Grace Townsend Wystrach
Grace Townsend Wystrach
Elgin - Santa Cruz County
Inducted in 2019
Grace Wystrach personifies the belief that you can take the girl off the ranch but you can’t take the ranch out of the girl.
Grace was one of three daughters born to Bob and Betty Townsend. Her parents bought Rain Valley Ranch near Sonoita in 1949 when Grace was nine years old, but that was not her first experience with ranch life. She is a third generation rancher. Unlike her sisters, young Grace became enamored with it the first time she was lifted into the saddle in front of her mother at the age of two.
Grace remembers that when the family moved to the area Sonoita was all cattle ranches. It took about two hours to navigate the dirt road to Tucson. They only went to town to shop about once a month. The girls went to school in Elgin. Each grade had around four kids to a class.
Growing up Grace always wanted to raise purebred Hereford cattle but her father didn’t want to deal with the extra work. He was a commercial rancher and that’s what he remained.
At the University of Arizona Grace was a member of Phi Beta Sorority and a member of the Rodeo Club and the Quadrille Team. After graduation she moved to Southern California where she taught school. While there she met and married Mike Wystrach, a pilot from El Toro Marine base. Two months later Mike was deployed to Vietnam where he spent the next 14 months. Actually, he served two tours in Vietnam.
It was a hard life for a young wife. There was no communication at that time. It might be three weeks between letters. Their second daughter was three weeks old before Mike even knew she had been born.
During Mike’s 17-year military career the couple returned to Rain Valley often to help with branding and shipping. In 1978 they returned for good to run the ranch for her father and start one of their own. At one time their oldest daughter went to Las Vegas and fell in love with a heifer. She wanted to show a heifer so her parents purchased one for her and got themselves started in the registered Hereford business.
Grace spent many years volunteering with local 4-H and was active in the Fair and Rodeo Association of Santa Cruz County. Several years ago she was honored by 4-H for her work with the organization.
Mike was always interested in different ventures. He bought a bed and breakfast from Margaret Carmichael, who with her family owned Secretariat. “We revamped it and turned it into an Inn,” Grace said. Mike operates the Sonoita Country Inn and his Steak Out Restaurant and Saloon as well as the Mercantile Deli. A number of 4-H kids help out at the restaurant; which adds another layer to their experience.
Spring calving is Grace’s favorite time as she welcomes each new calf into her purebred Hereford herd. Each year she and her children hitch their big trailer with ten head of cattle and take her cattle to shows from the West to the Midwest, culminating with the American Hereford Association National Show. Today she sells bulls at two Arizona sales each year. Even though it’s still mostly a man’s business Grace has earned the respect of buyers in the Southwest and in Mexico.
Only one of Grace’s children is involved with the ranch. Amy lives in Sonoita and is her mother’s right hand man. They are in partnership with the purebred herd. Audrey is a veterinarian in Texas. Two daughters live in Austin, Texas. One son lives in New York and owns his own food company. The other son is a musician with a country band. Another daughter lives nearby but is not involved with the running of the ranch although she is an excellent horsewoman.
Grace is considered a force to be reckoned with. Rancher John Sullivan said, “If you think you work hard, ride along with Grace for a day and you’ll find out what work is.”
Affiliations
Gamma Phi Beta Sorority – member, University of Arizona
Rodeo Club – member, University of Arizona
4-H Council – leader
Santa Cruz County Fair & Rodeo Board – 8 years
American and Arizona Hereford Association – member
Arizona Cattle Growers – member
Arizona National Livestock – member
Elgin School Board – 8 years
Awards
Cattleman of the Year
4-H Hall of Fame Award
