Donald B. Weixelman

Donald Weixelman passed from his loving family into the arms of his Lord on April 10, 2011. Don was born to Antone and Marie Weixelman on August 30, 1932 at the home on a small farm near Louisville, Kansas. He grew up during a time when farms were plowed by horses and planted by hand. By the time he graduated from Wamego High School in 1950, the age of the tractor had been established. He earned his way into college by picking berries, combining and working hard with his hands. After the flood of 1950, he worked the summer as a gandy dancer (railroad construction worker). He entered Kansas State University in 1950 and went on to get degrees in Agricultural Economics and Business. He met Diane Gayle Brainard on a blind date while there and they remained together for their future adventures. While at KSU, he traveled with the International Foreign Youth Exchange to Lebanon and Syria to teach irrigation and farming techniques. He studied under the ROTC program and after graduating from KSU in 1954, he entered the army as a 2nd Lieutenant. Don and Diane were married on November 20th, 1954. After a brief honeymoon, Don began his service with the Army and served in Korea immediately after the armistice ceasefire was signed. He returned home from Korea to his wife and firstborn son in 1957. The family first settled in Abilene, Kansas where he worked for the Duckwall/Alco stores, Diane's family business. A love of the land pulled Don and Diane to Fort Collins to pursue opportunities with United Farm Agency in 1959. Don had an amazing love of working with land and sharing it with others. He went on to create, multiple mountain properties into developments that others could enjoy. On many occasions he noted that he wanted people to be able to camp on and enjoy the sunset from their own piece of land. He made this possible for many, developing areas such as Glacier View Meadows, Crystal Lakes, Rist Canyon, Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch and more. He and his wife loved children and went on to raise 7 of their own. Children were welcome in the Weixelman home, and the house was always alive with activity; nobody left hungry. His children and their friends spent many weekend and summer hours in the outdoors helping Don lay out roads, build ski trails, find property corners and appreciate the earth and wildlife. Many foreign exchange students learned about United States culture from the home of Don and Diane. Don enjoyed hiking in the out of doors, camping, skiing, horseback riding, and driving the sleigh and carriage. His activities included photography, building rock walls, gardening, a challenging game of cribbage or pitch (the conversation that came with the game) and sitting by the fire with his family. Don is survived by his wife, Diane, who has been at his side as a wife and business partner for 56 years. He would not go through a door without holding it open for her, and still loved holding her hand. He is also survived by 6 children, Joseph Weixelman and his wife Chris Tee of Wayne, Nebraska, Janice Weixelman of Red Feather Lakes, former son-in-law, Marvin Wawerski, Mike Weixelman of Timnath, Chris Weixelman and his wife Azar, of San Diego, California, Gary Weixelman of Fort Collins and Linda Weixelman of Red Feather Lakes; grandchildren, Shawn Weixelman and his wife Nannette, Christopher Weixelman, James Weixelman, Kai Weixelman, Tansy Wawerski, Tye Wawerski , Nasim Weixelman, Yassey Weixelman, Nika Weixelman, and Nafeis Weixelman; great-granddaughter, Winter Weixelman; brothers, James Weixelman and his wife, Jill of Wamego, Kansas; sisters, Antonette Novelly of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Cecilia Muckenthaler and her husband George of Dayton, Ohio, Bernadine Weixelman of Blytheville, Arkansas, sisters-in-law, Betty Wingate of Folsom, California, Gloria Weixelman of Topeka, Kansas and Marie Weixelman of Lincoln, Nebraska, and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Tony Weixelman; parents, Antone and Marie Weixelman; brothers, George Wingate, Louis Weixelman and his wife Cleo, Paul Weixelman and Dennis Weixelman; sisters, Victoria Zoeller, Rita Meinhardt and her husband Eddie, and Dorothy Ebert and her husband Pete. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, April 18 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Flush, KS. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. A Rosary will be recited at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Stewart Funeral Home of Wamego, with a visitation following until 6:30 p.m. Memorials are suggested to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and may be left in care of Stewart Funeral Home, PO Box 48, Wamego, 66547. Condolences may be left for the family at www.stewartfuneralhomes.com