Ferris Roland Kirby
Ferris Roland Kirby
August 9, 1923 - August 18, 2011
Ferris Roland Kirby passed away Aug. 18, 2011. He was 88.
He was born Aug. 9, 1923, to Leon Earl Kirby and Ethel Walker Kirby. Ferris was the sixth child in a family of seven. He spent his childhood in Yampa, attending the Yampa area country school. After the eighth grade, Ferris quit school to help take care of his blind mother and to help out on the family ranch.
In 1943, he joined the Army. He was stationed in Germany and was a dog handler. He was honorably discharged in 1946. Ferris married Anabell Jones on May 14, 1947. Together they had two children, Karla and Rhonda Kirby. They lived in Toponas, working on the Jones family ranch. Later they moved to Wolcott and opened a salvage yard, and they eventually moved to Eagle.
Ferris had many jobs throughout the years. He worked on a few different ranches, in the Oak Creek coal mine, and on buses in Vail, but his heart was with ranching, and he always seemed to go back to that. Ferris had a catering business, and he catered the fireman’s ball in Eagle for years. His cooking skills paired with Annie’s barbecue sauce made for the best barbecue you would ever eat. In 1992, the family moved to Grand Junction to spend their retirement there.
Ferris enjoyed fishing, boating, camping, working in his shop, telling jokes, gardening and anything that required him to be on his tractor. His gardens always were fantastic.
Ferris was preceded in death by his parents; five siblings; his wife, Anabell; and his daughters, Karla Young, and Rhonda Kirby.
He is survived by his youngest brother, Keith Kirby; his daughter, Trudy Kirby, and her family; son-in law Tom Young; granddaughters Michele Kasten (Kreig) and Meagan Wilson (Kody); great-granddaughters Kalee and Logan Kasten; and Phil Kirby (Judy); as well as numerous other family members.
Ferris loved his family, and his great-grandchildren made his world go round. Ferris will be missed greatly and our memories of him will be cherished forever.
Services have been held. Donations can be made to the Grand Junction veterans hospice program.
