Kimmi J. Clark Lewis

1957 - 2019

A funeral service for Colorado State
House Representative Kimmi Clark
Lewis will be held at 10:00 a.m. on
Friday, December 13, 2019 at Our Lady
of Guadalupe/St. Patrick Parish in La
Junta, Colorado, with a graveside service
to follow at 3:00 p.m. at Mountain View
Cemetery in Branson, Colorado. Kimmi
Joan was born on March 19, 1957 in La
Junta to Kenneth and Jewell (Middleton)
Clark, and she entered God's Kingdom
following her third and valiant battle
with cancer on December 6, 2019 at the
age of 62.

Kimmi was raised with her three
older sisters on the Muddy Valley
Ranch, a family cattle ranch located
halfway between Kim and La Junta,
Colorado. Kimmi and her sisters were
the ranch hands and were expected to
ride broncs, fix fence, and care for the
livestock. Kimmi loved being a rancher
and started her first cow herd while in
high school. She enjoyed competitive
activities! Kimmi was the Most Valuable
Basketball Player in the women's "A"
division in 1975 and she was Colorado
Hereford Queen the same year. She was
highly accomplished in FFA, 4-H, and
cattlemen's groups. Kimmi was also a
brilliant pianist and taught many others
how to play.

After graduating from Kim High
School, Kimmi attended Trinidad State
Junior College on a basketball scholarship,
majoring in music. She married
her high school sweetheart, George
David "Dave" Lewis of Branson (son of
Don and Margaret
Lewis) on October
4, 1975. Upon
her graduation
from TSJC in 1977,
Kimmi and Dave
resided and began
raising their family
in Branson, Colorado.
They then
had six children
in nine years, the
last two being
twins! Family was
most important to
Kimmi and Dave. In 1992, Kimmi and
Dave purchased Muddy Valley Ranch
from her father. They also owned and
operated Dave Lewis Trucking, a cattle
and feed hauling business. While Dave
spent many hours in his truck, Kimmi
stayed home to dispatch the trucks and
care for their children and cattle.

Dave was diagnosed with acute leukemia
in January 2000 and passed away
four short months later. Dave's passing
was a devastating loss to the Lewis
family. Kimmi had two businesses to
solely run and the twins in junior high,
the middle two children in high school,
and the oldest two in college. All six
children received academic and athletic
scholarships to attend college, and all six
obtained a bachelor's degree, fulfilling
Dave's final wishes. Dave Lewis Trucking
is operated by two of their children
and their legacy at Muddy Valley Ranch
will be carried on as well, raising USA
Beef. Kimmi married Martin Canterbury
on July 4th
2004 at the Ranch
and he rode alongside
her for the
next decade.

Kimmi was a lifelong
Republican.
She held almost
every office in the
Las Animas County
Republican
Party and served
as the President of
the Trinidad/Las
Animas County Republican Women's
Club for thirty years. Kimmi regularly
attended Republican Party meetings in
Trinidad for almost forty years, which
is more than one hundred miles from
her home at the Ranch (one way). She
enjoyed serving as the Chair for Senate
District 2 for many years. Kimmi was
proudly elected to represent Colorado
State House District 64 in 2016 and was
reelected in 2018, which allowed her to
feed her passion, fix laws that infringed
on private property rights, and fulfill
many goals.

Kimmi devoted substantial time and
money advocating for agriculture. She
is a known hero to hundreds of cattle
producers throughout the United States
for her work on county-of-origin labeling
and private property rights issues.
Kimmi was honored with countless
prestigious awards for her relentless
advocacy work the past thirty years.
Kimmi battled breast cancer in 2014,
again in 2018 during the legislative session,
and finally throughout 2019. She
never let cancer slow her down! Kimmi
was a lifelong leader, an American
patriot, a loving wife and mother, and a
distinguished Coloradan. Her memory
will live on in the people whose lives she
so generously impacted and in the way
of life she worked so hard to protect.
Kimmi was preceded in death by her
parents, her husband Dave, her fatherin-
law Don Lewis, and her brother-inlaw
Danny Self. She is survived by her
six children – Kelly (Michael) Wasson
of Dresden, KS; Keith (Serenity) Lewis
of Fowler, CO; Kenneth (Stacey) Lewis
of La Junta, CO; Kerry (Jacob) Froese of
Cheraw, CO; Kristine Lewis (fiancé Kyle
Lopez) of Swink, CO; and Korry Lewis of
Johnstown, CO; and her thirteen grandchildren
– Michaela, Mitchell, and Macy
Wasson; Kyndal, Landri, and Paisley
Lewis; Gracie, Isabella, and Gino Lewis;
Adrienne and Eli Froese; and Electra and
Davey Lewis. She is also survived by her
three sisters – Julie Sumpter of Parker,
CO; Kathy Self of Springfield, CO; and
Karren "Sparky" Clark of Denver, CO;
her mother-in-law Margaret Lewis of
Branson, CO; and her sister-in-law Lori
(Craig) Green of Branson, CO.

Those desiring to honor Kimmi may
make memorial contributions to either
Sangre de Cristo Hospice, 1207 Pueblo
Blvd. Way, Pueblo, CO 81005; or R-CALF
USA, P.O. Box 30715, Billings, MT 59107;
or a charity of your choice. Peacock-
Larsen Funeral Home & Arkansas Valley
Crematory is in charge of arrangements.