Ralph was born to Floyd “Spike” and Elma Schuppan Nov. 29, 1931 in Harrisburg, NE, where Ralph received his early education in Banner County.
In Dec. of 1947 the family moved to LaGrange when Floyd purchased the “Dollar Ranch” on Bear Creek. Ralph worked on the home place with his father graduating from LaGrange in 1950. 1953 he worked for Carl Sawyer handling the roping cattle at Cheyenne Frontier Days along with his brother Ray Schuppan, Bob Grant and Chuck Torey. In 1954 Ralph went to work at the Hunter Ranch and in 1957 became the Ranch Foreman for the Hunter Ranch at Meridan, WY where he and his wife resided and raised their family until retiring in 1981.
Ralph spent his life as a true cowboy, ranching, working cattle and always there to help the neighboring ranches as well. Ralph could read people as well as cattle and horses. He then moved to the home ranch on Bear Creek and for 5 years worked for “Oppenheimer Cattle Company” finally retiring to the home place until it was sold in Dec. 1999.
In 2011 Ralph was one of 7 long time ranchers honored during the Goshen County Fair.
Ralph is a man of high integrity and honesty, believing that a man’s word was honored by a firm hand shake and still lives that way today.