Kenneth Vernon Iverson

A Descendant of Newel and Lydia Goldthwaite Knight dies in San Juan County, Utah.
Kenneth Vernon Iverson, known as “Kenny” to many family and friends, passed away on 2 December 2012 at Blanding, Utah at the age of 78. He was born on 22 July 1934 to Vernon Christian and Thelma Johnson Iverson in Granger, Utah and spent his childhood between Wendell and Jerome, Idaho, and Monticello, UT. In a few short years, he was baptized in a canal just north of Wendell.
He remembers fondly the first horse and saddle his father bought for him and as a young boy he enjoyed riding horses, playing cars and playing cowboy. In Monticello high school he enjoyed playing basketball and was one of the main five players for the team. But he was no angel and managed to get kicked out of Monticello High School in 1952.
Fortunately he returned to Monticello in 1955, just in time to see the 24th of July parade and literally fell in the lap and fell in love with Sheran Robson. They were married on 3 December 1955 and immediately began working on the dream of owning and operating a cattle ranch. For this, several ranch hands would be needed, so Ken and Sheran set about creating future ranch hands, and with a focused labor of love from 1957 to 1962, they had three girls and one boy.
However, realization of the cattle ranch dream would have to wait for a few years and married life began with work at the Atomic Energy Commission in White Canyon and good pay.
In March of 1957 he was drafted to serve his country in the Army Medical Corps and went to Fort Lewis, Washington for basic training, San Antonio, Texas for medic training and was stationed at Ford Ord, California. Upon honorable discharge from the military he moved his family to Salt Lake City and worked in Real Estate for a brief time.
Then, over the next several years he worked a variety of different jobs, first moving to Monticello and then, in late 1960, they moved to Apache Junction, Arizona, Brownsville, Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, Texarcana, Texas and then on to Fort Smith, Arkansas where he worked as an equipment operator.
He worked there until the spring, when better judgment and the onset of tornado season prompted him to move the family to Twin Falls, Idaho, where he worked for Garrett Freight-line. From there they moved to Corvales, Oregon and worked briefly in a vegetable cannery. Then, they moved to McMinneville, Oregon and worked at a gas station. From here they moved back to Monticello and ran the Phillips station with Max Black. At this time he also began working Canyonland Jeep Tours with Kent and Fern Frost and subsequently moved to Moab and bought a house. When not running jeep tours he managed to squeeze in some training as an electrician, which would serve him well in later years.
After more than two years they moved to Orangeville and purchased their first farm, the John Brown farm of 278 acres. From Orangeville they went briefly to Wellsville and Providence, Utah, taking another try at Real Estate.
When this didn’t work they returned to the farm and worked there until the summer of 1968. Then, in order to further fulfill the dream to raise his children on a ranch, they loaded up and headed out to Missouri, where they spent the summer searching for a farm to buy. They finally settled on 411 acres near Powell, Missouri and lived there until 1977.
Kenny worked as an electrician to make ends meet and spent all other time working the farm and building the cattle herd. He eventually built the herd up to 200 beef cattle, 10-15 dairy cows, sheep and pigs on occasion, rabbits, chickens, and always some horses.
He continued working the ranch until the little ranch hands began graduating from high school and leaving home. Then, the family discussed the farm and made the difficult decision to sell. This was an emotional decision as many precious memories had been made over the years. Memories of good times shared like; fishing, swimming, riding horses, family and neighborhood get-togethers, trips to the lake, playing games together, etc, as well as memories made while working together, such as; harvesting hay each summer, cattle round-ups, operating farm equipment, cutting firewood for winter heat, dealing with cold winter storms and surviving through brief periods of no electricity due to ice storms, spring floods, etc.
Kenny’s dream of teaching his children responsibility and self-sufficiency, on a farm, was successful. Each learned to work hard and today they are all self-sufficient and debt free. When asked later in life he said, “I hope all my kids learn how to handle financial matters so they do not become slaves to debt. Accomplishments I am most proud of are my children and being out of debt.”
After selling the farm the family moved to a neighboring property for about a year and then purchased a small 40-acre farm near Goodman, Missouri. While in Goodman the last child graduated high school and moved away from home.
Later, Kenny and Sheran moved back to Monticello where they helped take care of Ralph and LaRae Robson (Grandma and Grandpa) and he worked as a plumber with the Whipple’s until he retired.
Kenny was preceded in death by his parents, two infant siblings and a sister, Della Thelma Humphries Twitchell.
Kenny is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 57 years, Sheran; his children; daughter Cheyann and husband Stephen Browning of Kanab, Utah; daughter Cassandra Iverson of Sturgeon, Missouri; daughter Shawn and husband Rick Mustain of Powell, Missouri; and son Kenneth Shane Iverson and wife Julie, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; grandchildren, Spencer Browning, Fletcher Browning, Joe Browning, Kathryn Olson, Benjamin Browning, Brannon James, Willow James, Starr Leger, Jennifer Wright, Tami Jo Stone, Jason Mustain, Russell Hampton, Tiffany Adkisson, Kenna Coody, and Randy Wilde Jr.; great grandchildren, Ramzee and Nia’la James, Matthew Skinner, Kayla, Macy and Jayson Faulkner, Alyson Haynes, Camille and Aubrey Walls, Kaitlyn and Jayden Mustain, Ethan and Austin Adkisson, Jordan and Christian Coody and Julie Valentina Wilde.
Graveside services were held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at the Monticello Cemetery, San Juan County, UT.
Card of thanks
Kenny’s family would like to express their loving appreciation to his primary doctor, Dr. Jeppesen and would also like to thank the nurses at the San Juan Hospital and the 4 Corners Regional Care Center, for their care and attention. In addition, the family greatly appreciates the food and support provided by family and friends, during this time of sorrow.