Vernon Harold Wilson

Vernon Harold Wilson

            Vernon Harold Wilson passed on peacefully, next to his wife and grandson, to a better world on Sunday, the morning of August 18th, 2024. He lived until he was 84 years old, missing his 85th birthday by just over a month. Finding his own sanctuary in the mountains, Vern worked and cleaned it throughout the years making the land livable. As time passed various friends and family came to share his favorite thing, quality time. After years of hard work, some patience, healing, and a vision, he was able to live next to a loving wife and family after building the home of his dreams in Florissant, Colorado.

            In June 2024 Vernon found out that he had liver cancer that was adversely affecting his body in multiple ways. Fighting and overcoming different diseases, including being septic in the next coming months, he was able to even spend a lot of time at home. In early August, the liver cancer took an advance forcing him to have multiple internal bleeds, sending him back to the hospital. He spent the next few days at Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Surrounded by family and loved ones, he finally passed on while sleeping and holding the hands of his wife and grandson.

            Born of Delva Hermaniee Jamison and Theodore Roosevelt Wilson, Vern emerged into this world on the morning of September 25th, 1939. He was born in the backseat of a car, inside of a garage, in Florin, California. He was named after his mother’s two brothers who both were decorated military men; Uncle Vernon (who was shot down fighting the Japanese) and Uncle Harold (a retired Master Sergeant). He had multiple brothers who varied in age and a sister who took care of them like a mother, while dad was working, after their real mother died from leukemia when Vern was only 13.

Living on an Indian Reservation his family didn’t come from much as they all resided in a small cabin on a grape farm. They raised cattle, horses, pigs, goats, and chickens, having to trade and barter their bounty with neighbors for other fresh foods or canned commodities. After getting a better job in Covelo, his dad sold the farm and moved them all North to a ranch on another reservation. After moving, his dad was always working, leaving the chores to the boys to get done before and after work; feeding and working cattle, feeding and cleaning pigs, breaking horses, and tending other animals; plowing fields, planting seed, and harvesting crops in the fall. In both areas there was a large Native American influence, and his grandmother was 100% Ute.

            Vernon attended school in Covelo California and had to repeat the second grade due to the fact he had dyslexia but from then on received high marks all through grade and high school. His middle school was segregated, and the Native Americans went to a separate school. The high school was integrated, and he attended from 1954-1958. Vern played football, baseball and track and lettered in all 3 but lettered in football all 4 years. Extracurricular actives were sponsored and supported by parents and local businesses. Having an extremely good reputation for football and baseball, the school won championships in 1955, 1956, 1957, and 1958 with Vern playing all 4 of those years. Winning the championship all 4 years in a row, each yeah their team had the opportunity to attend a professional San Francisco football game with dinner at Richies included, which even was back then $100 a plate.

Most summers Vern worked with his father at the Crawford Lumber Company as young as 14 years old learning everything from working heavy equipment to running the high line. Only skipping the summer of 56’ to help his sister with her newborn babies on their ranch in Ukiah, California. There he worked cattle, fixed fences, and took care of other ranch responsibilities. In the summer of 57’ went back to the Crawford Lumber company and then began full time after graduating high school in 58’. His boss Joe Bundy gave him the condition he would let him work if he went to college the following semester. During those next summers he saved enough money to not only pay for his college expenses but enough money to take turns paying for beer with his buddies throughout the next semester.     

 After High School Vernon was studying in college to become a pharmacist for about 2 ½ years and getting his associates in liberal arts, when one day a couple buddies and him were walking down the street in Santa Rosa, walked by an Army recruiting office and thought, “what the hell it's better than getting drafted” and all volunteered for the Army. Pretty funny considering after graduating high school his grandfather sent him a letter with a direct appointment to West Point Military Academy and a check for $300 for uniforms, in which Vern replied with a thank you letter returning the check and saying respectfully he had other plans for his life. Next thing he knew he was at Ft. Ord in California for basic training and then got stationed at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs in 1962, then left for Germany in 1965.

Vern spent 24 ½ years in the Army and retired as a W-3 Chief Warrant Officer. He spent most of that time traveling the world having done tours in Vietnam and Cambodia, being stationed anywhere from Korea to Germany. Moving from unit to unit he turned the worst battalions into tip top operations, many times receiving a Commendable on IG Inspections shortly after his arrival and then being forced to leave on to the next task. Throughout his service he received multiple awards for valor including more than one bronze and silver stars, even declining a purple heart telling his commanding officer that his comrades unable to accept it deserved it more. After retiring Vernon worked for a short time as a mechanic before he went to work for the U.S Postal Service, retiring once again after being a trusted and loyal employee for 22 ½ years.

Vernon had two marriages, his first, to Kalina Andrea Wilson (Divorced) and the love of his life, Yvonne Sue Wilson (surviving). He had two sons in his first marriage with Kalina, but War changes a man and sometimes people cannot overcome their differences or forgive mistakes causing him to get a separation from his first wife, later getting divorced. Later he met Yvonne, a woman who became his best friend, lover, and then wife, sharing one last son together. They helped each other overcome and manage PTSD and learned how to heal through love and God. Vern and Yvonne spent all their time together whenever possible traveling, hunting, fishing, camping, playing games, sitting by the fire, cuddling in bed or exercising in bed (as he would say exercise is what kept him so young), having still been exercising 6 months before his passing. Through good times and bad they loved, laughed, cried, had anger and shared forgiveness. They spent the rest of Verns life taking care of one another until he could no longer take care of himself and even then, he was still concerned for others. Their love story is one for the ages, one of a kind, one to look up to, and one to remember forever having been shared till the last breath.  

