John “Jack” Schelldorf was born in South Dakota in 1931 and that fall Jack and his parents moved to what is now the Schelldorf Ranch south of Sundance. When Jack was school age, he had to ride his horses every day to attend the Hewes Country School and Black Flats Country School. He graduated from Sundance High School in 1949. He married his high school sweetheart Janice and made his life on the Schelldorf ranch his entire life. Jack was a cowboy through and through. His passion was for Hereford cattle. As a small boy he would help his Uncle Art with his registered Herefords. In 1944, he bought his first 10 head of Hereford cows from his dad and uncle’s partnership. As Jack took over Schelldorf Ranches, he had a successful Hereford cow/calf operation, along with the yearlings he kept through the summer. He also had a small sheep herd and a loyal dog. Jack was always horseback to gather his own cows and at his neighbor’s gatherings until he was 70 years old. Green was his favorite color as it was the color of grass, money, and John Deere although he was colorblind. Leatherwork was also a passion and hobby for Jack. He made chaps, chinks, belts, wallets, and beautiful headstalls. Building fence was a favorite job of his. Even in his golden years he could make the tightest gates and fences neither the neighbor’s cattle nor the neighbors could get through.
John Jack Schelldorf
