Gerald Donald Silvius passed away on November 29, 2025 at the Harmony Home in Yuma, Colorado, but according to Don and for the optimists in my family he would pass away in the future we will say April 1, 2039 after a short bout of boredom at his home in Yuma, Colorado. He was born on April 1st, 1939 in The Yuma Hospital in Yuma, Colorado and went to live with his parents Gerald and Naoma (Carnahan) Silvius on a ranch in the sandhills 18 Miles south of Eckley, Colorado. As an adult people generally knew him as Don, in his younger years he was known as “Donnie” as his dad was also Gerald and didn’t want his son to be called “Junior”.
Don attended school through the 7th grade in one room schools south of Eckley, then Don’s folks moved to Eckley and he attended the Eckley Schools through High School. He played the Clarinet in the band and lettered in football, baseball and basketball. Upon graduation he received a small scholarship to NJC and a music scholarship to the teachers college in Greeley. However, Don was fed up with school and according to him “There wasn’t enough money in the world to get him to go to school any longer.” In 1957 he got a job working on Highway 34 going past Eckley and in 1958 worked for a company building Shop All. He continued working in construction for a while then went to work for Frank Miller at his Redi-Mix business in Wray. He stayed working for Mr. Miller until he sold out (Mr. Miller) and then he moved to Sterling and worked on Highway 6 from Sterling to Atwood. When that job shut down he went to work form Culligan Soft Water in Sterling until he got his draft notice in April 1962. He didn’t want to go to the Army so he quickly joined the Air Force. The Air Force must have agreed with Don because he stayed for 22 years retiring as an E-8 (Senior Master Sergeant) in April 1984 in Minot, North Dakota.
Following his military service he went to work at Americana Nursing Home in Minot for a short while where he was in charge of building maintenance and housekeeping. He then went to work as a civilian for the Air Force for another 17 years retiring in 2001 and moved back to Yuma where he lived for the rest of his life. He didn’t quit working though and in 2001 he got a job working for King Production for 8 more years calibrating electronic flow meters on gas wells, finally retiring at the age of 70. He said that he and his family lived all over the United States and in England but Yuma was the best placed he ever lived, it was home.
During all of this he met Mildred Ebbers from Lone Star at a Labor Day Dance at the Yuma Lcgion in 1960. They dated for two years and then were married at St. Peters south of Fleming on August 11, 1962. They had three children Gordon, DeNell (who died right after birth) and Lisa. Don is survived by his wife, Mildred and son, Gordon and his daughter, Lisa all of Yuma; two granddaughters, Raeanne Swab and Dennell Swab and one great granddaughter, Annabelle Davis.
Don was a very patient man who tried to get along with others. He always tried to treat others as he wanted to be treated, even those he didn’t like as a friend. He set goals in his life but never put dates on when he wanted to achieve them, quietly perusing them in his way. He consequently achieved everything he sat out to do, he always said that if you were patient enough everything would happen in its own time.
He wasn’t big into having hobbies and having man toys. His greatest enjoyment, other than spending time with Millie (who he was married to for a very long time), was puttering around in his garden trying to raise the biggest tomatoes he could and making sure he had the greenest lawn in the neighborhood.
The memorial service was be held on Thursday, December 3, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Johns Catholic Church in Yuma, Colorado with Father Felicien Mbala officiating. Inurnment followed at the Yuma Cemetery.
Everyone will heave a sigh of relief that Don was here but now he’s gone. Thanks be to God.