Obituary of Walter Eugene Baessler

Walter Eugene Baessler, 89, of Kiowa, passed away peacefully at home with family at his side. Walter Eugene Baessler was born May 31, 1926 to Carl Albert and Hazel Durkee (Horn) Baessler in rural Elbert County Colorado. He was the seventh child of nine born to his parents. Walt was raised on the family farm and attended school in a one room rural school called the Horseshoe School until he was 14, when the family moved into Aurora, Colorado. As a young man Walt loved fishing, hunting and school sports. He excelled in track events competing in the relay races and the 440 and holding the school record for many years in the 440 yard dash. His senior year he won 4th at State in the 440 yd. dash. He graduated in 1944 from Aurora High School. After High School Walt served in the Navy for four years in the Pacific. He and his younger brother Ernie returned to the family farm in Elbert County and sharecropped with their older brother John who had taken over the farm several years earlier when the family moved to Aurora. On February 2, 1959 he married Verla L. (Sorge) Hodges of Aurora, Colorado. He also became a step-father to Deborah Kay and Mark Donald Hodges and to their union 2 more girls were born, Kimberly Dawn and Katherine Deniese. They continued to live at the farm raising beef cattle and dry land farming. After he and Verla divorced in 1982, he married Kathleen Ann Weller on February 11, 1990 at the Strasburg Presbyterian Church. He and Kathleen continued to farm and raise cattle until his retirement from farming in 2004. Walt enjoyed gardening, arrowhead hunting, fishing and hunting, leather craft work, doing his own mechanic work on his equipment and later on he enjoyed spending time with his grandson Zack teaching him how to farm. He also shared his love of collecting Roseville and Weller pottery and visiting the casino’s in Blackhawk and Central City with his wife Kathleen. He was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings. Wilma. Carl, Ruth, John, Grace and Ernie. His brother-in-laws. Larry, Dan and Paul Weller. His step-daughter. Deborah Hodges and step-son. Donny Hodges. He is survived by his wife. Kathleen, daughters Kim Baessler of Kiowa, Colorado and Kathy (Ron) Moorhead of Ogallala, Nebraska. Two sisters. Hazel (Lloyd) Hayhurst of Gilbert, Arizona and Helen Trigg of Farmington, New Mexico. Grandchildren. Zack Sherer, Tabatha (Daniel) Benson , Ben Sherer, Anita (Geoff Wieland), Chris (Christina McGinnis), and Tamera (Nate Craig) Moorhead. Great Grandchildren. Autumn Benson, Gunner Wieland, Brantley Moorhead and Hadley Craig. One brother-in-law. David Weller and Sister-in-laws. Karma and Dianne Weller and many nieces and nephews. A private memorial service will be held at the Ranch. Service Information