2026 Winter Cattle Journal | Koupal Angus: Faith, Family and 50 Years of Angus

When Alice Koupal looks back on more than six decades in the cattle business, she said she can hardly believe how far they have come.  
 
“When I look back on it now, I can’t believe we went through all that,” she said. “We had no one to direct us as far as what we should be doing or should not be doing.” 

What started as a young couple milking cows by hand on a small farm near Dante, South Dakota, has grown into a multi-generational operation with family members scattered across the state, each raising cattle, holding sales and carrying forward the Koupal Angus legacy. Alice and her husband, LaVern, became the third generation to live on the Koupal family farm (Koupal Angus), where they raised their five children, Brenda, Bud, Becky, David and Jenny. The family operation traces back to 1916, when LaVern’s grandfather, Mike, purchased 140 acres. Following Mike and his wife, Josephine, were Lavern’s parents, Leonard and Albina. Today, LaVern and Alice’s grandson, Derek, and his wife, Kristi, and family (D&K Angus) are the sixth generation to live at the home place. LaVern and Alice continue to run cattle under Koupal Angus.  
 
“When LaVern and I first got married in 1964, we were milking cows by hand at our home,” Alice said. “Then, we graduated to milking machines for a few years, but the laws changed on dairy, and you couldn’t have other animals in the barn. We had hogs at the time, so we did away with the milking.” 
 
After that, they bought a few Angus cows from Cedar Grove Angus and their first bull from Jorgensen Brothers. “That’s really how we got started,” she said. 
 
From 1964 to 1978, they built their cow herd. With guidance from their American Angus Association representative, Vern Kirschberger, they set the foundation for the type of maternal cattle they are still known for today.  
 
“Vern was a huge influence in guiding the beginning years, helping LaVern choose quality females as the foundation for building a cow herd,” Alice said. “Some of the things Vern said to us still stand today. He was more than an Angus rep, he was a friend and mentor.” 
 
Their first bull sale, held in Avon, South Dakota, in 1978 was modest by today’s standards but felt monumental to the young family.  
 
“We sold six bulls, and they averaged $600,” Alice said. “We thought that was amazing.”  
 
The sale later moved to Platte, and eventually, they built their own sale barn near Dante. 

Raising cattle quickly became a family affair.  
 
“We had five children, and they all played a big part in our success,” she said. “They helped feed, carry bales, really, whatever needed to be done. Everybody had a job.” 
 
Sale day was always treated like a holiday.  
 
“Nobody went to school that day,” she said. “It was like a national holiday for the kids. Even after they were married, the kids and grandkids still came home to help.” 

As the years went on, several of their children and grandchildren established their own herds. The family now spans multiple herds, several counties and five generations, which includes 18 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.  
 
“Our son Bud started raising bulls, too,” she said. “We each had our own herds, our own business, but we always sold bulls together.” 

Their other son, David, sold bulls with them in Dante for several years before moving west to near Hot Springs, where he and his wife bought a small place and continued the tradition.  
 
“Before you know it, Bud’s sons, Derek, Joe and Dan, and their families, each had herds of their own, too,” she said. “Pretty soon, there were five of us trying to sell bulls at one sale. That’s a lot of bulls to sell in one area.”  
 
As the family grew, they added more annual sale locations across the state: near Dante, Winner and Hot Springs. Each family manages its own herd, but separate families pool cattle for the sales, keeping the Koupal name and philosophy consistent across generations and throughout the state. Their son, Bud, and his wife, Bernie, and family (B&B Angus) run Koupal’s B&B Angus’ annual sale held near Dante, along with Derek and Kristi, who live on the home place, and LaVern and Alice’s granddaughter, Kim, and husband Scott Van Winckle. LaVern and Alice’s grandsons (Bud’s sons), Joe and his wife, Sara, and family (JS Angus), and Dan and Aryn and family (D&A Angus) hold Koupal’s Midwest Angus Sale near Winner each year. LaVern and Alice Koupal (Koupal Angus) and their son David, and wife, Peggy (Koupal Lazy EY Angus), sell bulls together for an annual sale near Edgemont (near Hot Springs), South Dakota. 
 
“Over a 60-year period, we’ve basically spread across the state,” Alice said. “We’ve been members of the Angus Association for 50 years. Our first sale was in 1978, so 2026 will mark 48 years of selling bulls for us.” 

Despite the family’s wide footprint, their values remain consistent.  
 
“LaVern’s always had a maternal herd,” Alice said. “That’s been his thing, his cows. He always figures a cow can only produce a good bull if she’s a good cow.” 

Even with multiple generations involved, a sense of unity remains amongst the Koupal families.  
 
“Everybody’s got their own philosophy about how to raise cattle and what kind of cattle they like,” Alice said. “And that’s good. It makes us versatile. It’s kind of like a car dealer. You don’t sell just one color or one model. With seven herds, we have something that will work for everyone. We don’t criticize what the next person is doing. We work together — branding, working cattle, whatever needs to be done — but we each have our own separate herd to run. I think that’s what’s made it work so well.” 
 
Relationships, Alice said, are at the heart of their success.  
 
“You cannot have cattle without people,” she said. “Your customers have to have faith in you as a breeder. We’re now selling to the third generation of families. The first bull we sold, their grandkids are now buying from us 47 years later. That says a lot about the trust people have in you.” 

That connection, beyond paperwork or pedigrees, defines their work.  
 
“Over the years, we have purchased many bulls. I can’t always remember if they were that good or not, but you never forget the people you purchased them from and the friends you made along the way,” she said. “We have always said that this business is not about selling cattle. Everyone has good cattle. But it is about the people you meet along the way and how they influence your life. We just don’t know our buyers on the day of the sale. We know them all the time. Christmas cards are exchanged and phone calls are made. The sale isn’t over that day. It goes on all year.” 

The people are truly what keep her and LaVern motivated.  
 
“You want to raise the best cattle you can, always. But I really still think it’s the people you meet,” she said. “I think that’s probably why we’ve continued in the Angus industry so long. We’re old enough to have retired a long time ago, but I don’t think we’ll ever completely retire. This is my husband’s whole life.” 

LaVern, now 81, still tends to calves each spring, while Alice keeps up with the bookwork and registrations. 
 
Looking ahead, Alice said her greatest hope is simple. “We’re proud that our family is still involved in cattle and that they love Angus cattle as much as we do,” she said. “Our hope is that they’ll continue keeping the Koupal name out there for years and years to come.  

Her advice for the next generation, whether her own or anyone starting out, is the same honesty that has guided her family for decades.  
 
“Everybody wants to be at the top when they start out,” she said. “But that’s not real life. You start at the bottom and work your way up, because if you start at the top, there’s nowhere to go but down. You also need to be honest with people along the way. If a bull’s got bad feet, say so. Honesty has always paid off.” 
 
And above all, she said two things matter most.  
 
“Faith in God and family,” she said. “Without either one, you have nothing.” 
 

-Photos Courtesy Koupal family