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History
Welcome to angus on the prairie. The story of Rundles Angus Farms and Henkel Family Farms. By Tom Burke For 77 Years, A Tried and Proven Source of Warren J Rundles Nov. 20, 1921-Oct. 14,2011
Rundles Angus Farms is located in the fertile
farmlands of central
dating back through central
Warren Rundles was 13 years of age when his father, C.M. “Charles” Rundles purchased his very first registered Angus cows. Two of the very early cows who came into the program were Eline Environ (577768) this daughter of Earl Marshall 36, was born
born
“Eline” family, which was to
As the herd continued to grow and develop, it was
time
499th (699154), who was born January,
He cost $5,000, which was a mighty hefty
investment for an Angus bull at that time. Eileenmere 499th was sired by
the American Royal Grand
Champion and Senior Champion at the International
in 1941,
establish a record price for a beef bull for a
twenty-year period to
who was the Grand Champion Bull at the
International and sire of two International Champions, one Senior Champion and
two
Junior Champions at the International. Eileenmere
260’s dam, Evergreen Lady T7, is also the dam of the many-times Junior
Champion, Eileenmere 300, whose grandma,
Evergreen Lady T3, won her class twice at the International Livestock Show. The
sire
of Evergreen Lady T7, Blackcap Mahaska, produced
a 1st Prize two-year-old bull at the International.
The first calves by Eileenmere 499th began
arriving at Rundles Angus in 1944 and they were sensational! The most
notable was Eileenmere R 21st, born on
21st had all the great characteristics of his
great sire, Eileenmere 499th. Eileenmere R 21st was to bring great fame and
fortune
to the Rundles Angus herd, as they exhibited him
at the 1947 International Livestock Show where he was a class winner and
won the coveted award as the 1947 International
Reserve Grand Champion Bull. He was used quite heavily while being shown
as a Senior Yearling; nevertheless, he won his
class at the 1946
R, (716594), born
Eileenmere 85th with a strong blending of the
best of Earl
At the 1947 International Livestock Show, the
Rundles bred and exhibited the 2nd Prize Pair of Bulls, both sired by
Eileenmere 499th, Eileenmere WR 3rd and
Eileenmere R 21st. In the 40s, 50s and 60s, the Rundles family was very
active
in the Central Illinois Angus Association, where
number of sales each year at their sale pavilion
near Congerville,
An outcross bull added to the Rundles program was
Bardolier A13, born
GR, bred in the A. R. Althaus & Son herd at
The real magic cross in the Rundles program was
mating
Eileenmere R 21st, to his half sisters by
Eileenmere 499th. One of the great bulls to come from this cross was Eileenmere
CR 50th,
born on
Grand and Reserve Grand Champion Bulls both
coming out of that class. Many leading herds attempted to buy Eileenmere CR
50th, but their offers were rejected, as he
continued to be a very popular sire in the program.
On
sired by Bardolier A13 with his dam by the
International Reserve Grand Champion, Eileenmere R 21st, second dam by
Eileenmere
499th. This bull placed 5th at the American Royal
and 7th at the International in a strong class of Junior Yearlings. The real
test
was his sensational calves.
Through the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the Rundles hosted
many successful production sales. The Rundles family held a
production sale on
Grand Champion, Eileenmere R 21st. The after sale
party was highlighted by Col. LeRoy Van Dyke singing his now legendary
song, “The Auctioneer.” Le Roy was at the sale
serving as a ring
1956 was to mark a sad year in the Rundles
program - the death of Eileenmere R21st, the International Reserve Grand
Champion Bull who lived to be 12 years of age. By
that time, due to rules instituted by the American Angus Association, once a
bull died, he could not be used any longer, as a
deceased bull’s calves were ineligible for registration.
In 1957, the Rundles returned to their longtime
friends, the Tolans at
to their program. Eileenmere 1610 was sired by
Eileenmere 1100, who sired 21 International 1st Prize winners. His dam,
Paulinemere 6th, was an own daughter of the 1946
International Grand Champion Bull Eileenmere 500. Eileenmere 1610 was to
prove to be a great investment in the Rundles
program. A great son of Eileenmere 1610, Eileenmere WR 61st, born
1959
heifer calves and 1 bull calf and proved to be
from a great cow producing family in the Rundles herd.
