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Lon W Timpe

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April 25, 1923 - January 11, 2010

Visitation: 10 am to 7 pm Thursday, Jan. 14, 2009
Visitation Place: Tennant Funeral Home

Service: 10:30 am Friday, January 15, 2009
Service Place: Calvary Baptist Church
Cemetery: Riverside Cemetery

Dr. Lon Whitson Timpe, 86, of Sterling, entered into eternal rest on Jan. 11, 2010, in Sterling. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 14, at Tennant Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 15, at Calvary Baptist Church, with Pastor Michael Young officiating. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery. “Doc” was born April 25, 1923, in Fort Morgan to Karl and Mary (Whitson) Timpe. He was baptized in September 1939, at a tent revival in Fort Morgan. He attended grades 1-9 at the OK School and Pleasant Ridge. He attended Fort Morgan High School for grades 10-12. After high school, he attended Benson Polytech in Portland, Ore., for electrician training.

Upon completing military service, he used his G.I. Bill to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. He felt passionately about the need to rid the state of animal brucellosis, which had left his wife barren following a case of Undulant fever. He attended Colorado A&M and graduated as a doctor of veterinary medicine on Aug. 10, 1956. He married Mollie Elizabeth Rediess on June 20, 1946, in Fort Morgan. They were married 63 1/2 years. Together they ranched, built a veterinary practice and raised the four children they adopted: Calvin, Allan, Laural, and Ruth. Doc entered the Air Force on July 7, 1943, and was a Corporal at his discharge on Feb. 21, 1946. He was employed as an electrician for Continental Airlines, and worked with Dr. B.N. Frank before opening his own practice. He was a veterinarian in Sterling for 54 years.

Dr. Timpe was a member of Calvary Baptist Church, Sterling Elks Lodge, Sterling American Legion, Saddle & Sirloin, Northeast Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Northeast Colorado Veterinary Medical Association, Colorado Veterinary Medical Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, Sterling FFA Advisory Board, Great Western Beef Expo, and Northeast Colorado Bull Test. He was an honorary member of the Sterling FFA Chapter and Colorado FFA Association, and received the FFA Outstanding Service award in 2002. He was named Grand Marshal of the Logan County Fair in 2003. Doc was honored by the Logan County Fair for 37 years of service in 1993, and was also the recipient of the Friend of 4-H award. He enjoyed woodworking, clocks, trains, was a devoted animal lover, and a friend to all. He regularly watched the weekly Lawrence Welk show, as well as western programs. Prior to his retirement from large animal medicine around age 70, he was on-call for service 24/7. Later, he was able to spend time working with his hobbies and enjoying the company of his wife and grandchildren. He enjoyed 53 years as a fair veterinarian, affecting the lives of local youth with his kind spirit and generosity.

The Good Doctor is survived by his loving wife, Mollie; sons, Calvin Timpe of Aurora and Allan Timpe of Camp Meeker, Calif.; daughters, Laural Brownell and husband Mike of Fleming and Ruth Klein and husband Jerald of Sterling; grandchildren, Audrey Brownell and Craig and Jill Brownell of Sterling, Andrew and Bronson Klein of Fort Collins, and Adelaide and Arthur Timpe of Camp Meeker, Calif. great-grandchildren, Gabriel and Caitlin Brownell of Sterling; brothers, Richard and wife Margaret, and Earl Timpe of Fort Morgan; brother-in-law, Dr. George Breniman of Windsor; and sister-in-law, Marian Timpe of Denver. Also survived is foster daughter, Berenice Contreras and family of Brush. He was preceded in death by his parents, Karl and Mary Timpe; brothers, Theodore and Gordon Timpe; sister, Alice Timpe Breniman; in-laws, Sam and Marie Rediess; brothers-in-law, Edward and Arthur Rediess; and sister-in-law, Marjorie Timpe. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Dr. Lon W. Timpe, DVM Opportunity Grant (to assist local youth in starting livestock projects) in care of Tennant Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1547, Sterling, CO 80751.