Joe Klement, son of Joseph Klement and Bessie Smith, was born on October 17, 1915 in Beaver County, Oklahoma. His aunts raised him until he was a teenager and then he loaded up his horse and came to Arapahoe, Colorado with his father in 1932. He went to work first for the Ralph Reynolds Ranch and later for Virgil Hull Ranches for $1.50 a day. After hopping a freight train to California with Patsy Sheppard to work the prune harvest for $2.65 a day, Joe came back to Arapahoe to work at the Reynolds Ranch and drove a school bus.

While driving the school bus, Joe met Marian Hanavan, daughter of Charles and Anna Hanavan. Joe and Marian were married on January 5, 1941 in Tribune, KS. They moved five miles northwest of Arapahoe where they farmed and raised chickens and cattle. The money from the cream and eggs would buy their groceries for the next week. During the war, when sugar, gas, and other supplies were rationed, they would milk cows early in the morning and take the cream and eggs to town. One Sunday morning, Joe went out to the barn to milk the cows, but they weren't in the corral. They drove around the fields for hours using up their rationed gas looking for them. When they returned to the house, Joe suddenly remembered that the cows had been left in the barn all night in the stanchions.

On Saturdays, Joe and Marian would drive to town and park along the main street. They would sometimes go to the show or Joe would play pool with the men while Marian stayed out in the car with the ladies and children.

Joe and Marian had two daughters who were born in Cheyenne Wells, CO. Carlyne Kaye was born in February 1942 and the hospital charged $98 for a week's stay. Carol Mae was born in February 1944. Her stay cost S100.

In 1948, Joe and Marian purchased the Red and White Store in Arapahoe and moved in upstairs. But after a short period, they knew that they were meant to be farmers, so they moved back to the farm and started building the dairy barn. Joe purchased fifteen milk cows from his brother, Elmer, in Monument. Joe and Marian raised the girls there on the farm while they grew wheat and raised cattle, pigs, and chickens.

In 1950, they moved out to the farm north of Arapahoe. They went to Monument, Colorado and hauled back green lumber to build the house. Joe and Lee Sheppard helped build the house and Linus Hanavan and Ray Enright plastered and stuccoed it.

Over the next years, Joe and Marian watched their daughters grow and begin their own families. Carlyne married Ed Gerstner, and they had three children: Barry, Lori, and Tab. Carol married Del Woodward and had three children: Joseph, Kyla, and Patrick.

In 1980, an oil company started drilling west of the house on the farm. Joe and Marian decided to drive down to the rig one evening and actually witnessed the first oil strike on their land. We each got our own sample and they got their first checkWOW!!!!!

After the girls were grown, Joe and Marian began traveling all over the United States with friends and family on bus tours. They went to Branson several times, Nashville to



the Grand Ole Oprey, California to the Rose Parade twice, Niagara Fails, Yellowstone where they rode snow-cab in 3 feet of snow to watch the elk, the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque, the Michigan Tulip Festival, and a tour through Texas. Their long time friends, Ruth and Wendell Hull, went with them on many of these trips, and Carol and Carlyne even went with them to Branson once.

Carlyne's oldest son, Barry Gerstner, began coming to the farm as a young boy during the summers and moved to the farm to live when he graduated from high school, Joe took Barry under his wing and taught him the ins and outs of farming. Barry eventually began taking on more responsibility. In 1990, Joe and Marian moved from the farm to Cheyenne Wells. Barry then moved his family to the farm and continues to work the land with his own sons.

In 1993, when Joe had his second heart bypass surgery, we were afraid he wouldn't pull through. But, in his usual style, he refused to give up and we had 14 more wonderful years to share with him. He continued coming to the farm and helping Barry with farming and ranching operations up until last week.

The family will cherish the wonderful memories of past holidays and remember all the good times that we have had together. His loving wife, Marian, was by his side for 66 years. Together they witnessed the horse and buggy, the dust bowl days, the first television, a man landing on the moon, microwave ovens, and digital cameras. She was always by his side during good times and hard times. Their love is an example for all to follow.

Joe Klement died on November 3, 2007 at the Keefe Memorial Hospital in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. He is survived by his wife Marian, by his two daughters Carlyne K. (Edward) Gerstner and Carol (Del) Woodward, 6 grandchildren: Barry Gerstner, Lori Watts, Tab Gerstner, Joe Woodward, Kyla Woodward and Pat Woodward and 10 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild as well as many other family and friends. Joe was preceded in death by his parents and 2 sisters and 1 brother.

Funeral services were held on Thursday November 8, 2007 at the Arapahoe Community Church in Arapahoe, Colorado. Final committal services followed at the Arapahoe Cemetery. Kelly Beek was the soloist accompanied by Deanne McKinney. Pastor Tom Burch officiated the services. Casketbearers were: Michael Gerstner, Jamie Gerstner, Kevin Gerstner, Tab Gerstner, Joe Woodward, Pat Woodward, Kyla Woodward, Ashley Harvey and Lori Watts. Honorary casketbearers were: Wendell Hull, Bill Zurcher, Ron Howard, Paul Howard, Earl Chadderton, Herman Martin, Roger Baker, Virgil Mitchell, Cliff Roberts, Frances Thielen, Short Allen and Harry Nelson. Memorial contributions may be made to the Keefe Memorial Hospital or the Cheyenne Wells Fire/EMTs or the Arapahoe Community Church. Visitation and funeral services were entrusted to the Brown Funeral Home in Cheyenne Wells, CO. Family and friends may sign the guest register and offer online condolences at www.brownfuneraldirectors.com.