Davie Dave Robertson

Davie Dean (Dave) Robertson passed away pm February 11, 2014 at the Rangely District Hospital after a year of severe illness. Dave was born September 27, 1931 to Herschel and (Pauline Sterling) Robertson. It was depression times and Dave spent his childhood years living and working on ranches in the area. The summer he was fifteen he worked for a sheep outfit who sent him with a herd of sheep to Newell, South Dakota. The owner left and he was alone most of the time. Dave graduated from Hugo High School in 1950 and in March of 1951 he enlisted in the United States Army. After training he was scheduled to go to Korea. But because he had experience working in auto and machine parts while in high school, he was sent to the Army Ordinance Department at Fort Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska. During those two years he spent time at post in Nome, Port Barrow. The Aleutian Island and Tule, Greenland. After Dave was discharged he worked construction during the summers spending time on the Valley Highway which is now I-25Junior collage in LA Junta, Colorado receiving as Associate degree and graduated from Colorado University in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree -major Accounting. On December 6, 1958 Dave married the love of his life, Cheryl Kirby whom he met in collage. He worked for a Certified Public Accounting Firm in Greelev, Colorado for five years. In 1963 the family moved to Rangely, Colorado, went into the livestock business with Cheryl's parents and twin Buttes Ranch Comp, was formed. Family and the ranch were his life. Over the years additional acreages and grazing permits were added to the business and he never quit seeking knowledge. He studied the soils, learning all the grasses, plants and shrubs particular to an area and kept a chart of the precipitation in order to better the range. One of his missions in life was to leave the land better condition than he found it. The last few years he went through many of the Great Courses" Lectures and books on topics covering the U.S. Constitution early history and finance. Reading was his hobby and when they traveled He always come home with history of the area or stories about the early settlers. Dave was a member of the First Rio Blanco County Planning Commission serving for eight years, most of that time as chairman. He was on the board of directors of the Douglas Creek Soil Conservation and was instrumental in helping establish the Upper Colorado Environmental Plant Center at Meeker, Colorado. He severed on the board of directors of the Rifle Production Credit Association until its reorganization in 1985. He belonged to the Rio Blanco County Cattlemen's, the Colorado Cattlemen's, the national Cattlemen's, R-Calf and the Society to range management. Dave and his family were honored in 1987 as Colorado Herford Breeder of the years by the Colorado Herford Association. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother Frank Robertson. Dave is survived by his wife Cheryl, two sons. Scott (Mikki) Robertson of Rangely, CO; Owen (Michelle) Robertson of Rangely, CO; daughter, Karen (Troy) Latham of Mack, CO; six grandchildren, Mandi Hirsch, Tyler Robertson, Rayna Robertson, Afton Robertson, Aren Robertson and Kersi Latham; brother Steve (Judy)Robertson of Greelev, Co; three sisters, Betty Kaufman of Littleton, CO, Della (Don) Knutson of Genoa Colorado; Janie VanDerSchouw of Leadville, CO and sister-in-law, Carol Robertson of Agate, Colorado. Funeral services will be conducted on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 @ 11:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Rangely, CO Family will greet friends 1 hour prior. Burial will be in the Rangely Cemetery with Military Honors provided. Services have been entrusted to the care of Blackburn Meeker, Rangely and Vernal Mortuaries.