Mervin Jonathan Herbert

Mervin Jonathan Herbert was born January 22, 1911 to Marion Jonathan Herbert and Ada Bell (Robinson) Herbert in Belpre, Kansas. He was the youngest of five kids. In the late 1920’s he and some of his family moved to Southeast Colorado and lived northwest of Springfield. There he met Lucy Chenoweth. They were married August 9, 1931. To this union one son, William Raymond (Bill) was born. Later Mervin, Lucy and Bill moved 12 miles northwest of Springfield where Bill grew up. Mervin worked on the WPA and later formed a partnership farming and ranching with his uncle Clevo Stalnaker and later his son, Bill, joined them. They raised wheat and registered Herefords for many years. Gramps always talked about driving a team of horses and enjoyed planting gardens every year. He also LOVED his chickens, and all aspects of raising them. He would say, “When I was weaned, I was weaned”, when it came to drinking milk. He would always, no matter how “full” he was, eat a bowl of ice cream. He always reminded us kids to clean up our plates because there were a lot of starving kids all around the world that would sure like to have what we didn’t want to eat. But all of the grandkids, fought to sit by Gramps at the supper table. They knew that they could sneak the unwanted food on his plate and he would eat it. That way they wouldn’t have to hear the “starving kids” lecture AGAIN! None of us really know how he stayed so small….little man, big appetite. He would lend a helping hand to anyone and never had a bad word to say about anyone. He always had a smile and a wave to all the vehicles that drove by the house. He was known to EVERYONE as “Gramps”. Many people never knew his real name, and they were probably introduced to him as Gramps. Everyone loved him dearly. When he said “BY JINGLE” we all knew someone was in trouble and more than likely, it was the oldest kid there! Gramps was really mad when he said those words! His polite way of telling the kids to hush their mouths was to say, “Cheese your racket”. He was the baby of the family so he always stuck up for the youngest of each family. They always knew they were safe around Gramps! The older ones would get the fly swatter or worse…. After living a full, long, and prosperous life, Mervin departed this life on February 17, 2009 at his home with his grandkids by his side. Mervin was preceded in death by his parents, Marion and Ada Belle; his wife, Lucy of 50 years; his son, Bill and daughter-in-law, Marge Herbert; granddaughter, Vickie Herbert; granddaughter-in-law, Kathy Herbert; his siblings, Mildred Goldman, Faye Herbert, Kenneth Herbert, and Daisy Belt. Those surviving are his granddaughters, Von Felter of the home; Connie (John) DeForest of Bristol, Colorado; grandson, Mike Herbert of Sugar City, Colorado; Great-grandkids and great-great grandkids include: Jasper, Lynette, Athena, Lueciano, and Aaliyah Church; MaryLou Wallace, Shelby, Wyatt, Buck, Tiffany and Cole, Daniel, C.W., Bernadette, and Colton DeForest; Justin Lowe; Casey, Vicki, Larry and Sheldon Herbert; Dusty, Bronc, and Riggen Herbert; also, his adopted daughter Esther Isreal of Keyes, Oklahoma and great granddaughter Erika Rice of Hawaii. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews.