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Former Chapter President Probert Passes Away
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Curtis L. Probert of Paonia, Colorado, 68, died April 1, 2009 at the Hospice Care Center in Grand Junction, CO.
Curt came from pioneer stock, growing up in Jefferson County in the headwaters of the South Platte River, where his beloved father ran the Cheesman Dam. Curt devoted his life to community service as a livestock & agricultural Extension Agent, teaching others to love raising livestock and farming, and helping farmers and ranchers. One person whose life he touched, Julie Hettinger of Merino, Colorado, was a 4-H leader in Logan County when Curt was livestock judging coach. She remembers "He was a brilliant man who was always there when we needed him. And, the kids in Logan County adored him."
As a child, Curt was educated in a one-room school by his mother, Julia. She started him off right, and he graduated from Wheat Ridge High School and went on to earn a Bachelor's of Science degree in animal science in 1962 from Colorado State University and a Master's degree from the University of Nevada at Reno. Upon graduating, he and his wife Jan moved to the Indian reservation in Owyhee, Nevada where he began his career in Extension. Jan remembers that Curt, a man who was always right on schedule, found it hard getting used to the local's relaxed ideas about time, six o'clock meetings that started at eight. After Owyhee, he accepted an Extension Agent position in Winnemucca, Nevada, where Jan and Curt had two children, Karen and Brad.
In 1974 the family moved back to Colorado, where Curt was hired as a Livestock Agent for Morgan County. In 1976 he started working for the Logan County Extension Service and was Logan County Director from 1984 to 1989. He transferred to Greeley to serve as Extension Director for Weld County until he retired in October 1997.
Curt was great at getting things organized. He ran County Fairs for 32 years. He was a leader in building up the Great Western Beef Expo to national prominence as the "Super Bowl" of sire progeny testing, with participants from all over the country. In Greeley, he was especially proud of the Master Gardener program he coordinated and said, "I sure don't claim to be a horticulturist, but that program is super as far as volunteer programs go."
An avid communicator, Curt received national awards for his Logan County Extension Service newsletter and the many newspaper articles he generated over the years. Among other awards, he received the "Search for Excellence" National County Agent Association Western Region Award, the Dow Study Tour Award, the Professional Excellence Award by the Colorado County Agents, and the Alton Schofield Award for Program Excellence.
Curt's philosophy about teaching was simple: "Awaken people's curiosity. Put there just a spark. If there is some good flammable stuff, it will catch fire." He wrote in his Farm Review newspaper column, "I pick up an idea from one rancher or farmer and share it with others. No one person controls the corner of the market on good ideas and knowledge."
Curt was a mentor to kids and adults alike. Of his 4-H youth judging teams he wrote, "No one can top the pride I've had in my heart whenever I walked into an arena with my kids." His colleagues valued him. After his retirement, one wrote "I always appreciated your calming force, the way you got the job done without fame or fury, and your sense of humor." Another wrote, "I am proud to say, 'I worked with Curt Probert.'"
Curt believed that it takes everyone in a community to raise good kids. In his farewell newspaper column to Logan County he wrote, "There have been so many people help raise our kids. Rita Lambrecht, Karen's 4-H leader for nine years, and Jan Nixon, her home economics judging coach. Mrs. Marcia Wagner, elementary school band leader when our son Brad started tooting on a trumpet, could get more great music out of a bandstand full of fourth graders than you can believe. Clay Prall is without a doubt, "big brother" for Karen, Brad, and many more."
Curt was stricken with viral encephalitis in spring 1998 six months after retiring. The illness left him unable to remember some things, but he continued to love the outdoors and hunt with friends in the mountain country he had known since childhood. Curt bore his disability with courage and unfailing patience, always helping others where he could, as he had done his entire life. In the last days before his death he told us, "I help people communicate. I help the community."
Curt loved the simple things in life. He loved his Springer Spaniel Maggie. He loved his father’s hunting rifle. He loved nature and wildlife. He loved his inseparable wife Jan, children Brad and Karen, and his grandchildren Maximus and Athena, with whom he had a special bond. He loved dessert and his one concession to yuppie life, sugar-free hazelnut latte.
Curt is survived by his wife, Jan Probert of Paonia; a daughter and her husband, Karen Probert and Rob Peters of Paonia; a son and his wife, Brad and Lora Probert of Farmington Hills, MI; and two grandchildren Athena Peters and Maximus Probert.
The Probert family strongly requests people to view the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at www.taylorfuneralservice.com as a way to gather memorial thoughts about him.
A memorial service will be held at the Paonia United Methodist Church in Paonia, Colorado on April 7, 2009 at 2 pm. Instead of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Logan County 4-H Foundation (508 South 10th Ave, Sterling, CO 80751) or the Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado (PO Box 60307, Grand Junction, CO 81506). |
| | | Dave Meyring, FarmHouse President 1964-1965 Passes Away
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David "Dave" Ernest Meyring, 67, of Walden, CO, passed away on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 at North Colorado Medical Center. He was born April 16, 1941 in North Park, CO to Oliver and Ruth (Coyte) Meyring.
Dave died as the result of a horse accident.
Dave lived in North Park his entire life. He graduated from North Park High School, attended Northeastern Jr. College in Sterling and graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Farm and Ranch Management where he was in the Farm House fraternity and served as president.
Dave married Marinan Henry in 1968 in Brighton. He later married Kay Ritschard Kayser on August 21, 1991 at Coyte Ranch in Walden.
Dave worked with his dad and two brothers at Meyring Livestock until 1986. He owned and operated Spicer ranches while residing at the Coyte Ranch where they raised commercial cattle, Percheron horses and hay. It has been said that "Dave could move water to places that people didn't think water could be moved, with only a shovel." He enjoyed feeding cattle with a team of horses his entire life. Dave showed many pens of cattle along with his brothers at the National Western Stockshow.
He enjoyed team roping, hosting the annual Great Divide Triple Header Roping, ranch rodeos and spending time with his family.
Dave was a member of the North Park Stock Growers Association, Colorado Cattlemen's Association, National Cattlemen's Association, AQHA, USTRC, Percheron Horse Association, Colorado Water Conservation Board of which he was chairperson for 12 years being appointed by the Governor, Jackson County Round Table, Jackson County Planning Board Chairperson for over 35 years, Director of the Jackson Water Conservancy District, North Platte Soil Conservation District Board, North Platte Basin Round Table, North Park Sage Grouse Working Group, Jackson County Republican chairperson and Precinct committee person, and member of National Western Stockshow.
He is survived by his wife, Kay Meyring of Walden; son, Coy Meyring and wife, Leslie, of Amarillo, TX; daughter, Becky Meyring of Eaton; stepson, Fred Kayser and wife, Heather, of Galeton; stepdaughter, Jody and husband, Marty McMillen, of Lodgepole, NE; brothers, Jerry Meyring and wife, Nancy of Alliance, NE and Danny Meyring and wife, Lucy, of North Park; and grandchildren, Myles, Mattie Ruth and Jack Meyring of Amarillo, TX, Kylie, Ridge and Tripp Kayser of Galeton, and Wyatt and Taya McMillen of Lodgepole, NE.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
A Celebration of Dave's life will be at 12:00 p.m., Monday, March 2, 2009 at Wattenburg Center, Walden, CO.
Private burial will be at the Coyte Ranch.
Memorials may be made to the Colorado Cattlemen's Endowment Trust, North Park Community Church or the North Park Medical Center in care of Allnutt Funeral Service, 702 13th Street, Greeley, CO. |
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