George Eugene Berney

George Eugene "Buzz" Berney, 86, was born January 18, 1937 in Omak, Washington, and passed away on April 24, 2023, due to health complications. He was raised in a house without electricity near St. Mary’s Mission near Omak. He moved with his family to a ranch near Conconully in 1950. He attended Omak schools and graduated in 1955. He attended two years at Washington State College and married Elizabeth Jean Rickard in 1957. After college, he moved to a ranch next to his parents in 1958. George served in the National Guard from 1953-1962, 1964-1975. He was a charter member of the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Posse, Okanogan County Search and Rescue, Okanogan County, State, and National Cattlemen’s Association, where he and Jean traveled to many State and National Cattlemen meetings. He was a past president of the Butte Busters Snowmobile Club, past fire chief and commissioner of Rural Fire District #9, and Farm Bureau. He traveled twice to his father’s homeland of Switzerland, once in 1976 and again in 1992, to meet his relatives. It was there that he interested in cast bronze bells. After much study, trial, and error, he learned to make them. He made over 500 bells for special occasions, each one unique. In 1996, Buzz was Sheriff’s Posse Man of the Year for all his work and contributions. In 2004, Buzz and Jean were awarded the Person of the Year Award by the Conconully Chamber of Commerce. Buzz & Jean were awarded the WSU Distinguished Service Award in 2015 which was for various projects they did with the WSU Animal Science Department. George raised alfalfa hay crops, grain, and cattle. There was the Berney cattle herd and Jean’s herd that he liked to experiment with. Crossbreeding was what he did with our herds using 16 different cattle breeds throughout the years. Buzz loved guns and the ‘Old West’, so he joined a group of "Old West Gunfighters" in 1974 of friends in Okanogan County. There performed in many different towns in North Central Washington. He was preceded in death by his parents, Roland and Marjorie Berney, two uncles, one aunt, one brother-in-law, and his youngest son, Daniel Jay Berney. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Elizabeth Jean Berney, his sister, Norma Jean Mulloy, his three sons, Joseph (Dede), Raymond, and Geral (Yvonne), three granddaughters, Nicole (Leonard) Rider, Jessica (Benn) Armendarez, and Jade Berney, four great-grandchildren (and one in May), several nieces, one nephew, and cousins. Graveside services will be held 11:00 AM, Friday, May 19th 2023 at the Conconully Pioneer Cemetery in Conconully, WA. A potluck will follow at the Conconully Community Hall. Please feel free to donate to the charity of your choice.

George Eugene Berney

January 18, 1937 - April 24, 2023