Winter Cattle Journal 2025 | Gray’s Angus Ranch: A Family Tradition
“[Our herd] is all traced to about seven or eight cows my great-great grandfather had. And we’re sure grateful to God, who has blessed us in all things.”
– Rod Gray
Farming and ranching have always been family businesses, but a seventh-generation operation is especially unique.
Rod and Laura Gray raise registered Angus cattle southwest of Harrison, Nebraska; but the ranch’s history began near Toledo, Iowa, where Rod’s great-great grandfather, Starr Fuller, started raising American Aberdeen Angus in 1898.
Starr’s son, Art Fuller, followed in his father’s footsteps and then eventually sold cows to his son-in-law, Harry Gray (Rod’s grandfather) who started holding public auctions of “richly bred Angus cattle” in the 1940s.
Rod’s dad, Wayne Gray, built up the Angus herd to 400 registered females and sold bulls private treaty. The family business hooked Rod early on, and he bought his first bull at the Denver Stock Show at age 15.
“We did raise the Reserve Champion Angus Steer at the Denver Stock Show out of that bull, too, in 1974,” Gray said.
“I just had interest in it. I was more interested in that than cars and stuff,” Gray said. “I was really active in the Junior Angus Association and showing cattle and wanted to find a good bull try to improve our cow herd.”
And he’s been doing it ever since. Growing up, Rod was active in the Iowa Junior Angus Association, where he served as president. He showed Gray’s Angus breeding stock in 4-H, progress shows, the Iowa State Fair, and the Denver Stock Show. Later, Rod served as Nebraska Angus Association president and worked with the Nebraska Beef Checkoff. He’s even gone international, promoting beef in Central and South America with the U.S. Meat Export Federation. The Grays have also shipped registered Angus breeding stock to Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey, where carefully cultured performance traits serve them well.
“Our cattle have got to be sound, functional, and adaptive to the environment,” Gray said. “We try to make sure we have cattle adaptive to the higher altitudes.”
Pulmonary Arterial Pressure (PAP) testing is a big deal on the ranch these days. Some cattle struggle with the lower oxygen levels at higher altitudes and can develop High Altitude Disease (HAD), or Brisket Disease. Characterized by lethargy, shortness of breath, and brisket edema, Brisket Disease results in heart failure. Susceptibility to Brisket Disease is moderately to highly heritable, and the Grays have selected for HAD resistance in their herd.
While HAD resistance is important, Gray said, “We’re trying to keep balanced traits – kind of the complete package. We don’t chase trends.”
In other words, the stuff that made a good cow for his great-great grandfather is the same stuff that makes a good cow for Rod Gray. And if history is any indication, it’s the same stuff his great-great grandchildren will be looking for in a cow.
At Gray’s Angus Ranch, the whole family is involved – past and present. “We’re a family-based operation and all the kids are actively ranching or participating in the ranch,” Gray said.
Rod and Laura raised their kids while their kids raised up prize-winning Angus. In addition to showing cattle in both the Nebraska and National Junior Angus Association shows, the Gray kids were active in 4-H, progress shows, and stock shows. Their daughter, Naomi, was Nebraska Angus Queen and a finalist for Miss American Angus. Rod’s grandkids represent the seventh generation showing Angus breeding stock.
“Our daughter, Naomi, and her husband, Jeff, they lease the historic Warbonnet Ranch – it’s a Coffee ranch – north of Harrison,” Gray said. Naomi, Jeff, and their six kids run a yearling operation and a cow herd with Gray’s Angus bloodlines.
“My oldest son, Levi, and Sarah, they’re active on the place. He’s a commercial pilot and she works for NRCS, and they’ve got cattle here on the place and own some ground,” Gray said. Gray’s Angus pairs spend the summer with Levi, Sarah, and their kids, Cooper and Kendall, in White River country.
“Colt and Riyatta and their three daughters are right here part time,” Gray said, “and our boy, Heath – he just got married this past September – and his wife, Kelsey – they’re here full time. And our boy, Garret, is here full time.”
The whole family pitches in to help with the annual spring bull sale, branding, and ranch work. The day-to-day ranch management usually falls to Garret, Heath, and Kelsey, with help from Rod and Laura. When they’re not on the ranch, the Grays spend time traveling to Junior Angus shows, stock shows, fairs, and the NILE. They’re also involved with the Nebraska Angus Tour and Husker Harvest Days. The whole family stays pretty busy, but none of it would be possible without Laura, who keeps everything organized, Rod said.
In 2021, Gray’s Angus won the State of Nebraska Angus Producer of the Year Award, owing to the longevity of their operation and their dedication to the Angus breed and the cattle industry in general.
The Grays recently purchased the old Windy Acres Angus facility, previously owned by Broken Arrow Angus, and will be hosting their “Second Century” Performance Bull Sale there on the third Saturday in March. This coming year, they’ll be selling 50 two-year-old and 100 yearling bulls.
Gray’s Angus Ranch runs about 900 cows now, but they haven’t lost touch with where it all began.
“They’re all traced to about seven or eight cows my great-great grandfather had,” said Rod. “And we’re sure grateful to God, who has blessed us in all things.”
Raising cattle is one thing; raising a family is another. The Grays have been one of the blessed families who get to do both – and it looks like they’ll be doing it for generations to come.