BARENT, STAN AND LUCILLE (SIMONSON)

by Lucille Barent

Entry F10 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Double wedding August 18, 1946. DeWayne and
Allegra Buechler - Stan and Lucille Barent

Stan Barent was born on June 14, 1918 at
the ranch home in Cherry County, 17 miles
northwest of Seneca, Nebraska. His mother
died at an early age, leaving him and his
brother Bud for his Dad to raise. Stan grew
up on his Dad's ranch and entered the United
States Army on October 23, 1942; he was
stationed at Mineral Wells, Texas. Because
of a serious leg injury that he had suffered
when he was 16, as the result of a haying
accident, he received an honorable discharge
in April 1943. Stan worked on various ranches
and participated in area rodeos for a number
of years. He and DeWayne Buechler invested
in a string of rodeo stock and put on rodeos
in a number of towns; Mullen, Seneca,
Thedford, Anselmo, Trenton, Lincoln, and
Kearney. Later they sold their stock to the
late George Stichka.

August 18, 1946, Stan married Lucille
Simonson, daughter of S.T. Simonson (Sam)
and Helen. Lucille was born
1927 on her parent's ranch. This was a double
(yard) wedding at the Simonson ranch home
with Lucille's sister, Allegra and DeWayne
Buechler. In January 1948, the 2 couples
moved to the Red Ranch east of Seneca where
they ranched and continued to put on rodeos.
Stan participated in all five events and placed
a number of times. He was State Champion
Bulldogger in 1961. He is a past president of
the Nebraska State Rodeo Association.

January 1949 blizzard was disastrous for
them, as they lost many of their cattle that
drifted into the Middle Loup River and froze
to death. July 16, 1962 was another bad year
as a severe hail storm destroyed their pas-
tures, alfalfa and hay meadows. The leaves
were torn from the trees, cattle and horses
were badly beaten on their backs and hind
legs.

Stan and Lucille purchased the land east
of Seneca from her parent's October 31, 1964
and began building a brick home on the
property and moved into it the next fall. Stan
contracted haying jobs during the summer;
usually 8 to 10 boys and girls helped coming
from various towns in and around the area.
They stayed with them all summer, it kept
Lucille busy with the cooking and washing
but they thoroughly enjoyed them.

In 1975, the Barent's bought another track
of land along the Middle Loup River, west of
the viaduct west of Thedford, Nebraska that
belonged to Wesley Sherman. In November
1977, they built another brick home, moving
into it March 1978. In 1979, they bought the
land from Bud McGooden which joined their
two places north and south of Hiway #2. In
1982 they sold the building site of the
McGooden land to David and Peggy Ruzicka.

Stan keeps busy ranching and enjoys it. He
helped to get the high school rodeos started.
He has judged many R.C.A. and N.S.R.A.
Rodeos, as well as High School rodeos. He has
been a member of R.C.A. and N.S.R.A and
of the Nebraska Stockgrowers Association.
He has always been active in soil conservation
projects.

Lucille taught school before and after she
and Stan were married, and was busy as a
secretary and timekeeper when Stan was
active in Rodeos. She is a member and Past
Noble Grand in the Rebekah Lodge at
Mullen, a member of Winifred Chapter No.
292 of the Order of the Eastern Star in
Mullen, a member of the Cattlewomen, and
treasurer of the United Church of Christ
Fellowship in Seneca. She has been a Avon
Representative for a number of years and has
really enjoyed it.