Jack Newbold Obituary

Lifelong Durango area resident Jack Newbold died Tuesday, May 6, 2014, at the Home Lake Veterans Home in Monte Vista. He was three days shy of his 87th birthday.

Mr. Newbold was born to Benjamin and Katherine Newbold on May 9, 1927, on his family's homestead in western La Plata County. The third of four children, he grew up on the homestead, attending the Independence School near Marvel and the Old Fort Lewis School near Hesperus.

During the Korean conflict, Mr. Newbold served his country with the 45th Infantry Division, where he was injured in combat. He received several letters of commendation from senior commanding officers, including Maj. Gen. James C. Styron. Mr. Newbold was featured on the cover of Stars and Stripes magazine for his ingenuity in designing and constructing an apparatus to distill red gasoline into white gas to safely operate stoves and lanterns.

On Oct. 24, 1953, he married Jolene Biggs at her family's Spring Creek Ranch near Ignacio.

In the mid to late 1950s, Mr. Newbold was a firefighter with the Durango Fire Department for five years. During his lifetime, he and his wife owned and operated several area businesses, including Welding Service and Supply, Cottonwood Camper Park, Hermosa Gravel Products and Newbold Firewood.

A founding board member of Animas Fire Protection District, Mr. Newbold served as its first chairman. He also was a founding board member and past president of the Four Corners Antique Power Association.

His hobbies included restoring steam engines, antique tractors and implements and collecting Winchester firearms, among other antiques. His various collections regularly won grand champion at the La Plata County Fair. He was an expert marksman, an avid hunter and for many decades spent each fall hunting elk in the Southwest Colorado mountains.

"He was widely regarded as a mechanical and engineering genius and spent many hours working in his welding and machine shop," according to his family. "Jack was well-known for his entries in local parades. His 1898 Case steam tractor "Old Abe" incline steam locomotive, antique tractors and Model T were common sights in parades in area communities."

Mr. Newbold was preceded in death by his son, Scott Newbold.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jolene Newbold, of Durango; children Christine Musselman and Keith Newbold, both of Durango, and Herb Newbold, of Louisville; and three grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 17, 2014, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1775 Florida Road in Durango.

In support of life, and per Mr. Newbold's wishes, his body was donated to Science Care, a whole-body donor program.