BOOTS, RICHARD AND LUCIE (JONES)

Richard and Lucie Boots moved to the Hooker County, Nebraska area in the spring of 1979. Both having origins in Grant County, Nebraska.

Richard was the second child of Gerald O. and Esther L. Hoffman Boots. Gerald's family came to Grant County in 1914 from Custer County, Nebraska and Esther's family farmed in Buffalo County, Nebraska.

Richard was born south of Ashby, Nebras-ka, 1943 on the ranch his Dad ran for many ears. Others in the family were: Leroy, Rodney and Ellen (White). They milked 14 cows to supplement their income. To this day, Richard is not much of a cow milker. He had a great love for horses. In the middle 1980's he added work horses to his collection and purchased an old horse drawn mower and rake. He would follow the tractor driven mowers in the hay field.

Richard belonged to the N H S R A and N S R A, participating in saddle bronc and bullriding. In the fall of 1964 he won State in bullriding. He retired from the riding events and judged all forms of rodeos for the next 15 years. Three of his children participated in high school rodeos.

Richard and Lucie Jones were married Oct. 23, 1965 in Hyannis, Nebraska. Lucie was the only child of Richard and Lea Jones of Hyannis. Richard Jones grandparents, John and Sarah Jones, came to Grant County in the late 1800's, from Buffalo County. His Mother's family, Jessie Haney, originated in Wilbur, Nebraska. Luselotta (Lea) Rupert was born and raised in Germany. While in the United States Army in Germany, Richard and Lea were married. Lucie was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, 1947. She came to the United Stated in 1948 and was naturalized in Broken Bow, Nebraska in 1969. Both Richard and Lucie graduated from Hyannis High School.

Richard Boots worked for Pete Becker at Ashby for 20 years. While there, three children were born to Richard and Lucie. Tony Lama in 1966, Tonya Lee in 1969, and Thomas Andrew in 1972. In the spring of 1979 the Boots moved to the Farrar Cattle Co., south of Mullen, working for Helen Farrar. Nocona Kay was born in 1982. Tony is in his second year at the University of Nebraska, studying broadcasting. Tonya is a freshman at Kearney State College, Thomas is a sophomore at Mullen High School and Nocona started kindergarten in 1987.