Blayne Beguin

*The funeral will be streamed live on the parish website.

Blayne Beguin, a charming man with a megawatt smile and twinkling blue eyes was born October 14, 1934 on the Beguin ranch twenty miles south of Rushville, Nebraska to Henry and Agnes Beguin. He was the second of four ornery boys. He passed away on June 14, 2020, at his home.

Blayne rode a horse to a one room country school through eighth grade, and then attended Rushville High School where he was an athlete, playing three sports, and winning a gold medal at state track. He completed one year of veterinary school, but left school when his dad had a heart attack and Blayne was needed to run the ranch. He returned home because his older brother was in Korea and the younger two were still in school.

He married Myrna Peters and they had four children, Candie, Roxie, Angie and Rex. After Myrna passed Blayne married Judy Berryman and she had two sons, Kirk and Craig, whom he adopted. Later the couple had a son, Cody. Blayne and Judy would have celebrated their 50th anniversary next month.

He loved rodeos whether he was competing, judging, or mentoring aspiring cowboys. When he was younger, he rode rough stock and steer wrestled until his brother returned from the service. They ran the ranch together and were renowned team ropers, known as the Beguin Boys. They hit every jackpot rodeo in the area continuing to compete at old timers rodeos.

While his life was never an easy one, he was a man who loved his home and his family. There was no limit to what he would do for others. His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the joy of his life. Blayne was proud of every single one of their accomplishments, yelling for them in his booming voice. He cared about kids at the school, whether they were an athlete, a speech kid, in the one act play, a kid who needed help reading or someone who just needed a kick in the ass.

Blayne Beguin, was the embodiment of a true cowboy, whether it was the cowboy who ranched, worked cattle, and broke horses or the rodeo cowboy who loved the competition in the arena. At eighty-one he still mounted a horse at the Fun Days Rodeo. (An annual rodeo he started in 1951 with some buddies). He thought he could at least flag, though he was secretly planning on team roping. An example of just how deep his cowboy blood runs is when his home caught on fire, he searched through the carnage hoping to find his hats, boots, or belt buckles.

Blayne was preceded in death by his parents, Hank and Aggie, first wife Myrna, and his brother Blake. He is survived by his brothers Jerry and Perry Beguin, his wife Judy Beguin, his children Candie (Doug) Johnson, Roxie (Mike) Reetz, Kirk (Heidi) Beguin, Angie (Gary) Hoagland, Craig (Lori) Beguin, Rex Beguin and Cody (Amy) Beguin and all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren who adored him.

If you could ask anyone who knew him what comes to mind when they think of Blayne Beguin, they will say a husband, a father, a grandpa, a cowboy, a bright man, a reader, a writer, a witty man with a one-liner for just about any circumstance and most importantly a compassionate man.

A Vigil Service will be held Thursday June 18, 2020, 7:00 PM at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Rushville, Nebraska, and a Mass Service will be held Friday June 19, 2020, 10:00 AM. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery, Rushville, Nebraska. The family will establish a memorial scholarship and donations may be sent in care of Chamberlain-Pier Funeral Home, PO Box 366, Gordon, NE 69343.