Jimmie Colvin

1937 - 2020

James Lee Colvin or Jimmie as he was affectionately known to everyone, was born September 15, 1937 to James Clarence and Helen Downing Colvin at the family home north of Wiley. He was welcomed to the family by an older sister, Ruby Jean. Jimmie attended first through 12th grades at Wiley School District where he enjoyed playing sports and participating in FFA activities. Jimmie met the love of his life, Billie Bryson before he enrolled at Lamar Community College in 1955 and the two were married the following year. This relationship continued for 64 more years. Jimmie was a team member of LCC's livestock judging team and relished being on Red Heath's renowned judging team. This contributed to his lifelong association of working with farm animals and being a good steward of the land. Children followed soon after marriage with Zoe Lynn, born in December 1956, then shortly after her, Jo Lene joined the family in March 1958, followed by Tammie Jean in May 1959. Finally a son, Gregory Lee, joined his female siblings in September 1960. The birth of the youngest, Cindy Lou, completed the family in May 1962. While the family was expanding, a move to Fort Collins was necessary for Jimmie to continue his agricultural education at Colorado State University. He obtained the position of Sheep Herdsman located at the CSU Livestock Farm while simultaneously completing his Animal Husbandry degree. After graduation in 1962, Jimmie moved the family back to the Colvin farm where Jimmie joined his father to begin his farming career. Many farming decisions were made when Jimmie and his dad would meet on County Road 3. After several minutes of each sitting in silence with father and son trying to determine who was going to do what next and with few words exchanged, each would go their separate way on to the next duty. Jimmie enjoyed the farming life even though irrigating the fields with a shovel, dams and irrigation tubes was backbreaking work. Some years were pretty lean but he enjoyed the country life hoping and praying that the crops he and his father had put in the ground would yield enough to make a little profit. Jimmie and his father started raising registered Suffolk sheep and produced some national winners. Many hours would be spent washing, trimming and then carding the wool of the selected few that would get to travel to various state fairs. Jimmie's proudest moment as a sheep producer was in 1964 when their yearling ewe won Grand Champion Ewe at the National Suffolk Show held in conjunction with the American Royal Livestock Show in Kansas City, Missouri. That same ewe was also a member of their 1st Place Pen of Yearling Ewes, 1st Place Flock, and 1st Place Get-of-Sire. This same ewe was awarded again as Grand Champion Ewe at Colorado State Fair and New Mexico State Fair. Sharing his knowledge of livestock was a passion of Jimmie's so naturally he served as a 4-H Leader for the Wiley Livestock 4-H Club. Many Sunday afternoons were spent with the 4-Hers judging animals and holding contests to determine who was best at judging the animals and then giving their reasons for their placement. The members also had fun throughout the year with enjoying a roller skating party in the winter and a swimming party in the summer.

When you live on a farm you learn that everyone has responsibilities. Jimmie taught his children how to drive pickups, tractors, swathers, buckrakes and other farm implements. The girls especially liked driving the buckrakes and finishing a hay field with a face so dirty that the only thing that remained recognizable was their eyes. At this time, farming was still accomplished using machinery without a cab. Seeing the sign from their father that it was time to go eat, never came soon enough. And if you were swathing and your rows were a little crooked, Jimmie wanted to get that field raked first so no one thought that he was responsible for those crooked hay rows.

Occasionally, after chores were finished and no water needed to be set, Billie and Jimmie would take an evening away from the farm and partake in country-western dancing. He especially liked trying to keep up with songs that had a fast tempo which forced Billie to do likewise. Some of his favorites were "White Lightin'" by George Jones and "Chattahoochee" by Alan Jackson. His favorite bands to dance to were The Kentucky Headhunters as well as George Strait and his band. Billie had to admit though, she did enjoy dancing with her husband. Supporting their children's sporting events was important to Jimmie and Billie. They enjoyed watching the girls' softball, volleyball and basketball games as well as track events and Greg's football and basketball games. Greg recollects how he went out for track his freshman year and Billie bought a pair of used track shoes for him and he kept telling her they were too small. When his big toenail fell off, Billie was convinced that the track shoes were indeed too small. Years later Jimmie and Billie then attended many of their grandchildren's volleyball, softball, basketball and football games and track events. Greg became a partner with his father in the family farm in 1981. The itch to get back into the Registered Suffolk breeding program became a reality in 1985 when Jimmie and Greg began rebuilding their sheep herd. They purchased most of their foundation ewe flock from George Scott in Rye, Colorado and the remainder of their seedstock from nationally recognized Suffolk breeding programs in California, Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah. The father -son duo also ran 650 head of short -term Western White cross ewes which they purchased fresh off the mountain pastures of Montana and South Dakota. They were interviewed by a reporter for the High Plains Journal in an article that was published January 9, 1989 which highlighted the rebuilding of their Suffolk sheep program. Jimmie contributed his service to various organizations and boards. He served as Lions Club President, Fort Lyon Canal Treasurer, Ponderosa Grazing Association Secretary and Wiley School Board Member for many years. After semi-retirement, Jimmie and Billie had more time to travel. Some of their favorite trips were to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; the Caribbean Islands; the Hawaiian Islands; an Alaskan cruise; Newport, Rhode Island; Nashville, Tennessee; and Yellowstone National Park. They also purchased a fifth-wheel recreational vehicle and did some traveling with The Good Sam Club. That is until one camping trip to Oklahoma, Jimmie had to change three blown-out tires. Billie convinced Jimmie that their camping days had to reluctantly come to a halt. A story about Jimmie still brings a chuckle to the family. Several years ago Billie noticed Jimmie was having a fitful night of sleeping. A few minutes later, Jimmie fell out of bed so Billie got up to help him back into bed and he went right back to sleep. The next morning at breakfast she asked him if he could remember falling out of bed. Jimmie answered, "Yeah, I was dreaming that I was leg wrestling Harold Reed." It's funny how some childhood memories remain with us. Jimmie's health was declining and traveling became too difficult. He still enjoyed looking out of his south window to see how the farming operation was progressing now that grandson, Trevor had joined his father, Greg to continue with the farming tradition. On June 10, 2020 Jimmie departed this life at the age of 82 at his home north of Wiley, Colorado. Jimmie was preceded in death by his father, James C. Colvin; his mother, Helen Colvin; his grandson, Clay May; and his brother -in-law, Garland Gibbs.

He leaves his devoted wife of 64 years, Billie Colvin of Wiley, Colorado; his daughter, Zoe Colvin of Wiley, Colorado; his daughter, Jo May and husband, Tim of Lamar Colorado; his daughter, Tammie Chamberlain and husband, Kent of Wiley, Colorado; his son, Greg Colvin and wife, Lynette of Wiley, Colorado; and his daughter, Cindy Malone and husband, Lane of Bristol, Colorado. Jimmie also leaves the following grandchildren: Tesha Osborn, Chelsea Davis, Colby Mick, Nathan May, Nolan Chamberlain, Trevor Colvin, Courtney Grasmick, Chandra Chamberlain, Emmie Lowe, Dalton Chamberlain and Evan Malone. He is also survived by sixteen great -grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wiley United Methodist Church or Wiley FFA either direct or in care of the funeral home office. Services are under the direction of Peacock Funeral Home.