she started working for Good-All Electric at Alliance, Nebr. She worked there till Septem-ber, 1960, when she entered the Grand Island Business School at Grand Island, Nebraska, in a secretarial course. In June, 1961, she graduated. She worked two years at Greg's Drug in Aurora, Nebraska. Employment was began at the City Treasurers Office in Grand Island, Nebraska, in November, 1963, as a clerk-typist. Due to a cutback in help after working 5 years at City Hall, she went to work at the Cornhusker Ordinance Plant west of Grand Saline Island. She worked as a clerk-typist in the Purchasing Department until her marriage.

Vonnie married Dale LeRoy Barr in June of 1969 at Grand Island and moved to a farm he owned south of Wolbach, Nebraska, where they still reside. Dale has been involved in farming all his life. They raise grain, hogs, stock cattle and have a Grade B Dairy. Three sons were born to this union – Rodney Dale in 1970, Randall LeRoy in 1972, and Roger Arthur in 1973. They all attend the Wolbach Public Schools.