SHEARS, VERNON AND SHIRLEY (COTANT)

by Vernon and Shirley Shears

Entry F380 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Vernon and Shirley (Cotant) Shears. Wedding May 10, 1959.

Vernon Shears family May 11, 1935. Vickie (Shears) and Mike McDermott,
Verlon, Vernon, Shirley, Marvin

Shirley Maurine (Cotant) Shears, daughter
of the late William Harvey and Elva Pearl
(Willis) Cotant was born March 31, 1937 in
south Cherry County at the Steve Willis
Ranch. Shirley's paternal grandmother was
Olive Cotant Knutson and maternal grand-
parents were Stephen Griffith and Sarah Ella
(Herbig) Willis. They lived northwest of
Mullen.

Shirley attended rural schools in south
Cherry county from kindergarten through
the fifth grade. Her parents moved to Mullen
and built their home where her mother still
resides. The rest of her school years were
attended in the Mullen Public Schools.
Shirley graduated from Mullen High School
in 1954. Her five brothers, Harold, Willis,
Garry, Doug, Mick and two sisters Vonnie
Mae (Barr) and Mary Jane (Younkin) are all
graduates of Mullen High School. After
graduation Shirley attended Kearney Stste
College and taught rural schools in Cherry
County for five years.

In 1959 Shirley married Vernon Verl
Shears, son of Verlan Thomas and Elda
Laura (Morrison) Shears. Vernon was born
1935 in Mullen. Vernon's paternal
grandparents were William Aaron and Mary
C. (Gambill) Shears and maternal grand-
parents were Peter and Dora (Knipe) Morri-
son. Vernon's grandparents all lived in the
Mullen area. Vernon's brother Bernard lives
at Holdrege, NE and sister Doris Schufeldt
lives southwest of North Platte, NE.

Vernon attended rural grade schools in
Cherry and Grant counties. He graduated in
1954 from the University of Nebraska School
of Agriculture at Curtis, NE. After gradua-
tion he worked on the Reimers ranch south-
west of Mullen till he was drafted in the Army
in 1956. He received his discharge from the
service in February of 1958 of which eighteen
months of this time was spent in Germany.
After his tour of service he again worked on
the Reimers ranch until he and Shirley were
married.

Three children joined the family - Verlon
Harvey in 1960, Vickie Maurine in 1962 and
Marvin Joe in 1963. They lived in the Mullen
area till 1962 when they moved to Bayard,
NE and worked for Rush Creek Land and
Cattle Company. In 1967 they moved south
of Ashby and worked for Haythorn Land and
Cattle Company. For better schooling for the
children they moved to Mullen in September
of 1970. In 1971 they bought their home in
Mullen where they still reside.

Vernon was employed by the Mullen Coop
delivering propane for eleven years and is
presently employed by Cherry County Road
Department. Shirley worked for the Exten-
sion Service for several years and is now
working for the Nebraska Departent of
Social Services and Sandhills District Health
Department.

The children all graduated from Mullen
High School. Verlon graduated in 1979 and
from Mid Plains Community College in
North Platte in 1981 in Building Construc-
tion and 1986 in Diesel Mechanics. Verlon is
employed at Shopko and Inland Truck Parts,
Inc. of North Platte, NE. Vickie graduated in
1980 and worked in Scottsbluff, NE at a Day
Care Center and Holland Bakery. She
married Mike McDermott in May of 1985 and
they live in North Platte, NE. She is em-
ployed at Burger King and her husband Mike
is a mechanic at Nebraska Machinery. Mar-
vin graduated in 1982 and from Mid Plains
Community College, North Platte, NE in
1984 in Diesel Mechanics. He is employed at
Quarter Circle Bar northwest of Mullen.