CALF News Aug./Sept 2018

26 CALF News • August | September 2018 • www.calfnews.net F amily histories are Ameri- can history. Greg Dobesh is a Custer County, Neb., native whose past is filled with adventuresome immigrants from Czechoslovakia – three brothers who traveled out West until they landed in the Ansley area, where “the grass is as tall as your armpits.” Historically speaking, they multiplied to an ample number, and most seemed to be named Tom, Art or Frank. Addition- ally, they were notoriously ornery. It’s a simple fact that there’s been a long line of Dobesh men who were sometimes hard to live with. Before going further, let me clarify one thing. It’s perfectly OK for me to write what I have personally witnessed. I am also a Dobesh, Greg’s cousin. I will state up front that Greg is not counted among the ornery Dobesh men, having escaped that label with good behavior. Dobesh’s grandfather, Art, served in the military duringWorldWar I, failing to communicate with his family while spending two years in Europe. Long given up for dead, he surprised his wife, Lillian, by walking into the house one evening after arriving stateside and demanding to know why his supper wasn’t on the table. The three brothers may have shared a sharp attitude, but they also had another trait deeply embedded in their DNA: they were all gifted livestock producers. Following the trail Greg Dobesh is the last of the Custer County clan to follow the livestock trail. He was raised on the Box Bar Ranch near Eddyville. The sizeable operation was a cow-calf and stocker unit. Grow- ing up on horseback, he rode broncs in rough pastures and sorted sick calves out of groups backgrounded on the South Loup River meadows. His father, Charles, was as gritty and headstrong as God could create, but a perfectionist who loved nothing better than a good horse and a healthy calf. The Box Bar was lost in the 1980’s agricultural recession. Greg was 28 at the time and stayed where he was rooted. His life subsequent to the Box Bar shows ambition and love of work. By his side and solid as a rock,“Mrs. Dobesh” ( Jan) has maintained a cheerful presence. The couple eloped 42 years ago, proving that sometimes these things turn out just fine. The variety of work Dobesh has maintained covers nearly every aspect of the cattle production arena. He first pro- By Patti Wilson Contributing Editor vided a fly control service for area herds, checked cattle, cowboyed and broke horses. After working as hired help on a place near Broken Bow, the opportunity to take it over provided him and Jan a beautiful home and productive farm. Their operation includes hay ground and pivots. They have leased pasture for summer grazing for their cows and broodmares. Over the years, the amicable rancher did artificial insemination (AI) work in five states, breeding up to 5,000 heifers annually with the aid of heat synchro- nization. He ran a heifer development program at his ranch for several years and AI’d heifers for a large local cow-calf outfit. Extracurricular activities Not one to sit still, Dobesh’s other interests are abundant. A talented horse- Charles Dobesh, Greg’s father, always loved a good horse. Photo circa 1939 Corriente cows graze oats under a pivot at the Dobesh place. LAST OF A RANCHING LEGACY Greg Dobesh