William Curtis "Bill" Duncan

WILLIAM CURTIS "BILL" DUNCAN Funeral services for lifelong area resident William Curtis "Bill" Duncan will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 9 at Ertel Memorial Chapel. Interment will follow at Lewis Cemetery. Military Honors will be provided by Montezuma County V.F.W. Post #5231. Visitation has been scheduled for Thursday, May 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Ertel Chapel. Bill was born January 9, 1927 to Eva Elizabeth (Stevenson) and Lee Curtis Duncan. He was born on the family homestead north of Lewis, the 5th of nine children. He attended 1st through 8th grade at the Lewis School, then went to Garrett Ridge for 9th and 10th grade. The first part of his junior year at Dolores High School was spent working for room and board, while living up on Summit Ridge. He then spent the rest of that year and his senior year loading beans on railroad cars in the evening and on Saturdays. He graduated in 1945 from Dolores High School. Bill's dad died in 1939, when he was 12 years old, leaving his mother widowed with 7 children, all less than 18 years of age, at home to provide for. In 1943, his older brother Dick left for the Navy, leaving Bill, 16, the oldest boy at home to take of the farming. When the family found out that Dick was coming home in 1946, Bill enlisted in the Navy to keep the Army from drafting him. Bill spent 2 years in the Navy and was discharged in December 1947. When he got home he said "I don't know what I am going to do, but one thing I am not going to do is farm". The next spring he started farming and did so for the next 56 years, at which time, he was semi-retired. In June of 1950, he married Berniece Sitton, an Okie girl that had moved to Cortez 5 years earlier with her parents. They moved to the home place to live. The first year they had no electricity and made do with gasoline lanterns, gasoline iron and an old wooden icebox. Sept 1, 1952, they welcomed their first daughter, Evelyn Sue. They moved that winter to Arriola to get out of the mud and deep snow. In early 1954 they moved to Yellow Jacket on Harold Ives' place where he worked for Harold and farmed Bill's mother's place. May 29, 1954, Allen Curtis was born. The winter of 54-55 Bill and Berniece moved to Washington to see if they liked it. The next spring they moved back to the Harold Ives' place once again. December of 1955 they moved to Dove Creek where he worked first for a service station and then for a drilling outfit. In November 1957, they rented a place from Roy Garlinghouse at the end of Road V in Lewis. In 1962, they purchased that property. August 1962 they lost their son Allen. 1966 was the purchase of a farm at Dove Creek and 1967 they started building the house that he lived in the rest of his life. January 11, 1969, Tracy Dianne was born followed by Kimberly Ann on September 14, 1971. Over the next several years, Bill farmed from Dove Creek to the land he purchased at Goodman Point and other land he leased from Hamiltons', Dennys' and Vedsteads' near Dolores. One of Bill's accomplishments was helping to form the Lewis-Arriola Volunteer Fire Department. A team of men started work on the formation in 1972 and was successful in establishment in 1973. Bill served as a member of the Board of Directors from 1973 for over 20 years. He also served for many years on the Montezuma Water Company Board as well as the Lewis Cemetery Board. Bill loved to spend time camping and fishing with one sibling or another in the mountains or near a lake. Most times pitching horseshoes or playing cards and HE DID NOT LIKE TO LOSE! Winters he spent bowling and watching his cows. He especially liked calving season. From 1976 to 1993 he had 3 grandsons and 3 granddaughters, Eric, Amber, Curtis, Misty, William and Savanah. In August 1998 Berniece passed away. In November 1998 the last granddaughter, Emily was born with two more grandsons, Nicholas and Duncan, to follow in 2002 and 2004. Bill was blessed in 2001, finding a special friend in Emma Luellen. They spent most winters in Phoenix in the warm pleasant weather and summers here at home. They spent time traveling on cruises to the Caribbean to the Virgin Islands and to Alaska and took bus tours into Mexico and to Laughlin. In 2007 they traveled to Scotland, Wales and England. The last two years Bill's health did not allow him to go to Arizona for the winter and he greatly missed the warm weather and many friends he had made down there. Bill passed away at his home on May 4, 2014. Surviving him are his daughters, Evelyn and Jim Simmons of Dolores, Tracy and Kevin Montgomery of Dolores, and Kimberly and Bruce Martin of Lewis; his sister, Daisy King of Cortez; brother-in-law, Walter Sitton (Milda) of Cortez; grandchildren, Eric Simmons and Amber Rantz (Travis)all of Dolores, Curtis Duncan (Kathryn) of Dewey, Ariz., Misty Wright, William Wright and Savanah Wright, all of Cortez, and Emily Martin, Nicholas Martin and Duncan Martin all of Lewis; and step grandchildren, Jerrod Simmons (Brandee) of Dolores, Kevin Simmons (Kari) of La Plata, N.M., and Tyler Montgomery (Danielle), Ashley Williams (Ty), Karlee Montgomery and Kyle Montgomery all of Cortez. There are five great grandchildren, Dylan, Michael, Levi, Loralei and Jax Rantz; and 12 step great grandchildren. He is also survived by his dear friend, Emma Luellen; and numerous other family and friends. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Lee Curtis and Eva Duncan; his wife, Berniece; his son, Allen Duncan; great granddaughter, Cecillia Elizabeth Wright; his siblings, Tom Gilliland and wife, Dorothy, June McCalley and husband, Jack, Richard (Dick) Duncan, Jeanne Reed and husband, Jack, John Duncan and wife, Helen, Peggy Roe and husband, Darrel, and Pattie Ashbaugh and husband, Lloyd; and brothers-in-law, Dean Ives and Bill King. Memorial contributions may be made in Bill's name at Vectra Bank.