2024 Inductees

{textAt_0_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_1_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_2_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_3_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_4_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_5_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_6_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_7_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_8_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_9_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_10_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_11_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_12_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_13_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_14_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_15_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_16_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_17_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_18_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_19_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_20_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_21_0:text default="Value"}

{textAt_22_0:text default="Value"}

B O O T H I L L M U S E U M

Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame

2024 Inductees

Eldean Holthus

2024
Cowboy Historian

ElDean Holthus was born December 6, 1932, in Pleasant Township, Smith County, Kansas to Fred and Laura Holthus. His schooling began in a one room school near his home and in 1950 he graduated from Smith Center High School. ElDean graduated from Kansas State University in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy along with distinguished military honors. He met Kathryn (Kathy) Mary Brannagan at Kansas State, and they were married on August 16, 1953, at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Manhattan. ElDean and Kathy had 3 sons, Lyle, Michael, and Mitchell. They were married over 63 years with Kathy passing on October 9, 2016. ElDean served in the Army from1954 to 1959. After the Army him and Kathy moved to the family farm, and he became the third generation to work the home half section where he was active in farming until his retirement in 2004. Along with farming ElDean became a pre-licensing and continuing education instructor for A.D. Banker of Overland Park until he retired from the position in 2010. ElDean along with fellow Trustees of the Ellen Rust Living Trust, became actively involved in management and promotion of the Home on the Range Cabin near Athol, Kansas. The cabin was where Dr. Brewster M. Higley wrote the poem, “My Western Home” which became the popular song “Home on the Range.” ElDean spearheaded grant writing and fundraising efforts to restore the aging cabin and keep it standing for generations to come with historical reconstruction completed in 2014, along with footbridges and a nature trail. In 2018, he assisted with the transfer of the Home on the Range Cabin and site from the Ellen Rust Living Trust to the Peoples Heartland Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. At age 91, ElDean shares his knowledge and passion with school groups, civic organizations, and various others visiting the Cabin and remains an enthusiastic and dedicated ambassador for this special piece of Kansas history.

Ernie Rodina

2024
Cowboy Entertainer

Ernie Rodina was born April 7, 1955, in Kansas City, Kansas to Elaine and Ernest Sr. Rodina. Ernie was raised and attended school in Kansas City, Kansas. In 1977, Ernie graduated from Ottawa University. He married Connie Rodina in 1995, and they had four sons: Brent, Luke, Matthew, and Nicholas. Ernie was a district and later regional sales manager for Purina Mills, Inc. where he pursued his passion for helping the equine industry including both the horse and the owner/rider. Through his Purina connections Ernie sponsored countless horsemanship clinics in Kansas and the first ever three-day Kansas 4-H Horse Camp in the early 1980’s at the Linn County Fairgrounds, Mound City. Ernie started the Better Horse Horses Network which sponsored the Eastern Kansas Pro Rodeo Series from 1984 to 2023 which promoted eastern Kansas PRCA Rodeos at Mound City, Fredonia, Coffeyville and Eureka. Ernie also served as a director of the Kansas Horse Council and was an ardent supporter of the Kansas Equi Fest horse expo. He passed away after a long illness on July 12, 2023.

Brad Tate

2024
Rancher/Cattleman

Brad Tate was born August 28, 1935, in Hamilton County, Kansas to Cecil and Maude Tate. Brad was born with ranching in his blood. He is the fourth generation of his family to reside in southwest Kansas and make a life from horses, cattle, and agriculture. Brad worked cattle and was associated with rodeo in high school and college. He graduated from Lakin High School in 1952. Brad went to Colorado State University pursuing a degree in animal husbandry. He met Ann Counter in college, and they got married in 1956. A year later Brad joined the Army and served two years at Fort Bliss later earning the status of lieutenant. He returned to Lakin where he ranched and farmed with his father. In 1960, Brad and Cecil started Tate Quarter Horse Ranch one mile north of Lakin. Two years later Brad became a member of the board of directors for the Kansas Quarter Horse Racing Association. He was recognized in 1998 as a 30-year cumulative breeder. In 2000, Brad was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. In the early 2000s, the Tates moved their ranching operation to northeast Oklahoma.

Rex Bugbee

2024
Rodeo Cowboy

Rex Bugbee was born November 8, 1954, in Emporia, Kansas to William and Marla Bugbee. Rex was raised in Emporia graduating from Emporia High School in 1973. He later attended Flint Hills Technical College. Rex married Teri Ann Neighbors on October 17, 1981, in Pawhuska, Oklahoma and they had two children, Jay and Josh. Rex worked at the Chain Ranch, Emporia Livestock Company, Frontier Rodeo Company, JC Rodeo Company, and the Wheelock Ranch. He was a member of the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty Association, the Medicine Lodge Ranch Rodeo, the PRCA, and the WRCA. Rex was the Top hand at KCRR Multi pickup man of the year in the CPRA
2020 and PRCA Pickup man of the year 2020. Along with the rodeo he enjoyed several hobbies including coyote hunting, leather working, playing pitch, and snow skiing. He also enjoyed spending time with family and friends and was a member of Sardis Congregational Church in Emporia. Rex Bugbee passed away on August 25, 2020, from injuries sustained from a rodeo in Guymon, Oklahoma.

Charles Albert Vest

2024
Working Cowboy

Charles Albert “Charley” Vest was born March 29, 1862, in Edgar County Illinois to Andrew W. Vest and Elizabeth Vest. In the 1870s Charles and his family came to Kansas by wagon. Crossing the Wabash river his horse and him were dragged under a log and his hip was crushed. The family hollowed out a log so his mother could soak him during the trip. He also rode a horse most of the trip so the leg could stretch. Due to this injury, he limped the rest of his life. At the age of 15 Charles joined his brothers cowboying for cattle operations and the few establish ranchers in Decatur and Rawlins counties. He soon found work with Christopher Abbott who had a sizable and established ranch near Herdon, Kansas, in Rawlins County. As a working cowboy, he developed skills riding and roping livestock and working roundups where calves were branded, and large herds were sorted and kept on the move being fed until they were ready for market.
Charles found the frontier range an exciting place where buffalo and Cheyenne could still be found free on the plains. He continued to work for the Abbott’s until the cattle operation moved to Cherry County Nebraska in 1888. Charles returned to Phillips County and married Rebecca Ann Loyd in 1888. They had six children: Elizabeth, Elmer, Floyd, Fred, Grace, and Phebe. In 1898, he moved his family and established a homestead a few miles south of Speed, Kansas where he farmed, helped establish and build roads through the county, and helped build pond damns for farmers’ livestock. Rebecca passed away in Phillipsburg on October 14, 1939. Charles Albert Vest died February 27, 1960, in Phillipsburg, Kansas.