Pete Eugene Doerfer

Passed away peacefully on October, 11, 2023.   Pete had been under the care of Hospice of Montezuma in Mancos and then Prestige Hospice Care in Tucson, Arizona. 

Pete was the son  of Lloyd and Irene Doerfer  and  was born September 10, 1931 in Goodland, Kansas.   

He was preceded in death by his  wife, Yvonne M. Doerfer, December 2022. 

Pete and his parents, Lloyd and Irene and sister Wilma,  moved to the Mancos Valley, Homestead in 1938.   They lived in the Homestead and used  a wood cook stove,  for cooking and heat, gas lanterns for light, and  they packed drinking water from the well.   

Pete drove an iron wheel tractor at the young age of 10 to plow the fields for hay crops.   This tractor and plow are on display in the Town of Mancos.

Pete and his parents, Lloyd and Irene irrigated  the fields, by hand, plowing fields with horses, planting winter wheat,  raising cattle, sheep, chickens., hay for the cattle.

Pete  graduated from Mancos High School in 1951 in Mancos, Colorado.   Pete was in the Band, played the saxophone.  Pete played Football,  was the Center and was on the Mancos High School Basketball team.

His spouse, Yvonne M. Bates lived on Road G  in the 1940’s, with her family, and Pete and Yvonne went to school together, starting in grade school  in Mancos, and played after school on the farms.   In the 1950’s, Yvonne and her family moved to Mesa, Arizona.

In 1953, Pete and his parents went to Arizona for a square dance festival and that is where Pete met up with Yvonne after several years apart and they rekindled their childhood friendship.  

Pete and Yvonne were married August 15, 1954, in Phoenix, Arizona. They celebrated 68 years together in 2022.

Pete and Yvonne lived in Phoenix, Arizona from 1954 until 1985, where they raised their children.

They have 2 daughters, and 3 grandchildren.  Dianne M. Doerfer, of Mancos, Colorado, her daughter, Kalenne M. Doerfer, Phoenix, Arizona.

Evelyn I. Doerfer-Cisney of Tucson, Arizona, husband Scott A. Cisney,  children, Nicholas S. Cisney, and spouse Tori E. Cisney, and Zachary R. Cisney, Phoenix, Arizona.

Pete worked for Ace Airco Rentals, and Baseline Coolers in sales and equipment rentals.

Pete and Yvonne ran the Baseline Cooler Business together for 7 years.

In 1985, Pete and Yvonne moved to Mancos Colorado to the Doerfer Farm in Webber Canyon.

Pete wanted to carry on the Doerfer tradition of ranching and farming the many acres of the Doerfer Ranch. Pete was always out on his four wheeler with his dog, Smokey, from sun up to sun down, attending to the fields, irrigation, equipment repairs, fence repairs, and his cattle.  At times the Doerfer Ranch was called “Never Done Acres” due to the many projects on the farm.

During the summertime, family spent several months helping out with the farming chores, we enjoyed big family gatherings, card games, hide and seek, and lot’s of home made ice cream.   Pete was always watching over the Homemade Ice Cream freezer, to make sure it was churned just right.

Pete built the current log home on the Doerfer Ranch in 1993, with the help of family and friend, Paul Wayne Jones.

While Pete did most of the ranching and farming, Yvonne was by his side, assisting him with irrigation, and during haying season w/ loading hay bales on the elevator to the barn.  Pete was also by Yvonne’s side by helping her can apples, peaches, plums, cherries, for many years.  Pete enjoyed Yvonne’s homestyle cooking, and homemade bake goods, and pies.  Pete enjoyed a hearty breakfast and big dinner at noon, and then a nap in the afternoons before the evening chores.

On the Doerfer Farm, there were many family reunions, steak and stagecoach rides, Surrey rides, Hay wagon rides, and lots of fun and laughter. Pete had a hearty laugh, a smile from ear to ear, and a heart of gold, and always welcomed everyone to his farm.

Pete’s passion for hardwork, long work hours, was a true commitment to his dedication to the life as a farmer.  He had an amazing ability to solve and repair equipment problems,  and use what he had to get by or make it work  with what little he had, because of limited resources growing up on the farm as a boy.    It wasn’t until early 2000’s when he purchased newer equipment, Swather, Bailers, Bale Loader that made his work life a little easier.

Pete was genuine, caring Husband, Father, Grandfather, Uncle, and Cousin to many.  A man who served his family and others with love and care and expected little in return.

Graveside Services will be held, Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 11am at Cedar Grove Cemetery.   Chaplain Ian of Montezuma Hospice will lead the service.