FRENCH, ROGER AND BEVERLY (COX)

by Roger and Bev French

Entry F151 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Roger French Family. Wanda, Roger, Jerry, Beverly and Anne

Roger French Family August 31, 1985. L to R - Jerry, Roger, Beverly,
Anne Kauk, Howard Kauk, Wanda (French) Lousberg and Brian Lousberg

Roger French was born November 7, 1936,
to Esther (Wiggins) and Gerald French.
Esther and Gerald already had a daughter
Alice and a son Gene. They lived on a ranch
ten miles southeast of Mullen, Nebraska.

Roger graduated from Mullen High School
where he lettered each of the four years in
football, basketball and track. He received a
Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal
Science from the University of Nebraska in
1961.

He worked for various ranchers as he grew
up - Monahan's, Pullman's and Coble's. He
helped put in the oil highway south of Mullen
the sommer of 1956. In 1961 he returned from
college to ranch with his parents.

Beverly Ann (Cox) French was born Octo-
ber 3, 1938, to Donna Grayson (Osborn) and
Donald Alexander Cox. They ranched thirty
miles northwest of Mullen. The next year a
son, Marvin Alexander, joined the family.

Beverly graduated from Mullen High
School where she played in the band, was a
cheerleader, was chosen best actress in the
District One-Act Play Contest and was
selected to attend Girls' State. In 1961 she
received a Bachelor of Science Degree in
Foods and Nutrition from the University of
Nebraska.

On August 23, 1959, Roger and Beverly
were married at the Methodist Church in
Mullen. Three children were born to them-
Wanda in 1962, Anne in 1963, and Jerry in
1969.

In 1980 Wanda married Brian Lousberg of
Venango, Nebraska. In December of 1987,
they are living in Tucson, Arizona, where
Brian is a computer operations supervisor
and Wanda works as a receptionist.

In 1985 Anne married Howard Kauk of
Farwell, Nebraska. They live at Roca, Neb-
raska, where Howard is a consulting engineer
on AT&T fiber optic cable projects and Anne
works for National Accounts.

Jerry currently works for Pole Mainte-
nance Company in Louisiana and plans to
attend Southeast Community College at
Milford in 1988 where he will major in
electronics.

All of Beverly and Roger's children, three
of their parents, their sister and brothers,
seven of their aunts and uncles and 13 first
cousins graduated from Mullen High School.

In 1960 Roger spent six months with the
National Guard at Fore Leonardwood, Mis-
souri. He began raising registered Charolais
cattle in 1964. He served as state president
of the Nebraska Charolais Assoc. and was a
member of the Board of Directors for many
years. He was selected as the group's out-
standing member in 1969. In 1970 he and his
father received the Grant-Hooker Soil con-
servation Award. he was active in the Nebras-
ka Beef Cattle Improvement Assoc. and
served as their president. His exceptional
mechanic ability has kept the ranch vehicles
and machinery operating.

Beverly has served as: Pioneer Memorial
Hospital Board member; secretary and presi-
dent of United Methodist women; Methodist
Church Board secretary; secretary and presi-
dent of Sandhill Toastmistress and was the
first Council 4 secretary; secretary of the
Hooker County 4-H Council; open class
exhibit chairman for the Hooker County Fair
Board; first secretary for the newly formed
Systemic Lupus Erythematosis Support
Group in north Platte and was president
during the second and third years the groups
was chartered; secretary-treasurer of the
Mullen Mixed Nuts Food Co-op which she
was instrumental in starting (its purpose
being to supply non-profit health foods to the
Mullen area). She worked as Deputy County
Clerk for a year and now works caring for her
mother who is disabled by Parkinson's
Disease.

Roger's paternal grandparents, Caroline
(Rogers) and Albert French, came from
Omaha on an immigrant train car in 1905 and
homesteaded south of Mullen. The home-
stead is still part of the French ranch. Roger's
maternal grandparents, Emma (Parnell) and
Benjamin Wiggins, came to Seneca, Nebras-
ka, in 1911 from Rising City. They ran a
grocery store and later ranched.

Beverly's paternal grandparents, Minnie
Lou (Kirk) and Alexander Bryant (Eck) Cox,
homesteaded north of Hecla. Eck came to the
Mullen area in about 1905 and Minnie filed
on her homestead in 1908. Bev's maternal
grandparents, Jennie (Strange) and Rush
(Colonel) Osborn, homesteaded north of
Mullen. they operated Cherry Post Office.
Jennie came in 1902 and Colonel in about
1886.