Verne R. Bixler

Verne Roger Bixler, beloved husband, father, and grandfather passed into eternal life on Saturday, August 29, 2015. He was born on April 19, 1946 in Longmont, Colorado to Howard and Gayle Bixler. He grew up on a farm south of Longmont and attended Fairview High School. He enlisted in the Air Force and worked as a crew chief in Thailand on F4 Fighters during the Vietnam War. He graduated from CSU with a degree in Animal Science and a minor in Nutrition. Verne met Connie Kay Norden in Ft. Collins and they married on June 22, 1974. They recently celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary. Together they moved to Colorado Springs and opened their own feed store, Colorado Agri-Feed, in 1975. Verne is preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Dale and Gene. He is survived by his wife Connie, daughters Natasha Garver (John) and Amanda, grandsons Corbin and Barrett, sister Lynne, and numerous extended family members. He was most proud of his daughters and grandsons, they were the pride and joy of his life. Verne will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Verne was a member of the Colorado Feed & Grain Association, the Rocky Mountain Plant Food Association, the National Western Stock Show, the Fed Beef Committee, the Colorado Cattlemen’s & Pikes Peak Cattlemen’s Associations, the Pikes Peak Range Riders, the Pikes Peak Range Rider Pivots, and Immanuel Lutheran Church. He served on the board of directors for the El Paso County 4-H Foundation, the Soil Conservation Society of America, the Range Riders (President 2008), and the Girl Scouts Wagon Wheel Council. Donations can be made to the Immanuel Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, or to the National Western Scholarship Trust, NWSS c/o Morgan Topolnicki, 4655 Humboldt Street, Denver, CO 80216.