Paul L. Willis of Cedaredge died Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011, at Horizons Care Center in Eckert. He was 77.
Mr. Willis was born Feb. 26, 1934, in Delta, to H.S. "Sy" and Elsie Willis. He was an avid farmer and cattleman long before he graduated from Delta High School in 1953. He grew his first crops on family and neighborhood acreages, and raised pigs, chickens and fed cattle by the time he was 14.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957 and was stationed primarily in Germany.
Mr. Willis married Nina Zink on March 15, 1958, in Delta. They celebrated 53 years of marriage. She survives.
He and his wife ranched in the Gunnison Valley for 25 years. In 1985 they moved to a small farm in Eckert and to Cedaredge in 2007. He was a school bus driver for a few years. He was a member of Colorado Farm Bureau and enjoyed more than 50 years of service and participation on local, statewide and national efforts.
Mr. Willis is survived by three sons, Mark Willis and his wife Connie, and Aaron Willis and his wife Sherry, all of Cedaredge, and Joseph Willis of Mead; five grandchildren, Jason Willis and his wife Arada of Elizabeth City, N.C., Nicole Koschmann and her husband Jody of Okinawa, Japan, Sember Steel and her husband James of Windsor, Jacob Willis and Isabella Willis, both of Loveland; seven great-grandchildren, Tiger Willis, Sterling Willis, Kayla Koschmann, Myles Koschmann, Kaden Koschmann, Sora Gilliam and James Steel; a sister, Maryetta Williams of Marble Falls, Texas; a nephew, David Hinton of Fort Collins; and a niece, Pamela Williams of Stafford, Va.
At his request, a family memorial will be held at a later date.
View the Internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at taylorfuneralservice.com.
Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory is handling the arrangements.
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