Vernon Lee Cooksey

Vernon Lee Cooksey

May 24, 1940 - September 24, 2019

Vernon Lee Cooksey passed on to be with his Savior on September 21, 2019 surrounded by his loving family.

He was born to Lyle and Pauline Cooksey on May 24, 1940 in Denver, Colorado. He grew up in the South Roggen area and went to Kiowa School through 6th grade. He then went to Brighton for a year, to Prospect Valley School through his freshman year and then went to Wiggins High School where he graduated as Valedictorian in 1958. He married his girlfriend, Evelyn Washburn who he originally met in first grade and they were married for over 61 years.

Vernon attended Colorado State University and graduated with a degree in agronomy in 1962. He and Evelyn came back home and farmed and raised cattle with his parents and raised their family and grew the farm to where it currently is now--farming a diversified crop and cattle operation with his 3 sons Jim, Jerry and Jeff and his grandson Dustin. 

Vernon was a lifetime member of the Kiowa Sunday School and Church where he led, raised and encouraged his family to be involved and grow their faith there as they enjoyed the fellowship and worship with their family and friends.

Vernon had a heart for his community and all of the people in it from the youth to those he lived and farmed with. He was a member of Homestead Grange #215 for over 50 years and a 4-H leader for the Kiowa Busy Workers 4-H club for over 30 years.  He was honored with the FFA Honorary Chapter Farmer Degree from the Weld Central Chapter and the Honorary State Farmer Degree from Colorado FFA. He was involved in several community and county activities including serving as an ASCS/FSA committeeman for 20 years. He served on the Consumers Oil and Roggen Farmers Elevator boards.  He was the CSU Soil and Plant Science Honored Alumnus of the Year in 2008. He and Evelyn were honored to be chosen as the 2013 Southeast Weld County Fair Parade Grand Marshalls.  He was a member of the Colorado Association of Wheat Growers, the National Association of Wheat Growers and he and Evelyn would enjoy the National Commodity Classic every year at locations across the country.

Vernon will be remembered as a generous, compassionate and mischievous dad, grandpa, and friend who spent most of his days either farming, watching his kids and grandkids in all of their sporting events, cattle shows, and any of their hobbies, or watching a Broncos or Rockies game.

He is preceded in death by his parents Lyle and Pauline Cooksey and his brother, Ken Cooksey, and his brother-in-law Ken Ryan.

He is survived by his wife Evelyn; his children:  Jim (Kathy)Cooksey,  Judy (John) Owens, Jerry Cooksey, Jeff (Amy) Cooksey;  Eight Grandchildren: Dustin Cooksey, Kaytlyn (Chad) Kennedy, Brandon (Kerri) Owens, Kelsey(Jeff) Wittstruck, Lyle and Paul Cooksey, Sarah (Tyler) Madsen, and Molly Cooksey. Eight Great Grandchildren:  Kyndall and Aniyah Kennedy; Boaz, Elias, and Amos Owens; Leah and Moses Wittstruck; and Rayelee Madsen; his sisters: Velma Ryan, and Vicki (Jerry) Redman; and his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law:  Shirley (Gordon) Timmons, Melvin (Betty) Washburn, Kay (Peter) Guerin, Bonnie (Terry) Reddick, and Vernetta Washburn along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be at 6 p.m., Friday night, September 27 at the Tabor Funeral Home in Brighton.  Memorial service will be at 10 a.m., Saturday morning, September 28 at Christ Community Church just south of Roggen, Colorado.  Internment at Heart of the Plains Cemetery.  Reception following at Christ Community Church.

Memorial contributions may be made to Kiowa Creek Community Church, Homestead Grange #215, or the Southeast Weld County Fair Association.

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