Gene French age 93 of Broken Bow passed away on Saturday April 11, 2026, at the Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 2:00 PM at the E-Free Church in Broken Bow. The burial will be in the Broken Bow Cemetery with Military Honors by the US Airforce. Memorials are suggested to E-Free Church c/o AWANA. A visitation and time to greet the family will be held on Monday, April 20th, 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow. Words of encouragement and remembrance can be left at govierbrothers.com .
Gene French was born November 20, 1932, at Mullen, NE to Gerald Cooper and Esther Parnell (Wiggins) French. He grew up on a ranch south of Mullen and graduated from Mullen High School where he participated in all sports and went to state in track. After high school Gene attended the University of Nebraska Lincoln where he enrolled in the Airforce ROTC program. Gene participated in Pershing rifles, Rodeo club, intramural basketball, Agronomy club, and Ag Men’s club. Gene graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1955. While in college Gene met Wilma Larson and they were married on August 29, 1954. Gene went to Lackland Airforce Base then Bartow, FL, Waco, TX, Vance OK, Randolf TX, then helicopter training in California, and overseas to the Einiwetok Islands off the coast of Japan. After Gene returned from overseas in July of 1958, the couple moved to a ranch they had just bought east of Broken Bow. Gene was well known for his purebred Charolais Cattle with the pinnacle of his career being his annual bull sale. He was very meticulous in choosing the best genetics to get the perfect combination of low birth weight, good disposition, and excellent gain-ability. Gene never really retired, but the couple eventually moved into Broken Bow. He continued to go to the ranch daily living his passion of caring for the land, fixing fence, improving water, and taking care of weeds. He did many conservation and grazing practices to improve it.
Gene and Wilma loved any excuse to get family together; hosting holiday dinners, bonfires, and extended family reunions, where on one occasion Gene initiated a water fight!
Gene was a member of the E-Free Church and was very active in many of the ministry programs, particularly the youth (AWANA). He enjoyed helping with services at Sandhills Manor and went on several mission trips to Mexico.
He leaves behind his three children- Karen (Mark) Minne, Lynn (Laurie), and Carl (Toni), eight grandchildren- Sheena (Lowell), Nikki (Derrick), Leah (Luke), Levi, Spencer, Jamie (Brennen), Austin (Brooke), Justin (Jory), and 16 great-grandchildren- Madden, Cash, Rawlins, Rowan, Grant, Garrett, Declan, Isla Ree, Rhyannon, Moxon, Raygan, Brigston, Bexley, Renn, Brynn, Hattie. He is also survived by his sister Alice Urbach of Denton NE.
Gene was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Wilma in 2023, and his brother Roger.
