Leslie Roy Ketcheson

Leslie Roy Ketcheson, 88, Fort Collins, Colorado, formerly of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Emmett and Boise, Idaho, passed away June 18, 2014. Les was born on a farm outside Milnor, North Dakota. He spent his early years in North Dako-ta, and Boulder, Colorado, and endured many hardships during the Great Depression. While serving in the Army during WWII, he met his lifelong partner, Frances, in Salina, Kansas, and they were married June 6, 1947. He graduated with a Civil Engineering Degree from the Uni-versity of Colorado, in June 1950 and began working for the USGS outside of Sheridan, Wyo-ming monitoring stream flows in sometimes hazardous conditions. In 1953, he went to work for the Wyoming Highway Department in Cheyenne. There he worked in the Bridge Depart-ment, and especially enjoyed bridge design and participating in the design of the Interstate Highway System across Wyoming. After Les' retirement in 1986 he and Fran moved to Em-mett, Idaho, where they started a Christmas Tree Farm, and tended a large fruit and vegetable garden. They traveled extensively, spending winters in Arizona. They established many won-derful relationships in Idaho and maintained cherished friendships from Cheyenne. In 1993, they moved "into town" Boise, and then to Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2010. Les was preceded in death by his wife, Frances Laverne Hokr Ketcheson, two sisters Norena Ketcheson Smith, Lisbon, North Dakota, and Arlene Ketcheson Jacobson, Boulder, Colora-do. He is survived by daughter, Kathleen Ketcheson and husband Don Flaherty, Fort Col-lins, Colorado, and by son, Roger and wife Linda Ketcheson, Orem, Utah, and by Gary and wife Liz Kennedy Ketcheson of Greenbank, WA; seven grandchildren, 22 great grandchil-dren, and numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial service was held Saturday, June 21, at Good Samaritan Retirement Village Chapel in Fort Collins.