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Obituary: Ned Little

Ned Little
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Ned Little, 86

February 9, 1934 – September 18, 2020

Longmont, Colorado

Ned Little passed in peace in Longmont, Colorado on September 18, 2020. Born to Arthur and Lela (DeHart) Little on February 9th, 1934, on a farm outside of Benkelman, Nebraska. Married to Colleen Rickard April 15th, 1963.

Raised on a Sandhill farm in Southwest Nebraska, Ned Little was working horse and mule teams alongside his father at an early age. An ambitious young man, he sold his first horse for a profit at age ten. Ned would continue to farm, helping his father and running his own operation into his early twenties when he went onto to pursue his life’s passion of buying and selling horses. In 1963 Ned would meet his wife Colleen Little in Denver, Colorado at a horse sale. They would marry the same year, and start their business Ned Little Horse Co. They had two children, Rick Little and Monica (Little) Rhodes.

By any standard Ned was an extremely hardworking man. Through self-will and determination, he and his wife grew their business into one of the largest equine acquisition and distribution companies in the country operating throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A businessman, horseman, and cowboy, Ned was able to accomplish any goal he set for himself, including owning a ranch, operating a sale barn and running a trucking company. There was not a challenge he was unwilling to take on, from gathering wild horses on the plains of Wyoming to driving a team of home-raised blue roan mares from Ft. Lupton, Colorado to Benkelman, NE in his 70th year. No matter the undertaking, Ned would go forward and succeed in doing things others thought could (and sometimes should) not be done.

Despite all his individual accomplishments, his greatest joys were enjoying his grandchildren and great grandchildren. In his later years he loved nothing more than to sit on his golf cart and watch the grandkids have fun around the arena or in the yard.

Quick witted and armed with a unique sense of humor, Ned was always up for a laugh and was a great storyteller. A steadfast husband, tough loving father, caring gentle grandfather, loyal friend, and real-world mentor, he will be missed by so many.

Go rest high on that mountain, cowboy, your work on earth is through. I know God has plenty of stock in heaven and they’re holding that in-gate until you take your place alongside the ring.

Proceeded in death by son Rick Little. Sisters June (Little) Stamm, Maxine (Little) Waters, Ernestine (Little) Smith, Geraldine (Little)Pursley. In-Laws Cloice and Hellen Rickard, and granddaughter Amy Little.

Survived by wife Colleen (Rickard) Little, daughter Monica (Little) Rhodes and husband Asa Rhodes, Sister Joyce (Little) Vincent. Grandchildren Matthew Little and wife Marie (Presidio) Little, Lacey Hardy, Erin (Little) Perusse and husband Marc Perusse, Shyla Rowe, and Jared Lage. Greatgrandchildren Hayleigh Rowe, Ava Little, Marilyn Hardy, Lyla Little, Jaci Rowe, Anita Little, and Ethan Perusse.

Memorial services for Ned will be held on Sunday, October 11, 2020 at Producers Livestock starting at 1 pm. Address: 711 O St, Greeley, CO 80631

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations in Ned’s memory be made to the Denver Rescue Mission online (https://secure.denverrescuemission.org/give/279209) or via mail at PO Box 5206, Denver, Colorado, 80217.


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