They were fortunate to own one of the great
breeding bulls of the time, a bull born on
breeder J.C. McLean of
a full brother to the International Grand
Champion Bull, Dor Macs Bardoliermere 65th. Dor Macs Bardoliermere 32nd left
an indelible mark of breed improvement in the
Rundles herd. A daughter of Bardolier A 13th, a Rundles herd sire, mated to
a daughter of Eileenmere R 21st, the 1947 and
Rundles bred International Reserve Grand Champion descending from
Eileenmere 499th, the foundation sire in the
Rundles herd, produced the great C R Bardoliermere 3210, who was born
on
purchased a one-half interest in 3210 for $7,500.
He was mated to daughters of the International Grand Champion Bull, Dor
Macs Bardoliermere 10 in the Hecksmere Highlands
herd in
At the 1960 National Western Stock Show in
Grand Champion Pen of Three Angus Bulls. At the
1964
Bull.
The 60s was to mark the addition of a new herd
sire in the Rundles program, the famous Ankonian Prestige, born on July
1, 1963 and owned jointly with Curtin Angus Farm
at Blue Mound,
the 1st Prize Late Senior Bull Calf at the 1965
Show. Prestige sired the 1966 American Royal
Champion Pen of Three Bulls who were bred, fitted and shown by Rundles
Angus. The 1966 Rundles Angus sale featured the
progeny of Ankonian Prestige with
Coulter of
Association, Jim Rentz represented the
Angus Journal
and Lye Eiten represented the
Cornbelt Livestock Journal.
The ’70s were the “Colossal” era for Rundles
Angus, as they introduced Shalco Colossal 50, a son of Canadian Colossal out of
a granddaughter of the famous Price of Red Gate
19. He was one of the very first Colossal bred bulls to come to
the Rundles Angus Farm Sale was held on Saturday,
November 18 with a guest consignment from Creekside Farms in
The last Angus production sale the Rundles were
to host was held on
the Canadian Colossal son, Shalco Colossal 50.
The late ’70s, ’80s and ’90s were a time that the Rundles program continued to
produce volumes of bulls for commercial cattlemen
throughout the country. The herd continued to maintain a high level of
quality show cattle shown aggressively through
showed the Best 6 Head at the 1990 Illinois State
Fair. In the early ’90s, due to health concerns, the show herd was put on hold
for a
few years.
1994 was to mark quite a landmark event at
Rundles Angus; it was the time that Brent Henkel joined the Rundles team. Coming
from a background of Hampshire hogs, he totally
understood the purebred industry and really fit into the operation. He and
his wife, Jenny, are 1996 graduates of
Business/Horticulture, and Jenny with a degree in
Agronomy/Animal Science. They, along with their son Abe and soon to be
new arrival, became important day-to-day
components of the Rundles Angus operation. Today, daughter Kate adds her input
to the operation as well.
Rundles Angus purchased the Reserve Grand
Champion Bull,
Farms at Farina,
outstanding bull to come into the program was H F
EXT 980, a son of N Bar Emulation EXT out of a full sister to the famous
LF New Trend 4100, and has proven to be an
excellent bull in the program. The other great Rundles herd sires featured the
performance traits of DHD Traveler 6807 and OGL
Battlecry, both Winn 6807 Nugget 1589 and Waldeck Battery 0697 are
doing a phenomenal job in this performance
program. Over the past several years, Warren and Brent made the
decision to add Canadian blood to the program
through Double AA Old Post Bandolier, Soo Line Motive 9016 and HF Tiger 5T.
A masterful step in the future of the Rundles
herd to continuethe legacy through the Henkel family.
Through the years, probably the greatest
cheerleader at
October 2010. They were married over 67 years and
together, made many friends in the Angus industry. Today, Brent, Jenny,
Abe and Kate invite you to help commemorate
Sadly,
breeding and Angus enthusiasm, and his 90th
Birthday!
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