ERNY, HENRY JOHN

by Charlotte (Erny) Benner

Entry F134 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Rodeo given at the Erny ranch by Henry Erny in the 1930's.

Henry John Enry was born on Oct. 17, 1899
to Charles and Louise Erny at their home-
stead which was over 20 some miles south-
west of Mullen, Nebr.

He, his brothers Joe, Carl, Frank and sister
Lena, grew up on the family homestead in
southwest Hooker County.

In his adult years, he purchased from his
parents, the ranch 17 miles southwest of
Mullen, which today is still the Erny ranch.

The Elick and Florence Sexton family were
neighbors five miles east of the Erny ranch.
Henry courted Beulah Sexton and later wed
her on Dec. 15, 1936. To this union was born
a daughter, Charlotte Louise and sons, Henry
David and Clifford John.

As a young man Henry enjoyed his live-
stock. As a source of entertainment Henry
put on rodeos at his ranch which drew large
crowds of neighbors from near and far. Later
on,he and Jack Jeffords put on several rodeos
in Mullen. The following is a clipping from
a 1937 issue of the Hooker County Tribune.

Bad Weather Cuts In On Two-Day Rodeo

In sponsoring a two-day rodeo to be held
in Mullen last Friday and Saturday the
promoters, Jack Jeffords and Henry Erny,
calculated at the outset that it was not going
to be any get-rich quick undertaking - but
they did entertain hope that it would at least
break even. It did so, with $2.60 to spare. It
was the boys intention to provide one more
round of public entertainment before cold
weather set in, and from this angle the event
was a success, the quality of entertainment
put on being up to standard, though the
program was probably not as long as some
staged here in the past. At least many
hundreds of people were in town Saturday for
the event which spurted up an additional
large volume of patronage among the various
business concerns, which owe the boys a
measure of credit and thanks.

The Saturday program went over with a
large bang, but the weather man on Friday
decreed there would be no rodeo that day and

proceeded to put out a brand of cold, misty
and rainy weather that caused most people
to give preference to fireside over going out
to the grounds. But the unpleasant tactics
were paid little attention to by the rodeo
talent on hand to compete for the prize
money offered and a number of good horses
were rode for what prize money the small
attendance wished to toss intothe passed hat
- plus additional money put up by the
management, which was entirely satisfactory
to the boys who took part in the event, as they
kept in mind the weather had given the
sponsors a bum break.

The dances Friday and Saturday nights
were largely attended and all present, from
far and near, had one big round of fun. The
crowd was in town to have a good time, and
such was had, with no one becoming unruly
or disorderly so far as we have heard.

The management wishes to thank the
business men who closed their establish-
ments for a few hours and went to the
grounds to attend the show. They also wish
to extend thanks to the following business
men who lent financial encouragement: E.E.
Long $10, Crouse and Long, $7.50, Billy B.
Wright $10, Johnson Mercantile Co. $10,
Wm. Gibson $20, Callie Smith $5 worth of
meals, Bank of Mullen $3, Clyde Arnold
Store $5, Rose H. Welton $2, A.G. Humphrey,
a days services at rodeo gate, Total receipts
were $343.95 Total expenditures were
$341.35 which accounts for the $2.60 men-
tioned above.

Eddie Becker of Ashby, who years ago took
part in the bronc busting at Mullen rodeos,
and got away with the - grapes - a number
of times was one of the judges. The two other
judges were Dean Hayward of Hyannis and
Russell Phipps who threw a lucky rope and
tied his calf quick enough to land first prize
of $15. Enoch Phipps and Howard Prentice
were pickup men, and Charles Phipps and
two other lads, whose names we failed to
learn, did the announcing. Following are the
winners in the events: Saddle riding: 1st.
Tommy Thompson $15, 2nd. Henry Apple-
garth $10. Bareback riding: 1st. Slim Pitzer
$10, 2nd. Jess Gorsuch $7.50. (Cow riding 1st.
Barney Applegarth $10, 2nd. Henry Apple-
garth $5.) Calf roping: 1st Russell Phipps $15,
2nd. Barney Applegarth $10. Free-for-all
horse race: 1st. Dwayne Buechler $10, 2nd.
Henry Erny $7.50. Saddle horse race: 1st.
Henry Applegarth $7.50, 2nd. Elmer Eckles
$5. Pony race: 1st. Dick O'Keefe $6, 2nd. Jack
Hanna $4. In the horseshoe pitching contest
Dale Bradley and Claude O'Brien received
first prize, $4.20 and Louie Neal and E.W.
Bailey second prize, $2.80.

The clipping of the afore mentioned rodeo
was the last rodeo Henry put on. The next
thirty-five years of Henry's life were devoted
to caring for his ranch and his family. He
passed away in Febr. 1972.