Randal Ervin Kessler; 1952-2026

Randal (Randy) Ervin Kessler, 74, Umapine, OR, passed away in his sleep on June 18. He was born Friday, Oct. 13, 1952 (and never understood why anyone would think Friday the 13th was anything but lucky) in Walla Walla, WA, to Ervin and Arlene (Schubert) Kessler.

Randy grew up on his father’s row crop farm but quickly gained interest in livestock, and at the age of 9, after joining his first 4-H club, informed his leader that he was going to get a black Angus heifer, go to the county fair every year and sell bulls. His parents gifted him his first heifer, Triple T Eileenmere Lassie, in 1961. He sold his first bull in 1964 and never looked back.

Growing up within 4-H and FFA, Randy was surrounded by great mentors he talked fondly of throughout his life. He earned his American FFA Degree and ran a 50-head cow herd upon graduating from Umapine High School. He did have a brief stint in the sheep business as a chosen Career Development Event but loved to tell us he had 10 ewes, one ram, five lambing pens and no lambies!! From that point on, he never bought or sold a herd sire that hadn’t been properly fertility tested.

There may not be anyone more proud of Umapine, OR, a map dot Randy centered his world upon. He moved nine times in his life, all within a 3-mile radius. Going through a small rural school often means smaller sports programs, and always the jokester, he loved to tell newer acquaintances that he was at one time one of the most highly recruited athletes at U of O. Many would look at his small build in a bit of confusion for a second before he explained, “Umapine of Oregon, where if they didn’t have my body, they couldn’t fill a football team.”

Randy met his late wife, Dawn Cargill, at the Benton Franklin County Fair. Her mother was active on the fair board and Dawn worked in the livestock office where she noticed a grown man exhibiting Angus cattle always filled out the age boxes intended for the youth projects but had also indicated he was single and looking. Not many men can say their mother-in-law played a key role in their relationship forming, but Kathy pointed out to Dawn that his filling out of these forms was a fun trait in a partner and they should go on a date.

It seems Dawn was completely wooed by her first ride to dinner in that 1975 GMC C-65 with stock racks and she soon began making many drives from Finley to Umapine to work cows alongside Randy in the headlights of his pickup after he’d clock out from his day job—and considered it the perfect date night. Together, they became one of the greatest teams the purebred cattle industry will ever have the honor of watching grow a program in the Pacific Northwest.

Angus cattle were Randy’s passion and he never wavered from his commitment to caring for his cow herd and the customers he gained through years of private treaty and consignment sales and eventually an annual bull sale starting in 2007. In 2012, Randy’s herd, Kessler Angus, was designated as a Historic Angus Herd by the American Angus Association, granted to those that have been continuous breeders of Angus cattle for 50 years. One of his greatest honors was being named a Walla Walla Fair Legend in 2024. 2026 was his 63rd consecutive year exhibiting cattle at the Walla Walla Fair. He never missed a year of leading an Angus female onto those grounds even through his battles with cancer in the early 2000s.

Randy is survived by his children, Tierra (Robert) Duke, Cheyenne Kessler and Cody Kessler; siblings, Vicki (Rocky) Robbins, Susan Moore and Jeannie Kibler; and grandsons, Wyatt and Henry Duke. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dawn, parents, Ervin and Arlene, and his grandparents.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Randy Kessler Memorial, which will support youth exhibiting or purchasing Angus heifers. Checks can be mailed c/o Tierra Duke to PO Box 55, Athena, OR 97813.