Elwin Roney

ELWIN ARCHIBALD RONEY "God Bless my Family, the ranch and those in need" August 11, 1920 - January 22, 2014 Elwin Roney selflessly served his community and industry in countless ways. Trying to summarize this beloved man's life is nearly an impossible task. Consider this a whirlwind tour of an extraordinary man's legacy. Elwin was hardly out of college in the forties when he helped form what has become the Butte County Cattlemen's Association. Only a few years later, he would become president and help lead this fledgling organization to join with the California Cattlemen's Association. He belonged to Tehama, Plumas-Sierra and Lassen County Cattlemen's Associations too and saw their memberships to CCA materialize as well. Elwin served as Butte County Director to CCA for many years and served as second vice president of CCA for one term. He worked long and hard to help find tax relief for ranchers. He found himself in a bitter battle with Butte and Lassen counties as they nearly taxed ranchers out of business. At the time, property taxes exceeded meager income on the ranch. With the CCA Taxation committee, he met with Paul Gaines to aid in crafting sorely needed tax relief proposals. The outcome was the Williamson Act. As a U.C.Davis graduate, Elwin was very supportive of the U.C. Cooperative Extension Service in finding new and better ways to improve conditions for range and livestock. With his dear friend Alva Mitchell, Elwin hosted more test plots than can be properly summarized here. There has been everything from fertilizer and seed test plots, selection for bulls and heifers on individual gaining ability, and some say he has grown every variety of clover known to man. He cooperated in medusahead control projects through burning, and he participated in early testing for the development of Foothill Abortion vaccine. He also pioneered the use of Artificial Insemination on commercial cattle for genetic improvement. Elwin worked with U.C. Cooperative Extension's Alva Mitchell to perfect the feeding of almond hulls to livestock. Their hard work created a new market for the almond growers and a new feed source for ranchers and dairymen. Elwin and his family even engaged in the "City Slicker's" style of entertaining recreational guests. Lucky for the city folk to have shared in this remarkable lifestyle and lucky for many to have heard the stories he would recall from their visits. While the rest rotation management of pastures today is commonplace, it was Elwin who helped pioneer this concept in an ongoing eighteen year project on his family's permit in the Lassen National Forest. Another hallmark of Elwin's dedication to rangeland improvement was his cooperative effort with the California Department of Forestry, The Tehama County Agricultural Stabilization committee, and neighbors and friends to bring about a 10,000-acre control burn in the foothills of Tehama County. Though it took years to complete, it proved a valuable tool for range improvement and its effects can still be seen today. Through the years, Elwin has served as Director of the Tehama County Land Bank, President of the Nord Farm Bureau, Director of the Butte County Farm Bureau, a trustee of Nord Grammar School for nine years, and a member of the Red Bluff Bull Sales' sifting committee. Perhaps Elwin's greatest gift is the twenty years he served as a Four- H Leader and the legacy of his dedication to many children who's lives he helped to mold. Many of those children have remarked about how he could magically guide young folks through his constant encouragement, but never by emphasizing mistakes. On August 11, 1920, third generation Tehama County ranchers Jock and Ulrica Roney, were blessed with their first son, and the fourth generation- Elwin. Elwin grew up on Pine Creek where he learned about the livestock industry, love of life, critters and his fellow man. He spent eight years in the one room Live Oak School and graduated from Los Molinos High School. Elwin graduated from UC Davis in 1942. He belonged to the Honorary Society of the Alpha Zeta Fraternity. Elwin was not only an exemplary student, he was also one heck of a basketball player for the Aggies! Of course, all work and no play was not the life for this man. In 1940, at the old dance hall in Paradise, Elwin met the love of his life. Emily Uhl said yes to Elwin's proposal and they were married November 21st, 1943. This chance meeting has not only created a lifetime friendship and love, but two remarkable children, four grandchildren and now twelve great-grandchildren. Elwin Roney was one of Butte, Lassen and Tehama County's pioneers-he has been a friend and mentor to many people, a guiding light to more, and a champion for ranchers whether it was over taxation, Forest Service Issues, or land use issues. He is an easy man to honor because he was an honorable man. He never asked for much except that God bless his family, his ranch and all those in need. Truthfully, God has blessed all of us for knowing this great man. Jock's Rock~ You might notice a huge lava rock here at Pine Creek Cemetery. Many people have wondered what that rock is doing in the cemetery. One of Elwin's most cherished accomplishments was when he fulfilled his father Jock's request of placing his favorite rock from which he shot many bucks for his headstone in Pine Creek cemetery. The astonishing part of this story is how Elwin labored for days by himself to accomplish this solemn promise he made to his father.