Family: Wife, Shirley; daughters Robyn and Laura; and granddaughter Amelia
Hometown: Chouteau, Okla.
In Town: Randy Deason and his wife and Shirley both work at the Chouteau Bank of Commerce in Northeast Oklahoma. Randy has been at the bank for 32 years, while Shirley has been there for 35.
“We met at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater while I was making belts to earn extra money. I met her during my last year after earning a bachelor’s degree in animal science and stayed around another year getting a bachelor’s degree in ag econ so we could graduate together. I have been president and CEO of the bank for 20 years, with Shirley serving as the executive vice president and a cashier, though we both started at ground level. I have served in numerous community organizations throughout the years. I currently am a director to Class Foundation. I am also on the board of directors for Hillcrest Hospital in Pryor and am active in the First Baptist Church in Chouteau.”
In The Country: Randy and Shirley have 140 acres, in Chouteau. Randy says the cattle are his, while the gardens belong to Shirley.
“I have 30 Angus/Hereford mommas in a cow/calf operation. I began using Herefords when our daughters, Robyn and Laura, were young and loved showing. Later I stayed with the Angus/Hereford cross because of the black hide and hybrid vigor. I have leased my bulls for the last 15 years so I have to care for them for only two months during early winter breeding. I have used purebred Angus or Hereford bulls from Moore Farms and take his recommendations to maintain both genetic variety and the gentle temperament that I prefer. I retain 10 percent of my heifers as replacements and find that a herd size of 30 mommas is perfect for me. The calves are generally born within three weeks of each other in the fall, the most convenient timing for me. I wean my calves in May at 500 to 550 pounds and I keep them an additional three weeks for preconditioning with shots and accustoming them to bunk feeding. Then I sell the calves at the Tulsa Stockyards.”
Future: “We bought land in Colorado where our daughter Robyn, her husband Jake and little Amelia live. We plan on moving there when we retire, where I will probably help them with their cattle. That is way I have all the fun and none of the responsibility.”