            Vern lived a full life and throughout it had many different interests. As a child, he always dreamed of being an astronaut and even won a science fair in grade school for the combustion of a rocket and velocities needed to minimize wind restriction and possible ideas for making a break in the atmosphere, to breach into space. He carried this interest in science all his life and was most fascinated in the undiscovered and possibilities in the great unknown, even being a member of the National Geographic Society most of his life. Growing up in another time and having to grow crops, take care of animals, and hunt or fish to survive, Vernon grew to love nature and wildlife, and spent most of his time outside when possible. Some of the things he loved to do was traveling the world with his wife, volunteering his time with the American Legion and other organizations, spend time with friends, take care of his property, felling and clean dead or unwanted trees, burning slash, feeding squirrels and birds, watching Western shows in the snow and Hallmark movies at night, loved hunting but fishing with his family was his all-time favorite pastime (besides making love of course).

            Vernon is survived by a still loving wife; Yvonne Sue Wilson (Colorado). 3 sons; Lance T. Wilson (Colorado) and Sarah Marie Wilson (spouse) Clint D. Wilson (Colorado) and Carrie Michelle Wilson (spouse), Hunter V. Wilson (Colorado) and Lisa Dianne Nialis (Fiancé). 3 stepsons; Marcus Miranda (California) and Jessica Miranda (Spouse), Jason Miranda (California) and Patty Miranda (Spouse), Michael Miranda (California). 6 grandchildren; Amber Danielle Shipman (Texas) and Gary Shipman (spouse), Joshua Vernon Wilson (Texas), Shaun Ryan Wilson (Texas) and Courtney Wilson (Spouse), Daniel Edward Wilson (Colorado), Andrew Norman Wilson (Colorado) and Morgan Elizabeth Wilson (Spouse), Kimberly Alexis Wilson (Colorado). 4 step grandchildren; Kyle Jacob Koonce (Colorado), Kaila Jane Koonce (Colorado), Anthony Miranda (California), Adeline Miranda (California). 7 great grandchildren; Dustin Shipman (Texas), Sam Shipman (Texas), J.J Shipman (Texas), Emmitt Wilson (Texas), Esmeralda Wilson (Texas), Caston Wilson (Texas), Kinsley Wilson (Texas). Assorted family; Debbie Bauer (Niece) (California), Cindy Bauer (Niece) (California), and others.

            Vern is predeceased by both his parents; Delva Hermaniee Jamison (California), Theodore Roosevelt Wilson (California) All his grandparents; William W. Wilson, Mary Margaretta Morse, Elmo Loren Jamison, Juanita June Parker. All his siblings, George Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt Wilson Jr., Timothy Wilson, Donald T. Morey, Lorraine Bauer, Edward L. Burkhalter, Archie E. Burkhalter. One ex-wife; Kalina Andrea Stevens (Colorado) And Others.

SERVICE INFORMATION

            Vern’s Funeral Service will be held on September 14th, 2024, at The Little Chapel of The Hills in Divide Colorado, at 11:00am. There will be one service and will include full military honors. Afterwards, there will be a lunch to gather, laugh, smile, and rejoice he is no longer in pain and share the happy and good memories of Vernon Harold Wilson. He knew many people and made an impact on just as many. If you knew him and loved him, please feel free to respectfully attend Vern’s service and show your honors and support for the family during this hard time.

            Thank you to everyone who laughed with my father throughout the years, helping him heal through smiles and good times. He never had the easiest life, but what he cared about most was spending time with the people he loved and anyone who cared to do the same for him. It wasn’t always the holidays or the big events that meant the most to him. 9 times out of 10, he would rather sit down with you 1 on 1 and share a beer or have nights around a fire sharing a bottle of blackberry brandy. Sometimes it was a nice phone call from a friend, brother, sister or son. Sometimes it was the “good afternoons” at 8 o’clock in the morning when you’d look at each other knowing it was going to be a good day. Stories around the campfire were like history lessons you never wanted to stop and growing up he was always my best friend, as many I’m sure can relate to him being just that, the best friend.

We would play cowboys and Indians, or pirates, and loved to play catch, be it football or baseball as a kid. Even as I became a teenager, he was there for every game I played and at home to teach me everything he could. He was as good a father as he was a friend and never talked to me like a child but rather an equal, letting me share my ideas and ask questions. We would talk about his childhood, hunting, fishing, politics, the stars and space, or aliens even a lot of times. He showed me what true faith is and taught me how to talk to God but never prepared me for this. My whole life I thought he was invincible, I even thought he might outlive myself, convinced he was invincible, right up to the point God proved me wrong.

I’ll Love you forever Pop. Thank you for always showing me strength and being a good honorable father and man. Thank you for respecting women and men alike no matter their skin and teaching me the same. No foot could fill the shoes you leave empty, no time will end your memory, and no shame you bring with you to the next life. May I be lucky enough to accomplish half as much, touch half as many people, or be blessed to see you again, many years from now, as a young man in golden light, holding your arms out once again for that long-needed hug.

                                                                                       Your son, Hunter Wilson

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