Hereford Names Inductees to Hall of Fame

Phil and Joyce Ellis; Chrisman, Ill.; Marty Lueck, Mountain Grove, Mo.; and Vern and Jerry Rausch, Hoven, S.D; were inducted into the Hereford Hall of Fame Oct. 21 in Kansas City, Mo., during the American Hereford Association (AHA) Annual Meeting and Conference.

The Hall of Fame honor recognizes leaders and breeders who have influenced the trajectory and advancement of the Hereford breed.

Phil and Joyce Ellis

Phil and Joyce Ellis, Chrisman, Ill., are the owners of Ellis Farms (EFBeef Cattle Genetics). Phil was raised on a registered polled Hereford farm, started by his father. It was there that his love for Hereford cattle began, as he raised cattle and traveled to national shows. Joyce is a fifth-generation Hereford breeder, growing up on the Lanthus Stock Farm near Lowell, Ind.

During a trip to the Lake County Fair in Indiana, their paths crossed. After Phil gave Joyce a tour of Huber Ranch to see their national champion bull, the couple began dating and married two years later. During their 62 years of marriage, they have seen cattle change, associations merge, technology advance and markets fluctuate, but their steadfast commitment to the Hereford breed has never wavered.

EFBeef is the continuation of 141 years of purebred Hereford genetics. The farm held its 75th annual production sale in 2023, on their seven-generation, 1820 homestead surrounded by 1,500 acres of corn, soybeans and hay, along with pastures of Hereford cattle. The couple has three children, Cathy (Joe), Matt (Lisa) and Joe (Lauri), and six grandchildren. Phil and Joyce exhibited high-quality Hereford cattle nationally in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, garnering awards and making connections at national shows across the U.S.

Today, EFBeef is one of the largest contributors to the AHA database for carcass phenotypes and feed efficiency phenotypes; countless cattle have been named AHA Sires of Distinction, Certified Hereford Beef® Sires of Distinction and Dams of Distinction. The operation is heavily involved in research by utilizing the National Reference Sire Program (NRSP), with 16 of their sires completing the program. Phil and Joyce have maintained a conception-to-harvest feedout program for more than 40 years, providing access to constant feedback to track and improve carcass traits.

Marty Lueck

Marty Lueck, Mountain Grove, Mo., grew up in Minnesota and is the oldest of seven children. Lueck got his start in the livestock industry at an early age, raising game birds. Lueck graduated from high school and moved to Springfield, Mo., to attend Baptist Bible College before transferring to Missouri State University, where he met his future wife, Vicki. They married and had two sons, Eric and Ryan.

Lueck’s introduction to the Hereford breed came from Dr. Joe Viebrock, and his wife, Gail. Throughout college, Lueck worked for the couple, assisting with Dr. Viebrock’s veterinary practice and their herd of Hereford cattle. He went on to take the herd manager position at Eagle Claw Ranch, Branson, Mo. In 1981, Lueck was hired as the Journagan Ranch manager by Leo and Jean Journagan. With guidance from Lueck, the Journagans made major changes to their herd and hosted their first production sale in 1985. Over the decades, the ranch continued to build its cow herd with Lueck at the helm.

In 2010, Leo and Jean Journagan gifted the ranch and the registered Hereford herd to Missouri State University. The donation of the ranch to the university transformed the Darr College of Agriculture; students now have access to a unique educational site and more opportunities to pursue careers in beef production or natural resources and wildlife management. The ranch hosted their 32nd sale in October. Lueck’s influence on the university runs deep, from mentoring students to maintaining one of the best Hereford herds in the country.

Vern and Jerry Rausch

Vern and Jerry Rausch have been partners in Rausch Herefords, Hoven, S.D., since they were 10 years old. Faith, family and Herefords are three things synonymous with the Rausch family, which now welcomes the fourth generation of cattlemen into the operation. The ranch’s Hereford roots trace back to 1946, when Vern and Jerry’s parents, along with their older siblings, sold their flock of sheep and bought their first registered Hereford cows to form Rausch Herefords.

At 10 years old, Jerry and Vern both received their first Hereford heifer as a reward for doing chores and taking care of the farm animals. They earned more heifers in lieu of wages until they were 21.

The first Rausch bull and female sale was held in 1959, and in 1965, Vern and Jerry merged their small herds with their father’s and joined in the management of Rausch Herefords. Their sons and grandsons now manage the operation. This year marked the ranch’s 65th annual sale.

Jerry has been married to his wife, Vicki, for 56 years, and Vern and his wife, Sharon, have been married for 58 years. Vicki and Sharon are sisters. Jerry served in the National Guard for six years after high school, and Vern attended South Dakota State University and studied agricultural management.

Vern and Jerry are trailblazers. They were the first Hereford breeders in South Dakota to utilize sale videos and video auction services. Their father was one of the first to use scales to weigh cattle. The Rausch families have had the most cows to qualify for the AHA’s Dams of Distinction list each year since 1980, with more than 1,000 Rausch females receiving the honor. Moreover, bulls with the ‘R’ prefix have made significant contributions to the breed, siring thousands of calves.