BEEF BRIEFS IN MEMORY OF... JUDY RENTZ
Judy Rentz, 77, of Coldwater, Ohio died Feb. 18, 2022. She was born in 1944, on her family farm near Montezuma, Ohio. She was married in 1968. She is survived by her husband James ( Jim) Rentz of Coldwater; three children: Sheri, Doug and Nick and an extended family of grandchildren and step grandchildren, five siblings and many additional family members and friends. The Rentz family raised Angus cattle in Mercer County and were active in the Ohio Angus Association and the American Angus Association. Early in her career, Rentz was a staff member at the Center for Neurological Development in Burkettsville serving people in need of neurological therapy. She went on to work at Mercer County Probate Court until retirement and was a dedicated volunteer at Mercer Health Hospital. Memorials in her name may be made to the MED Foundation of Mercer Health or Everheart Hospice.
RICHARD SOUR
Richard (Dick) Sour, 91, of Urbana, Ohio passed away on March 6, 2022. He was born in 1930 in Seneca County, Ohio. In 1948 he was selected as the Ohio FFA Star Farmer and graduated from high school in 1949 with a scholarship to Ohio State University (OSU). During his time at OSU he served as the university’s beef cattle herdsman and also as president of the Saddle and Sirloin Club. As a member of OSU’s 1951 general livestock judging team, he won high individual at both the American Royal and the Chicago International Collegiate Judging Contest. Sour graduated from OSU in 1953 with a B.S. degree in animal husbandry and served on active duty in the U.S. Army in Greenland as a first lieutenant.
52 | Ohio Cattleman | Spring Issue 2022
Afterward, he became beef cattle herdsman and instructor of horse production at the Pennsylvania State University. Sour began judging beef cattle in the early 1950s and during the next fifty-one years judged many major livestock shows. After serval years establishing Angus Glen Farm in Ontario, Canada, he, and his family returned to Champaign County in 1965 and established Carriage Hill Farms. Sour was a member of the committee that originally organized and formulated the Ohio Beef Marketing Program. He was a member of the first Ohio Bull Test Committee and of the Executive Committee for the Buckeye Beef Show. He initiated and planned the first Ohio Angus Preview Show, and later organized the carcass show at the Champaign County Fair. He was inducted in the OSU Animal Science Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1973. He actively participated in the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, the Ohio Angus Association during terms as President, Secretary and Director. He was a Director in the Miami Valley Angus Association and in the Champaign County Cattlemen’s Association where he was President and lastly, Treasurer. He has been President of the Champaign County 4-H Advisory committee, Secretary of the OSU Animal Science Department Advisory Committee, and the Industry Representative on the OSU Review Advisory committee for Research Development. Sour is survived by his wife, Barbara, his daughter, Leslie, and a son S. Reed. Donations in his memory may be made the Champaign County Cattlemen’s Association, 7012 Stevenson Rd, Cable, OH 43009.
BOYLES EARNS DISTINGUISHED EXTENSION FACULTY AWARD
Dr. Steve Boyles, Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences and OSU Extension, recently received the Distinguished Extension Faculty Award for his innovations and contributions to the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. BQA ensures that beef and dairy cattle are maintained in a manner which will result in a safe and wholesome beef product for the consumer. Dr. Boyles has provided leadership to Ohio’s BQA program since its inception in 1994. Ohio’s program resources have been used by other states and was the certification tool for the 5-State Beef Alliance. Dr. Boyles has presented BQA related topics to over 15,000 people. Most of his efforts have been with in-person programming. However, he was an early adopter of web-based BQA certification having an Ohio site in 2002. He uses hands-on teaching tools for conducting programs on animal handling and corral design. His corral kits have been used in multiple states and at national cattle producer conferences and veterinarian conventions. Dr. Boyles serves on several national BQA working groups in curriculum development, including the Bovine Emergency Response Plan (BERP) team which trains first responders how to handle livestock accidents on highways. Dr. Boyles was also recently recognized as the BQA Educator of the Year at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Annual Convention.
