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A Celebration of Life Service for Brady Thomas Wakefield, age 20, of O’Neill, will be held 11:00 A.M., Monday, July 20, 2015, at the O’Neill Community Center in O’Neill, NE. Rev. Lance Clay will officiate. Private family burial. Visitation will be Sunday, July 19, 2015, from 4-7 P.M. at the O’Neill Community Center. Brady passed away on Sunday, July 12, 2015, in Buffalo County as a result of a car accident. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the O’Neill First United Methodist Church for the roof fund, Nebraska High School Rodeo Association, or the Eagles Booster Club to be directed to the Weight Room fund. Arrangements are under the direction of Biglin’s Mortuary in O’Neill.

Brady was born on April 23, 1995, in Lincoln, NE, to James and Susan (Wampler) Wakefield. He attended O’Neill High School, where he was an avid weight lifter and competed in various sports activities. He graduated in 2013, and was currently attending Gillette College in Gillette, WY. From a very young age, Brady loved to ride horses and rodeo. In 2013, he won state championships in Team Roping (with his brother Riley), Tie Down Calf Roping, and was named Nebraska State Champion in the all-around. He was a 3 time qualifier for the High School National Finals Rodeo. In 2012, Brady and his brother Riley were named Reserved National Champion Team Ropers. After high school, Brady joined the rodeo team at Gillette College on a full rodeo scholarship. While there, he qualified for the Collegiate National Finals Rodeo in Casper, WY. In 2014, he was named PRCA Badlands Circuit Rookie of the Year.

Brady was a member of the O’Neill United Methodist Church, and a past member of the O’Neill FFA where he received a state star in Agri Business. Brady loved helping those who needed help. Unbeknown to most, Brady loved cats. He is survived by his parents, Susan and Jim, one brother, Riley James Wakefield, all of O’Neill, NE, Grandmother Patty Jo Wakefield of Herman, NE, Grandfather Richard Wampler and wife Jean of Lincoln, NE, girlfriend Kenzie Huffman of Strasburg, CO, and aunts, uncles, and cousins.

He is preceded in death by his grandmother Donna Lee Wampler and Grandfather Leslie Thomas Wakefield.

Posted on line: Wednesday, July 15, 2015; Published in The Enterprise, Friday, July 17, 2015

By Tammy Bain

Jeff Hoier, of Herman, had been friends with Pat and Leslie Wakefield for years.

When Pat and Leslie's grandchildren, Brady and Riley, visited from O'Neill, they visited the Hoier family, too.

In O'Neill, Brady invited Jeff to his childhood birthday party, Hoier's son, Buck, of Herman, said.

"He was a neat kid," Buck said.

After Leslie died, Jeff became a grandfather figure to Brady and Riley.

Brady and Riley came to the Washington County Fair rodeo to compete a couple of times, in team roping, calf roping and steer wrestling.

On Sunday, Jeff was en route to Rock Springs, Wyo. with Brady to watch Riley compete in a college rodeo tournament. Brady's pickup blew its rear passenger tire near Odessa, about 9 miles west of Kearney.

Brady lost control and rolled through the median. Jeff was thrown from the passenger side and survived. Brady, who wore his seat belt, did not.

"It's tragic, and a miracle, and whatever you want to say," Buck said outside of his father's home Wednesday morning. "I don't know how the 58-year-old who gets ejected from the pickup lives and the 20-year-old who's buckled in dies."

Jeff suffered three fractured vertebrae and eight or nine cracked ribs as well as "shoulder issues," Buck said. Jeff underwent one surgery. Other than feeling "very emotional," he will likely come home soon.

A doctor and emergency medical technician were bystanders who stopped to help at the scene, where Jeff never lost consciousness, Buck said.

Before first responders arrived, the doctor delivered the news that Brady "had not suffered in the crash," Buck said.

That same positive outlook is carrying the Wakefield and Hoier families through the tragedy, Buck said.

Brady's father has told loved ones "to hug their children and hug their families, and get right with the Lord," Buck said. The families hope the tragedy "brings people closer to Christ," he said.

Kevin Weimer, a Washington County Fair Board member who is in charge of the rodeo, couldn't say for sure whether Riley and Brady planned to compete in the Washington County Fair rodeo later this month, though he said Brady had in the past.

So far, Riley has won the first round of steer wrestling at the rodeo where Brady was headed in Wyoming.

Buck said the Hoier and Wakefield families appreciate the help, offers and prayers they've received this week.

"No one wants to bury their kids," said Buck, who has three children of his own. "Anything can happen at any time."

Kevin Weimer, a Washington County Fair Board member who is in charge of the rodeo, couldn't say for sure whether Riley and Brady planned to compete in the Washington County Fair rodeo later this month, though he said Brady had in the past.

So far, Riley has won the first round of steer wrestling at the rodeo where Brady was headed in Wyoming.

