Randall Allan O’Neel was born to Marilyn (Jonas) and Boyd O’Neel in Friend, at 10:10 a.m. on Jan. 10, 1955, the second of four children. Randy passed away suddenly from a heart attack one week before his 67th birthday on Jan. 3, 2022.
As a young boy, Randy attended District #47, the Woodpecker Country School, just north of his family’s farm and then graduated with the class of 1973 from Friend High School. While in high school, he played saxophone in band and was on the wrestling team. Randy placed second at 119 pounds his senior year at the Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament. Randy loved living in the country and farming with his dad. He also had helped his mom milk cows. He furthered his education in agriculture after graduation with a degree from the University of Nebraska School of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. As a young man, he enjoyed his Dodge cars and even made a dune buggy out of an old wrecked car. In November of 1978, he was united in marriage to Cindy Hansmeier, a young farm gal from Ogallala, and they made a home for three years south of Friend. Randy enjoyed making hay and had a custom haying and forage chopping business. He had a love of horses and has always had a horse out on the farm, he still had one today. Besides horses, Randy loved dogs and cats as well. He always had a dog growing up. Dancing was one of Randy’s favorite past times and you could usually find him at local country dances and at Pla Mor Ballroom doing the country swing. In fact, Randy’s marriage on Oct. 13, 2007, to Karen Friday occurred at Pla Mor Ballroom. Even though in his adult life Randy was not much for family get togethers, he did take two big family trips out to New York City and Short Hills, New Jersey, for his brother’s wedding and a Thanksgiving celebration. Randy has been a lifelong resident of the Friend area, but has always considered the farm he grew up on as home.
Randy is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Chere and Gary Tuttle, Friend; brother and sister-in-law, Terry and Diane O’Neel, Friend; and brother, Gregg O’Neel, Short Hills; six nieces and nephews, Galen and Jamie Tuttle, Friend, Melissa and Jason Norris, Liberty, Missouri, Danielle and Samuel Pendleton, Friend, Ethan and Kayla O’Neel, Friend, Ben and Jillian O’Neel, Short Hills; great-nieces and nephews, Peyton and Brooks Norris, Avery and Reese Tuttle and Natalie and Madison Pendleton, and a host of other relatives and friends. Randy was preceded in death by his parents, Boyd O’Neel (2004) and Marilyn O’Neel (2021).
The funeral service was Jan. 7 at the Friend Congregational Church with interment at Andrew Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to the family for future designation. Condolences may be left for the family online at lauberfh.com.
