Leonard Theodore Loxterkamp, age 96, passed away at Regional West Medical Center August 24, 2024. A gathering to celebrate Leonard’s life will be Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 2:00 pm at the Western Nebraska Veterans Home, please use main entrance door #A. Memorials to Legacy of the Plains Museum may be directed to the Gering Memorial Chapel. Fond memories and condolences may be left at www.geringchapel.com.
Leonard was born October 29, 1927 to Bernard (Ben) and Irene (Beyer) Loxterkamp. He was raised on a farm west of Dalton, NE, with siblings Donald, Gladys, and Kenneth. He attended Cheyenne County School District 163, Dalton High School, St. Patrick’s Academy in Sidney, NE, and studied at Servite Fathers Monastery in Chicago, IL. He returned to the Dalton area and worked for the McMillin Brothers south of Sidney before joining Wayne and Velda Childers on their ranch at Jay Em, WY. He joined the U.S. Army in 1950, serving with the 807th Station Hospital at Camp Carson, CO as a surgical technician until September 1952, and then returned to Wyoming and Western Nebraska.
On August 14, 1953 Leonard married Genevieve Elain Woodard of Morrill, NE. To this union three children were born, Wayne, Lori Ann, and James. They also adopted a baby girl, Rene. They lived in Sioux County on Frank Parsons ranch near Agate, and later on Earl and Frank Cherry’s “Cherry Brothers” farm, ranch and feedlot. He worked for the Cherry Brothers for 21 years, managing the operation for 18 years. After the ranch was sold, they moved to Gering where he was employed as Water Master for Gering/Ft. Laramie Irrigation District for 10 years.
Leonard married Virginia Lee (Kinney) Filiatrault in 1979.
Leonard worked for Larry, Kevin and Kelly Sandberg for 10 years, and then for R&R Kiesel during the spring, summer and fall. During the winter months he enjoyed driving a feed truck for Gary and Lane Darnall at the Darnall Feedlot. He looked forward to spring plowing and fall planting of wheat for Tom and Bobbi May of Harrisburg.
Leonard and Virginia moved to The Village in Scottsbluff, and Leonard later moved to the Western Nebraska Veterans Home in 2021.
Leonard is survived by son James Loxterkamp of Lingle, WY; daughter Rene Barry of Casper, WY; grandson, Sean (Heidi) Barry, Gillette, WY; granddaughters Bailey Loxterkamp, Eckley, CO, and Karlie (Josh) Kral, Fort Morgan, CO; daughter-in-law Julie Meis, Yuma, CO; sisters-in-law LaDonna Loxterkamp of Bridgeport, NE and Naomi Loxterkamp of Broadwater, NE; seven great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, as well as his dearest friends Kevin Sandberg, Linda Harimon, and Tom and Bobbi May.
Leonard was preceded in death by his parents, wife Virginia, son Wayne, daughter Lori Ann, and grandson Ryan Barry, as well as siblings Donald, Gladys and Kenneth.
Leonard’s friends would like to thank the staff at the Western Nebraska Veterans Home for their loving care of “Mean and Grouchy”, as he liked to be called! (He was anything but mean and grouchy!!)