Herschel B. Talley Jr Obituary (1939 - 2024)

Herschel Burleson Talley, Jr September 26, 1939 – May 5, 2024 Herschel B. Talley, Jr., formerly of rural Crete and recently of rural Eagle, died at sunrise on May 5, 2024, after a three-year battle with incurable cancer. He was born on September 26, 1939, in Nashville, Tennessee, the son of Master Sgt. Herschel B. Talley, Sr. and Eunice Allen Talley. He was a lover of Scotch, second-hand books, any and all dogs and horses, and Western movies. He abhorred country music, Frank Sinatra songs, watered-down Scotch/sharing his Scotch, and people who didn’t like dogs. He was known for telling his kids to pick up their claptrap, working out splinters from their feet, and also collecting “good stuff.” He loved dressing up in a kilt and traditional Scottish outfits with his wife Betty. As a military brat, he grew up all over the country and Europe, changing schools sometimes twice or three times a year, and ultimately graduated high school in Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany. As a young man, he was active in DeMolay and Boy Scouts, specifical a Venture Scout earning the Order of the Arrow and wandering around Europe. He briefly attended Colorado College (State University) in Ft. Collins, CO and was in the Air Force ROTC. Throughout his life, he captured and trained a variety of hawks and falcons, passing his love of falconry on to his best friend and “little brother” Robert Huber. He also enjoyed and taught mountaineering, snow skiing in his youth, as well as teaching marksmanship. In 1966, he joined Norden Laboratories (now Zoetis) as a sales representative and held various positions throughout his 27-year tenure working in animal pharmaceuticals. In 1980, he mixed business with pleasure and met the love of his life through work, Betty (Purdie) and married her on August 22, 1981, in St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. He annually participated in the National Pony Express ReRide, re-enacting the Pony Express relay of the mail from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA. In 1996, he carried the Olympic torch on horseback as part of being a 30-year Nebraska team member. Hersh was very active in Masonic life. He was a member of Lancaster Lodge 54, a KCCH of Scottish Rite, Royal Order of Scotland, and a founding member of the Lincoln Knights of St. Andrew. In 1999, he became Chapter Dad for Dr. Frederick Eiche Chapter DeMolay, in Lincoln, Nebraska, encouraging and mentoring young men. In 2001, he started his own business repairing boots, shoes, and saddles under the name The Brand, in Crete, Nebraska, with locations first on 13th Street and then on Main Street. Later, he added flag sales and enjoyed engineering flagpole installations. Hersh was lovingly known as a “jack of all trades” dabbling in many different jobs besides sales – aerial photography, office manager, veterinary technician, professional beekeeper, and successful dog trainer and breeder. He was a stay-at-home dad, and even appeared in a 7Up commercial. In his free time, he loved woodworking, especially wood turning and tinkering in his shop. Hersh loved riding horses, leatherworking, camping, traveling, and spending time with his family. His favorite time of year would be summer when everyone would go to the family cabin at Pelican Lake, Manitoba. Even last year, he was still water skiing and sailing, and working in the garden. He is predeceased by his brother Charles (Jeep) B. Talley and parents. He is survived by his wife Betty (nee Purdie), his son Herschel B. Blair Talley (Amanda), his daughter Gwyneth Talley, and his grandchildren, Annaleis, Herschel, and Jameson, and his adopted brother Robert Huber and wife Julie, sister-in-law Suzie Langlois, dog, Mando and horse, Jerry. There will be a private “going away party” held at the family house in Eagle, Nebraska. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation in Elmwood, and DreamCatchers Rides for healing. Gifts can also be made in his memory to support Sarcoma research at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center should be made payable to “University of Nebraska Foundation” or can be made online at www.nufoundation.org by noting his name.