Vincent Chapman

Vincent Paul Chapman was born February 10, 1927 to Florence N. Hurt-Chapman and Albert M. Chapman in a little house outside of Monte Vista, Colorado. His father Albert worked as a farmer in the Monte Vista area for the first two years of Vince's life, and the family moved to land near Dyke, Colorado (an area between Pagosa Springs and Bayfield now known as Aspen Springs). While in the Dyke area, the family expanded to include Vince's younger brother Glenn H. Chapman. During the 1930s, Vince and Glenn attended a one room school house located in Dyke. There was one school teacher for grades 1 through 8 and the common way to and from school on horseback. Vince and Glenn learned a great deal about life riding to and from school and living near Dyke. For his first year in high school, Vince boarded with a family in Pagosa Springs, returning home on weekends. The family moved to Bayfield where Vince completed his high school education and learned to love what became his true vocation - farming. During his senior year in high school Vince enlisted in the U.S. Navy and after graduation served in the Pacific Ocean during the last year of the war. In 1946 after WWII ended, Vincent returned to the Bayfield area and began his life as a farmer by purchasing the first of many tractors to come.

In May 1948, Vince met the love of his life Linda Jean Lewis on a blind date. Vince and Linda married on November 28, 1948, and it has been Linda and Vince ever since as they shared and forged their lives together. Vince so wanted to live long enough to celebrate their 70th Wedding Anniversary, but took comfort the last week of his life knowing that he and Linda had loved each other for more than 70 years. As far as decisions Vince made during his life, Vince often remarked that marrying Linda was the best decision he ever made.

Vince and Linda's first home was a small log cabin with a hand-dug well lined with stone. It was in that cabin in 1948 that Vince and Linda began their shared dream to build a farming and ranching family. Between 1948 and 1955 they had three children and farmed differing properties near Ignacio and Tiffany, Colorado. In 1958 they moved to a small place on the Florida Mesa in La Plata County and Vince took a job helping to build a local gas production facility to supplement the family's farming income.

Vince and Linda moved to their current property in 1961 and it is there they raised their family and pursued their farm/ranch life. Vince continued to work at the gas production facility after it was constructed and worked in gas production for more than thirty years. Vince declined differing opportunities in the gas production business over the years because he loved to farm and wanted to stay on the land that he and Linda chose to live their lives.



Vince was no stranger to hard work. Some may say he worked too hard, but he saw farm work in different light. He enjoyed most things about farming and accepted the fact that rain and temperatures could not be scheduled-only hoped for. He valued being a good steward of the land and took pride in the improvements that he and Linda made to their property, the quality of the cattle and other animals they raised, and the crops they produced. Vince found contentment knowing he had done his work as best he could, and he always looked forward to the next growing season.

Vince didn't always farm, he also enjoyed outdoor activities that Southwest Colorado has to offer, and there are many. He loved to fish in streams and rivers, did some lake fishing, and hunted for deer and elk over many years -- teaching his children how to do all of them along the way.

During the course of his life Vince accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior, and was content when he passed away the evening of October 2, 2018 at the Mercy Hospice House. Vince was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Glenn H. Chapman and sister-in-law Mary Ann Chapman, a daughter-in-law Cheryl Chapman, and grandson Rusty Riley. Vince is survived by his wife Linda J. Chapman, daughter Bonnie Riley and son-in-law John Riley, son Steven P. Chapman and daughter-in-law Linda Arlene, son A. Michael Chapman and daughter-in-law Michelle Appenzeller, four grandchildren and ten great grandchildren, niece Sandra Chapman-Gann and nephew Randall Chapman.

A remembrance service for Vince will be held on Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 3 p.m. at the new Cowboy Church located at 1867 CO Hwy 172, Durango, Colorado. The Chapman family invites all who wish to remember Vince to come to the services. Light refreshments will be served after the service. Burial will be private and for family only, and will occur shortly before the remembrance service.