Buck said the Hoier and Wakefield families appreciate the help, offers and prayers they've received this week.

"No one wants to bury their kids," said Buck, who has three children of his own. "Anything can happen at any time."

POSTED: MONDAY, JULY 13, 2015

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GILLETTE COLLEGE COWBOY KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT BY GRANT EGGER NEWS RECORD WRITER GEGGER@GILLETTENEWSRECORD.NET

Gillette College cowboy Brady Wakefield was killed Sunday night when he lost control of his pickup on Interstate 80 in central Nebraska.

Lexington radio station KRVN-AM reports that the 20-year-old O’Neill, Nebraska, native was driving westbound at about 7 p.m. Sunday about three miles west of Kearney.

Authorities say Wakefield lost control of his Dodge Ram 2500 diesel while driving westbound when the rear passenger tire blew out, causing the truck to roll through the median. NBC affiliate KNOP News 2 reports that the team roper and steer wrestler was pronounced dead at the scene.

Wakefield’s passenger, 58-year-old Jeff Hoier of Herman, Nebraska, was ejected from the vehicle and transported to a hospital in Kearney. His condition is unknown.

The Nebraska State Patrol said Wakefield was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. Eastbound traffic — which is where the pickup settled — was diverted for more than an hour before both lanes were re-opened.

“Heartfelt sympathies go out to his family,” said Gillette College vice president and CEO Mark Englert on Monday Morning. “It’s devastating to have a loss like that. He was a great young man, great student. He really was engaged in the college community, which I appreciated. He always had a great smile for everyone.”

Wakefield was one of the top Gillette College cowboys from the moment he arrived on campus. In his first rodeo with the team in September 2013, he won the team roping short go with teammate Seth Andersen. On that same day, he finished third in the steer wrestling and sixth in the tie-down roping to help Gillette win the Central Wyoming College rodeo.

In 2014, Wakefield proved himself on a professional circuit. He was named the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Badlands Circuit Rookie of the Year for his efforts.

Despite those successes, he returned to school that fall, poised to make his first College National Finals rodeo as a sophomore.

He also welcomed a friend from his home state, Cody Nye of Alliance, Nebraska, to coach Will LaDuke’s program.

“Brady was up here — and we’ve always been friends — telling me what a great program they had and how much support there actually was for new facilities being built,” Nye said on Sept. 4, 2014. “There will be some good things coming.”

Good things came to Wakefield, who LaDuke always lauded as a top talent. He and roping partner Levi O’Keefe of Eastern Wyoming College qualified for the CNFR, finishing second in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Despite not making the short round in Casper during the national championships in June, Wakefield always kept his sights on the future and his goals.

After a failed first run in the team roping, he kept his outlook positive.

“This is a cool deal,” he said June 15. “But it’s not my end goal. I want to make the NFR and this is just a stepping stone. My dreams didn’t get crushed out there in the arena.

“I’m going to miss more in my lifetime and I’m going to catch more in my lifetime. I just ain’t going to get too worked up being in the moment.”

News of Wakefield’s death spread quickly on social media Sunday night. Described as always a gentlemen and eager to put out his hand for a welcome, the cowboy left an impression on those he met.

Fellow cowboys and rodeo news pages flooded Facebook, offering prayers and sendoffs.

“God gained another amazing Rodeo Cowboy tonight! Rest easy, Brady Wakefield. You will be missed tremendously by your rodeo family,” Rodeochat posted on its page.

“Our deepest sympathies to the Jim and Susan Wakefield family,” Oregon Trail Rodeo said in a post on its Facebook page. “May God comfort them and Brady’s brother, Riley.”

Cuttin Up Radio offered up its thoughts and prayers to the family in a post, stating that Wakefield had “earned his angel wings.”

Englert said the Gillette College community will grieve his loss.

“It’s a loss of a family member,” he said. “We’re small enough that we become pretty close-knit at the college and, certainly, with the rodeo team — that’s a close-knit bunch.

“We expect our student-athletes to become engaged in the overall college community and Brady was great at that.”

Kearney Hub 13 July 2015

Hub Staff

KEARNEY — A blown tire is to blame for a rollover crash west of Kearney on Interstate 80 Sunday evening that killed an O’Neill man.

The crash happened at about 6:40 p.m. four miles west of Kearney. Brady Wakefield, 20, died when the 2006 Dodge Ram pickup he was driving west blew a tire.

Wakefield lost control of the pickup, which rolled into the median and came to rest on the eastbound lanes of I-80. Wakefield’s passenger, Jeff Hoier, 58, of Herman was ejected. He was transported to CHI Health Good Samaritan. Wakefield was pronounced dead at the scene.

Wakefield was restrained, while Hoier was not.

This morning, Hoier was listed in fair condition at the hospital.