Charles Rolland Quintard

Charles Rolland Quintard

Memorial services for C. Rolland Quintard, 79, of Harrison, who died Wednesday Aug. 30 at the Chadron Hospital, were held Tuesday, September 5 at 2 p.m. at the United Methodist Church. Rev Eugene Beye & Rev. Joseph Booker officiated. Burial held at the Crawford Cemetery.

He was born February 9, 1910 in Anton, Iowa to Charles and Grace Chase Quintard.

Survivors include his wife Anne of Harrison; two daughters Monique Bradshaw and her husband Tony of Teachey, N.C. and Rolisa McMasters and her husband Shaun of Chadron, Neb.; and grandchildren, Teli Bradshaw of Teachey, N.C.; Melissa & Mike (Western) Hotell and Barry Kent Western all of Sacramento, Calif.

A memorial has been established for the New Four Wheel Drive Rescue Unit Fund in lieu of flowers. Donations may be sent to Security National Bank in Harrison.

Chamberlain Chapel of Chadron was in charge of arrangements.

Lusk Herald
September 13, 1989
Charles Rolland Quintard

Charles Rolland Quintard was born Feb. 9, 1910 in Anton, Iowa, to Charles Claude and Grace Jane Chase Quintard. He had one brother, Arthur Merrill Quintard and one sister Enid Veneta Quintard Roos.

The family moved to the Page, Neb., area when the children were young. Rolland graduated from the 8th grade in a rural school near Page.

In 1925 the family moved to the Crawford area, where they lived on various farms in the Crow Butte, Bryan Canyon, Glen area and the Case Place in Sioux County east of Harrison.

Rolland worked at many jobs, as a mechanic, rancher and carpenter in the Crawford area.

He worked for a short time at Fort Robinson as a carpenter helping to build the addition onto the Veterinary building. He worked on the crew that replaced the old windows of the Fort Robinson Lodge and Inn. He was also one of the finish carpenters in various buildings at the Fort. While he was at the Fort, he was a member of the Golden Gloves Boxing team winning in the Middle Weight Division.

During the 30s, he worked on the government road crew around Crawford, building the bridges and the road bed for Highway 20. He was also on the crew that rebuilt the same bridges east and west of Crawford in 1959.

Rolland worked as a mechanic in Harrison, Arkansas and Fremont, Neb., during the 30's.

His interest in flying airplanes began during this period with his favorite being a Piper Cub. This interest was to continue for the rest of his life. He and his brother Merrill began the airport in Harrison in 1947. During the 1949 blizzard, he flew missions for 52 days straight helping area residents receive food, mail, medical supplies, school teachers and flying several people to area hospitals because of the closed roads. It was on one of these missions that he met his future wife, Anne, when he delivered food and mail to her parent's ranch.

He also taught many local people to fly and loved to spend time just north of Harrison riding the updrafts from Monroe Canyon.

Rolland was instrumental in beginning the airport in Hot Springs, S.D. He was a partner in the Edgemont, S.D., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and Worland, Wyo., Airports.

In 1946, he and his brother began the Bar Q Service Station along with the Harrison Airport which he named the Skyranch Airport.

During the excavations going on at the Agate Fossil Beds, Rolland ran a bulldozer when working with Harold and Margaret Cook on the exploration of the fossils on Carnegie Hill. He never lost the interest in the fossil history of the area.

In 1952, he moved to San Diego, Calif., to work in Research and Development for General Dynamic and Convair Aircraft. One of his proudest achievements was to have his design chosen for the instrument panel for the Mercury Spacecraft. He also designed instrument panels for the F102 and the experimental "Pogo Stick."

While in California he earned 124 hours of college credit in aviation and science, but was denied a college diploma because he had not graduated from a high school. In 1956, when the government air contracts were decreasing, Rolland moved to Los Angles and worked at a garage in the Hollywood area where he was often called to drive one of the wrecker trucks to the back of the concert halls and other buildings to take movie stars like Clark Gable and Elvis Presley to their hotels or homes away from their fans. He was a personal mechanic for Clark Gable's cars.

In 1957, Rolland returned to Harrison and the area he loved so much. He began the Old Corral Cafe and the East Side Service Station. It was then that he and Anne were reacquainted. The cafe closed in 1963, but Rolland continued the shop until 1987, when emphysemia and related lung diseases limited his ability to work.

He also served as custodian at the Harrison Grade School from 1972 until 1982. Many students whom he loved will remember "Rolo and His Batmobile, a 1960 Cadillac."

Rolland and his brother, Merrill, worked with the village and gave the land to the city for the sewer lagoon in 1970.

Rolland was always very involved with the individual activities of his three daughters.

Rolland was a 4-H leader for 10 years. He was always interested in history and served as the first vice president of the Sioux County Historical Society and later on the board of directors. He was very active in the early remodeling of the building now known as the Sioux County Museum. With his interest in fossils and natural history, he served as the first president of the Northwest Nebraska Rock Club. He was member of the Crawford Eagles and a member of the Memorial United Methodist Church of Harrison.

In 1931, Rolland married Evelyn Cox and to this union was born one daughter, Roleta Yvonne. "Peggy" was born in 1932. This marriage ended in divorce, and Rolland raised his daughter until she graduated from SCHS in 1951. On Dec. 20, 1958, he married Anne Dunlap in the Methodist Church in Chadron, Neb. To this union were born two daughters-Monique Anne Quintard Bradshaw and Rolisa Simone Quintard McMasters.

During the past four years, Rolland had been in ill health from emphysema. He was hospitalized in Scottsbluff on Aug. 10, 1989, for tests from a short illness. On Aug. 14, he was diagnosed as having a very rapid form of lung cancer and was released to the family home on Aug. 15. He was cared for in the home by his wife, Anne until the afternoon of Aug. 30, when he was taken to the Chadron Community Hospital. He passed away later that evening at the age of 79.

He had been able to attend the wedding of his daughter Rolisa to Shaun McMaster on July 29 this year and was able to enjoy a visit from his other daughter Monique, her husband Tony and 10 month old daughter, Teli on the 17 and 18 of this August.

By his request, Rolland was cremated and his ashes will be buried in the family lot in the Crawford City Cemetery.

He was preceded in death by his father, Claude; mother, Grace; stepmother, Julie Harkin; brother, Merrill; sister, Veneta Roos; daughter, Peggy Western and his granddaughter Michelle who were killed in the same car accident in 1979. Rolland is survived by his wife Anne, daughters Monique Bradshaw, her husband Tony and daughter Elelka Pearl "Teli" of Teachey, N.C. and daughter Rolisa McMaster and her husband Shaun of Chadron, Neb., two other grandchildren Melissa Western Hotell and her husband Micheal and Barry Kent Western all of Sacremento, Calif., as well as several nieces and nephews.

Rolland in also survived by the following stepbrothers and sisters; Don Harkin of Harrison; Bernie and Leo Harkin of Interior, S.D.; Eddie Harkin of Omaha, Neb.; Jack Harkin of Oregon; Edith Kershner, Denver; and Lenore Ingwersen of Ainsworth, Neb.

He will be missed by his family and friends for his interest in carpentry, mechanics, flying, animals, especially horses, love of the outdoors, camping, the activities of his three daughters, his friendly smile and his willingness to always help a friend.

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