Larry Trenary

Larry Trenary, age 81, of Arthur, NE, passed away, Friday, April 30, 2021 at the Indian Hills Manor in Ogallala. 

Larry was born on May 27th, 1939 in Lincoln Nebraska, the son of Elza and Erma (Shafer) Trenary.  

He attended grade school in Arthur, Maxwell, and Lincoln, Ne. and attended High School at Lincoln Northeast and played basketball and then graduating in 1957. He shared a roping arena with Terry McGinely in Lincoln and spent spare time practicing roping.  He attended College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California, where he first learned the art of Dally Roping  with a very good friend. He loved to come the family ranch in Arthur and spent all his summers there working and roping in his spare time. Larry spent time with his Uncle Lawrence Shaw at Sutherland, Ne, where he roped.  

On December 9th, he was united in marriage to Sonja Mickelson in Sterling, CO and  they became the parents of 2 sons, Bret Lawrence and Troy Alan.  

He rodeod Pro and competed in Cheyenne, Pendleton, Fort Worth, Odessa, Chicago and Denver Stock Show to name a few. He went on to win many titles in Calf Roping, All Around, and was runner-up Steer Wrestler and Team Roping Champion in the Nebraska Rodeo Association and the Mid States Rodeo Assoc.  In 1997 he and his partner Tony Tonozzi of Colorado won the World Team Roping Title at the USTRC Finals in Gutherie, Okla. He was so thrilled when in 2014, Jhett and his partner accomplished the same thing. In  2015 he was inducted into the Nebraska Cowboy Hall of Fame. He loved having young friends of his family stay at the ranch and they fine tuned the sport of Team Roping. There was always a bunch pulling in to rope and he loved them all,  he couldn’t wait for them to show up.  He spent a lot of time with his two sons, in the arena fine tuning the art of team roping and his son Bret went on to the Pro Circuit and the NFR in 1987. 

His family was his life and he loved his grandson Jhett and granddaughter Mercedes, who took up the sport of roping and were very successful. If he couldn’t attend their rodeos, he would wait by the phone to see how their weekends went. He was so happy when Mercedes was the 2019 NSRA champion Mixed Team Roper. He thought they were the greatest kids on earth.  After he crawled off of his team roping horse at the age of 70 and announced he was retired from the sport he took up back grounding calves which he thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow, and attended cattle sales all around to purchase them. Larry was a friend to all and loved to help anyone with their roping questions and tips on background calves.

He lived a full life until sickness overcome him but lived it to the fullest.

Larry is survived by his wife of 61 years; Sonja, of Arthur; 2 sons; Bret (DeeDee) Trenary; Troy Trenary; 2 grandchildren; Jhett Trenary; Mercedes Trenary (fiancé Brandon Swanson); a brother, Sam Trenary, of Fullerton, CA; 5 nieces, 1 nephew and their spouses. 

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 11, 2021 in the Arthur High School Gymnasium in Arthur with Pastor Blake Wilkes and AB Cox officiating. 

Online condolences may be left by going to www.drauckerfh.com by clicking the share a memory button. The service will be recorded and put onto the website after the service. 

A memorial has been established to the Arthur Ambulance and the Arthur Rural Fire Protecting District in Larry's name. 

Draucker Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. 

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.