Ernest Roy Berousek passed away in his sleep on May 23, 2010. He was born March 3, 1918 on a farm 7 miles southeast of Yukon. His parents were Joseph and Helen Berousek and he was the youngest of six children. He attended a one-room school at Mustang Valley. He had a prominent 4-H career in Canadian County. He served as county president and won various state contests and represented Oklahoma in national contests in dairy cattle judging. He attended Stonewall Jackson Junior High and Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City. He was a member of the debate team and band in junior high and high school. Also during his youth Ernest played the trombone at the Yukon Czech Hall with his father and uncle. While at Capitol Hill "Ernie" was on the baseball squad. Ernie began his Guernsey career in 1934 purchasing his first registered Guernsey heifer from E.K. Gaylord. In 1935, he added two more Guernsey heifers and from there built the nationally renowned, Lily Lane Guernsey herd. He graduated from high school in 1935. He enrolled at Oklahoma A&M (which is now Okla. State University) in the fall of 1937 and graduated in June 1941 with a BS in Dairy Production. While in college, he worked at the dairy barn to help pay for his education. All the while, Ernest was still involved with his herd at home. Prior to entering college, Ernie formed a partnership with his brother, Otto, who housed the animals thereafter. He was President of the collegiate dairy club and was a member of the National Honorary Society of Alpha Zeta (agriculture), Phi Sigma (biological), Blue Key (Leadership), and Who's Who. He was also a member of Farmhouse Fraternity. In 1941, he was awarded the Farmhouse "Builder of Men" award and named outstanding dairy student. Ernest kept his connection to Farmhouse Fraternity throughout his entire life. During this time, the Yukon Czech Hall held weekly dances and it is there he meet Beatrice Rose Kouba. On July 19, 1941 they married and moved to Columbia, Missouri, where he did a graduate fellowship with the Dairy Department. Ernest graduated with a Master's Degree in Dairy Research in the artificial insemination of dairy cattle while at Columbia, and was a member of Gamma Sigma Delta (National Agriculture Society). He was called to duty by the Army Service. He and Beatrice moved back to Yukon, OK, only to be turned down by the state selective service. Ernest spent the next 5 years managing dairy farms in Oklahoma and Illinois. One of those farms in Oklahoma was Gaylord Guernsey Farm. While in Ill., Ernest and Beatrice started a family. Their first daughter Karen was born. In December of 1946 he joined the Dairy Faculty at Oklahoma State University, where he did teaching and also research. He had 35 research articles published while at the University of MO and OSU. While at OSU, he coached the Dairy Judging team for 6 years, supervised the 350 cow dairy herd, bred cows that classified excellent in all four breeds and elevated the OSU dairy herd to one of the top 3 collegiate herds in the country. In 1956 Ernie took a 6 month sabbatical from OSU and the family moved to Peterborough, New Hampshire. He researched records of 46,000 cows. In 1959 Ernie completed his thesis and earned his PhD in Animal Breeding. While in Stillwater, daughters Erna and Melinda were born. In 1960, he accepted chairmanship of the Animal Science Dept, at the University of Rhode Island. Being away from their Oklahoma roots, Ernie and Bea would host foreign exchange students during Holidays who were not able to travel home to their native countries. After 6 years, the Berousek Family returned to Yukon, residing at their "Lily Lane Farm." When he moved to Yukon, he decided to retire from teaching after 20 years. In 1966 in Yukon, Ernest started his New York Life Insurance Agency. Ernest didn't officially retire until the late 1980's. As with everything else Ernest Berousek did, he earned his CLU, (certified life underwriter) the highest ranking an insurance agent achieve. During this career, being active in Yukon, he was founder and president of the Yukon Historical Society, director of the Yukon Museum and Arts Center, past president of the Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the finance committee at the First United Methodist Church-Yukon, VP of the Canadian County History Book Assn., Past president of the Kiwanis Club, past president of the Canadian County Mineral Owners Assn., Chairman, of the Canadian County Board of Health, member of the Oklahoma Czechs, Inc. He was the Czech Day Parade Marshall for many years. He was a member of the 1st United Methodist Church of Yukon for over 40 years. In 1995 the American Guernsey Association presented him with the Distinguished Service Award at their National Convention held in LaCrosse, WI. He was awarded the H.B. Frank "Citizen of the Year" in 1996. Even as Ernie's life began to slow down, he was still being recognized for all of his life-time achievements. In the spring of 2009, life-long friends of Ernie were present at Spanish Cove, when Ernest was presented the Master Breeder Award by Oklahoma State University. Several staff members from Stillwater came to Spanish Cove to present this award. And the National Dairy Shrine awarded him "The Pioneer Award" in 2009. With Ernie being unable to travel, his daughter Melinda and son-in-law Rick Rushing attended the World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI, in Oct. of that year to receive his award for him. Ernest Berousek was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Joe and Otto Berousek, his sisters, Elsie Berousek, Alma Antenne, and Helen Sears, his 1st wife of 58 years, Beatrice and daughter, Erna Walters. He is survived by wife Tela Klinkevich Berousek of OKC, daughter Karen Berousek and her fiance Neil Asting of Monument, CO and daughter Melinda and her husband Rick Rushing of Yukon and step-daughter Nancy and her husband, Lloyd Menz of Union City, granddaughter Jennifer and husband Matthew Dietrich of Roanoake, VA and grandson Phillip Walters of Minneapolis, MN, great-grandchildren Aidan, Amelia, Erna, and Graham Dietrich and life-long family friend Bobby Griggs and his wife Glenda of Seminole. Ernie also has many nieces, nephews and cousins in the OKC area. Funeral services will be held Thursday May 27 at 2 PM at the First United Methodist Church in Yukon with burial following in the Yukon Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Yukon Farm Museum c/o Yukon Historical Society or the Oklahoma Guernsey Breeders Association, Junior Program. Donations can be sent to: P.O. Box 850360, Yukon, OK 73085. Friends may sign our online guest book at www.smith-turner mortuary.com. Services are under the direction of Smith & Turner Mortuary, Yukon.

Published in The Oklahoman on May 26, 2010