Raymond Den Beste
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 5B - December 22, 2011
Raymond Den Beste, 93,
Paonia, died Dec. 19, 2011, at
Paonia Care and Rehabilitation
Center.
Services are pending with
Taylor Funeral Services.
Survivors include his wife,
Nina; two daughters, Ruella
Kontour of Crawford and
Karen McKee of Palisade; four
grandchildren; seven greatgrandchildren;
and two greatgreat-
grandchildren.
Memorial contributions to
Hospice & Palliative Care of
Western Colorado, P.O. Box 24,
Delta 81416, or Paonia United
Methodist Church Memorial
Fund, P.O. Box 157, Paonia
81428.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3C - January 1, 2012
Longtime Paonia resident and
educator, Raymond Den Beste,
93, died of natural causes on
Tuesday, December 19, 2011.
Raymond was born February 3,
1918 in Crawford, Colorado, to
William and Nettie Sipma Den
Beste, the ninth among five
brothers and five sisters. The
family was devout, hardworking
and known for their musical talent. He grew up singing with his
brothers and sisters, and he and his brothers would form a barbershop
quartet whenever four of them were together.
Raymond attended school in Crawford and graduated in 1937. He
attended Mesa Junior College in Grand Junction, Colorado, and
played on their Rocky Mountain Junior College championship team.
Raymond received an Associate Degree and a one-year teaching
certificate. Embarking on his long career as a teacher, he taught in
Appleton, Colorado for one year, where he taught sixth grade and
coached the high school football team to a perfect winning record,
and coached their winning basketball team. He transferred to Western
State College and graduated in 1942 with a Bachelor's Degree in
Music Education and Mathematics. While attending Western State
College, he met the love of his life, Nina Loucks. After graduation,
Raymond taught at Hotchkiss High School. He and Nina were married
on June 9, 1943 in Hotchkiss, Colorado.
In July 1943, Raymond was drafted into the Army Air Corp and
was stationed at Alexandria Air Force Base, Louisiana. He was assigned
to the base band and was in charge of the smaller dance band.
This unit was given a citation for excellence from the 469th Combat
Crew commander. The band entertained troops who were on their
way overseas and the wounded when they returned home. At the end
of the war, he was recruited to play for Les Brown and his Band of
Renown as a bass fiddle player, but declined, deeming it an unfit
vocation for a family man.
After his discharge from the Army Air Corps, Raymond returned to
Colorado and took a teaching position as band director and math
teacher at Paonia High School. He also directed the Paonia Junior
High Band and gave private lessons for many years. During his
tenure at Paonia, he became well-known for his excellent bands.
People often traveled from other towns to hear the Paonia pep band
play at sporting events. He received his Master's Degree from
Western State College in 1952. In 1954, he was chosen to become a
member of the First Chair of America, which honored the
outstanding high school bands in the United States. This turned into
a lifetime membership, and in 1967, he was honored by First Chair
of America as one of the 10 outstanding high school directors in the
nation. In 1958 and 1959 he garnered superior ratings in all areas for
his band, Boys' Chorus, and Mixed Chorus at the Western Colorado
Music Festival. He loved teaching math and music, but often
included life lessons in his classes. Prior to retiring in 1974 with 30
years of teaching, he taught one year each at Crawford Junior High
and Hotchkiss Elementary. In retirement, Raymond remained
actively involved with local schools, serving as a clock operator for
basketball games, helping coach the tennis team as a volunteer, and
attending all sporting events at home and away. He also conducted
occasional band clinics throughout Western Colorado.
He was an avid hunter, fly fisherman, snowmobiler, and loved
going on jeep trips. He enjoyed watching the Denver Broncos,
University of Colorado football, and the Colorado Rockies. His
favorite destination was eighty acres and a cabin on Black Mesa,
southeast of Crawford, Colorado. He loved spending time with his
family of several generations.
Raymond was a member of the Paonia United Methodist Church,
sang in the choir, and taught the high school Sunday school class for
many years.
Raymond was preceded in death by his parents, five sisters, and
five brothers. He is survived by his wife and best friend of 68 years,
Nina, of Paonia, Colorado; two daughters and their husbands, Ruella
and Larry Kontour of Crawford, Colorado, and Karen and Stephen
McKee of Palisade, Colorado; four grandsons, Craig (Kim) McKee,
Garth McKee, Kyle (Jenny) Kontour, and Kurt (Katie) Kontour. He
is also survived by great-granddaughters, Allannis (Jon) White,
Myra Sanchez, Ilia McKee, Danae and Halee McKee, and Mairi and
Laurielle Kontour; great-great-grandsons, Rylan and Sylus White,
and numerous nieces and nephews.
An informal sharing of memories will be held at the Paonia United
Methodist Church at 7:00 p.m., Friday, January 13, 2012, with a
memorial service at the Paonia United Methodist Church at 10:00
a.m., Saturday, January 14, 2012. In lieu of flowers, donations may
be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, PO
Box 24, Delta, CO 81416, or the Paonia United Methodist Church
Memorial Fund, PO Box 157, Paonia, CO 81428.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor Funeral
Service and Crematory. View the internet obituary and sign the
online guest registry at taylorfuneralservice.com.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 5B - January 13, 2012
Raymond Den Beste, 93,
Paonia, died Dec. 19, 2011.
Services will be at 7 p.m.
tonight at the Paonia United
Methodist Church and at 10
a.m. Saturday at the church.
Mr. Den Beste was an educator.
Survivors include his wife
Nina; two daughters, Ruella
Kontour of Crawford and
Karen McKee of Palisade; four
grandchildren; seven greatgrandchildren;
and two greatgreat-
grandchildren.
Memorial contributions to
Hospice & Palliative Care of
Western Colorado, P.O. Box
24, Delta 81416 or the Paonia
United Methodist Church
Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 157,
Paonia 81428.
