Leon Harvey Kerr

Leon Harvey Kerr was born on August 6, 1935, on a small farm south of Walsh, Colorado to Louis Harvey and Nannie Sue (Massey) Kerr. This was during the "Dust Bowl" years. Shortly after Leon's birth his dad and mom decided to move to LaJunta, Colorado because they were afraid of dust pneumonia and did not want Leon to catch it. They lived in LaJunta for 10 years. His dad worked for the railroad during World War II, and did not have to serve in the military, but many of Leon's uncle served. While his dad worked for the railroad, Leon remembers being able to take many trips on the passenger train to see his grandpa and grandma Kerr in Hamilton, Kansas and to his grandpa and grandma Massey in Phoenix, Arizona. On one of the trips, while in Phoenix his mother went into labor with his sister, Karen Sue, on August 31, 1945. Sadly, Karen did not live through the labor.
In 1945, they moved to a place near Lycan, Colorado to farm. Leon attended the Lycan School and was quite an athlete, especially in track and basketball. In fact, the Springfield High School principal tried to talk him into attending high school in Springfield. During the time in Lycan, his brother, Larry Joe, was born in Lamar, Colorado on February 17, 1948.
The family moved to Walsh, Colorado in 1950. This is when Leon decided to farm instead of going to high school. He was good at it and liked earning money. He worked for his dad and Billy Greathouse. He was quite wild in his teenage years, especially when he was driving his cars, being involved in at least two car crashes.
In 1954, he met Lida Mae Crone, the love of his life, at a dance in Pritchett, Colorado. She was from Pritchett, and they started dating and on March 10, 1955, they were married. They went to Clayton, New Mexico to get married because Colorado did not allow people to marry until they were 18 years old, and Lida was only 17. Lida passed away on June 1, 2020. They were married for 65 years.
Their first home together was east of Walsh. Their first child, Linda Lou, was born on October 5, 1955. Two more children soon joined the family, Eva Sue on April 2, 1957, and Bonnie Wanda on December 2, 1958. In 1959, they purchased property in Walsh across the street from Leon's dad and mom. They had a house moved from north of Walsh to their property in town.
On November 7, 1960, Leon's dad, Louis, passed away from a heart attack and 9 months later, on August 12, 1961, he lost his mother in a car crash west of Walsh. His brother, Joe, was 13 years old and became Leon and Lida's responsibility. On May 22, 1962, Lida Marie was born.
Leon and Lida were farmers and raised broomcorn, wheat, and maize. During broomcorn harvest they hired, housed, and fed between 30-50 men. Leon managed the field work and Lida managed the kitchen with 2 helpers.
The family moved to a house 15 miles south of Walsh to farm Walter Burchfield's land in 1971. In February 1979 he joined the "tractorcade" organized by the American Agriculture Movement. The convoy of tractors travelled to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to protest farm policies and fair prices for crops. He provided his motor home for the trip so farmers would have a place to sleep. He loved that trip, because while he was there, he was able to visit many of the museums and monuments.
Leon and Lida moved back to the house in Walsh in 1984. They continued to farm until about 2005 when they retired. After retiring Leon and Lida became "snowbirds" going to Port Aransas, Texas in October and staying until March. Many of their relatives and friends visited them in Port Aransas.
Leon loved watching high school football and basketball attending almost all the Walsh High School games. In later years, he and Lida enjoyed attending as many of their grandchildren and great grand-children's activities as possible.
Leon loved to travel. The family travelled to Phoenix, Arizona just about every Christmas Break to see his Grandma Fannie Massey and his aunts and uncle. He always tried to take different routes to visit places along the way. He was very spontaneous, because many times he would come up with a travel destination and sometimes Lida would have only a few hours to pack up the camper and the four girls.
Fishing, hunting, camping, and driving his boat were Leon's favorite things to do. Every weekend during the summer he would take his family to the lake, mostly Two Buttes. He had a unique way of teaching his children and grandchildren how to swim by instructing them on how to swim and then throwing them over the side of the boat into the deep water (with a life jacket of course). Everyone learned fast and, well, no one drowned, so all was good. He taught anybody who wanted to learn how to water ski. He was very gentle pulling his daughters or young children, but when it came to the adult males like his brother or his sons-in-law he was not so gentle. He tried his best to make them fall. So ornery!
The greatest tradition Leon and Lida started was to have a family reunion every summer. For many years they took eleven of their grandchildren to John Martin Reservoir for a week of camping, boating, water skiing, jet skiing, fishing, sitting around the campfire, making s'mores, and playing games. Many great memories were created for the cousins! Their daughter, Linda, was there all week to help. The other grandchildren's parents loved that week, a week without their children, and a week of relaxation. They looked forward to it every year, probably just as much as their children.
On the weekend the parents and other relatives would show up and have a big family reunion. Leon made the best grilled BBQ chicken. As the grandchildren became older the reunions were held only on the weekends. Their children and grandchildren are still keeping this tradition alive.
Preceded in death by his wife Lida; parents Louis and Nannie (Massey); sister Karen Sue; brother Larry Joe; daughter Linda and son-in-law Rick Adams; granddaughter CJ; great great-grandson Brian, brothers-in-law: Don and Albert Crone; Marshall Skelton; and Gary Neal, and sister-in-law Nancy Crone.
Leon is survived by daughters Sue (Mark) Morrison of Limon, Co; Bonnie (Mark) Parks of Johnson, KS; Marie (Gary) Blau of Kanopolis, KS. Thirteen grandchildren: Christy (Travis) Eskew: Jemes Adams; Jerard (Cortney) Adams; Alisha (George) Ashauer; Kenneth (Carolyn) Morrison; Rhiannon Keen; Michelle (Charlie) Turner; Ben (Kim) Parks; Bart (Lori) Parks; Charles Keen; Felicity (Brad) Betts; Cassandra (Todd) Bryant, and Savannah (Trevor) Kelley. Twenty-seven great-grandchildren: Rhett and Delaney Eskew; Dalton, Kaitlyn, and Waylon Adams; Cameron and Joy Adams; Ayla, George, Troy, Hank and Leon Ashauer; Amelia Morrison; Greyson Keen; Zach (Kaitlyn) Thompson; Taylor, C.J., and Kyra Turner; Anoura Keen, Sidney Parks; Kolby and Kaden Betts; Kelsey and Kyler Bryant; Morgan, Madison, and Jack Kelley. One great great-grandchild: Riggin Thompson, sisters-in-law: Hazel Skelton and Wanda Neal; brothers-in-law: Ray and Leon Crone and many nieces and nephews.
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