(Howard) Douglas George, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on August 7, 2018, in Monument, Colorado, holding his wife’s hand. He was born in Emporia, Kansas on December 12, 1922, the third of four children born to the late Frank and Harriet George.
Doug came from a large, extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Growing up on a farm near Lebo, Kansas, he was active in 4-H. He graduated from Lebo High School in 1940 and Kansas State University in 1949, with a major in Animal Science. At K-State, he was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR) and the Meats Judging Team.
From 1943-1946 during World War II, he served in the Army with the 69th Infantry Division in Germany. His unit joined the Siegfried line in Belgium after the Battle of the Bulge. In April 1945, his unit linked up with the Soviets at the Elbe River.
He married Roselyn Skonberg on June 18, 1950, in Osage County, Kansas, and together they raised three daughters – Susan, Sara, and Laura. He coached girls softball and loved to play catch with his daughters in the backyard. He enjoyed reading them poems from A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson and playing Solitaire and ping pong with them. The family went on many camping trips as well as vacations to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. He and Roselyn later took wonderful trips together and attended many Elderhostels.
Doug had a career in farming and ranching, in farm management, and as a sales representative for agricultural companies. After their daughters were grown, he and Roselyn built a farm near Quitman, Texas and raised cattle.
They moved from their farm to Loveland, Colorado in 1990 to be closer to their daughters and eleven grandchildren. Doug raised a large garden in both his yard and the neighbor’s yard, freely sharing his vegetables with many. He became a Master Gardener and in 1995, his garden was chosen as the #1 Vegetable Garden in the Denver Channel 4 viewing area. Every fall, the family gathered to celebrate Pumpkin Day, a favorite holiday of the grandchildren. Doug enjoyed reading, especially biographies and mysteries by John Gresham. He gathered family history into books for future generations, and he created year books for each year featuring the family photos, sports highlights and national news of that year. Doug loved watching sports on TV, cheering on K-State, the Broncos, and the Rockies.
Visits by grandchildren were the highlights of his life. The grandchildren would visit individually or with siblings or cousins. Doug would play sports or garden with them or build things for or with them. He showed his thoughtfulness in so many ways. Using glue, scissors, photos, and magazine pictures, he would create elaborate or funny cards unique to the person. He gave a dozen roses to Roselyn seven specific times each year and left instructions to the family to continue this after he was gone. He always requested her butterscotch pie for his birthday “cake.”
Doug and Roselyn were members of Mountain View Presbyterian Church in Loveland, and he enjoyed going to breakfast each week with the Men’s Breakfast Group.
In October of 2017, Doug and Roselyn moved to Bethesda Gardens Assisted Living in Monument, Colorado. Family photos, mostly of the grandchildren, covered their walls. The 23rd Psalm hung by his bed, where he could read it every night. It was his favorite scripture. Doug received wonderful care from all of the staff at Bethesda as well as from the staff at New Century Hospice.
Doug was preceded in death by his parents Frank Jackson and Harriet Woodbury George, sister Eleanor George, brother Jackson George, and son-in-law Gary Bostrom. He leaves behind his wife Roselyn George of Monument, Colorado; daughters Susan (Randy) Phillips of Monument, Sara Bostrom of Colorado Springs, and Laura Andersson of Bellingham, Washington; grandchildren Sean (Shea) Phillips, Drew (Haley) Phillips, Reid Phillips, Matthew (Callie) Bostrom, Erin (Zach) Ward, Allison (Jeremy) Smith, Andrew (Mender) Bostrom, Rachel (Andrew) Nelson, Rebecca (Marc) Merhej, Susanna Huffman, and Elizabeth Huffman; great-grandchildren Holden and Devin Phillips, Mark Bostrom, Miriam, Simon, and Naomi Ward, and Peregrine and Sylvia Nelson; brother Phil (Judy) George of Lebo, Kansas as well as numerous nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends, including family friend Doris Munson.
A private graveside service for family will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, August 13, 2018, at the Monument Cemetery, 800 Beacon Lite Road, Monument, CO. A memorial service will be held Friday, September 14, at 1:00 p.m., at Mountain View Presbyterian Church in Loveland, CO.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mountain View Presbyterian Church 2500 Garfield Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538 or Animal Sciences and Industry Department Kansas State University 232 Weber Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-8028
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18