Gerald Dean "Lefty" Haynes

October 2, 1930 - October 28, 2020

Gerald Dean "Lefty" Haynes, 90, passed away Oct. 28, 2020 in Sterling with his loving family by his side. A private family service will be held Nov. 6th at 11:00 AM. A live stream of the service will be viewable on Tennant Funeral Home's Facebook page.

Gerald was born October 2, 1930 in Holyoke, CO, the 7th child of 13, born to

Mary (Noren) and

Clyde W. Haynes. He attended school from

1st through 8th grade at Sunnyside District 3. The family moved to Dailey and he attended 1 year of school there. He then attended Fleming, graduating with the class of 1948. During high school, Gerald played all sports, but his first love was baseball. He played every position but his favorites were first base, right field and pitcher. He played American Legion Baseball only 1 year because of the age restriction, but he played in every All-star game in the Northeast Colorado and Western Nebraska for about 10 years. He also coached little league baseball for Donny and Dean's teams. He began officiating basketball during his senior year in high school. He continued to officiate basketball and football until Donny and Dean began to wrestle.

Upon graduation from Fleming High School, he went to Colorado A&M, now Colorado State University, on an academic scholarship. He got a teaching certificate in his freshman year. Because there was a shortage of teachers at that time, a student could teach while completing his degree.

His first teaching job was in a one-room schoolhouse, Stoney Buttes, in 1949. That school is located at the Overland Trail Museum today. He received

$1800 for that year and an additional $200 per month because he was also the school bus driver. He had to pay for his gas and insurance out of the $200. The school bus was actually his own car.

The next summer he played baseball for

Peetz and was paid $200 per month plus room and board and all the whiskey he could drink! His room and board was with several different folks but mostly the Dean Bules family.

He met his true love, Leona Meyer, that summer of 1949 in Peetz and they began their 68-year married life together on Nov. 13, 1951. To that union, four children were born: Clydine Marie, Donny Dwayne, Donna Ruth and Gerald "Dean" Jr.

Gerald was then called to serve in the armed forces and joined the Marines. He went to

San Diego, CA for basic training; after which, Leona joined him until they relocated to Cherry Point, NC. During his time in boot camp, he wrote Leona a letter every day. She still has every one of those letters. Gerald was a teletype operator and communications specialist in the Marine Corps, serving from 1951-1953. He was honorably discharged as a Corporal in 1953, and they relocated to Fleming, CO where he worked for Mr. Breezeley and taught

5th grade for one year. He received $3200 for that year. He next taught in Padroni as an elementary teacher, teaching 6th,

7th, and 8th grade math and social studies. He also coached junior high basketball. They next moved north of Sterling and farmed for Mr. Blake, Lyle Dobson and the Pedroni Brothers. On 11/5/58, Gerald and Leona were in a near fatal accident, which ended his farming days and brought them to

Sterling where he sold mutual funds and insurance. He later became associated with a dentist in Chappel, NE who had invented caps for cows' teeth and traveled nationwide to educate and introduce veterinarians to the concept of caps for cows' teeth. He then managed the Legion for five years, the Bluebird Lounge for 5 years, and then he and Leona bought the Silver

Dollar, which they operated for approximately 30 years.

Gerald served on the city council for 8 years. Lefty never knew a stranger and always had a story to tell. But most of all, he loved his family and cherished the time he shared with them. He was proud of all four of his children, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and all that they accomplished. He and Leona hosted the annual Haynes reunion for many years until this year when Covid forced the cancellation.

He and Leona loved country music and dancing the jitterbug. He also loved playing cards.

He learned to play pitch at an early age out of necessity because he and his brothers would play to see who had to do the chores. He played cribbage both socially and competitively in tournaments for many years. He and Leona played gin runny with a group monthly. And after retiring from the Silver Dollar, he had a weekly card game at the house on Wednesdays. He was the perfect host, serving them brownies or something he had baked, fresh fruit, or zucchini bread that he talked Leona into baking.

He is survived by Leona, his wife of nearly 69 years; children Clydine (Ed) Pabst, Donny Haynes, Donna Mastriona, and Dean (Tina Zimmerman) Haynes; grandchildren Brett Stevens, Cory (Brian) Morganfield, Megan (Dan) Marder, Sheri Lepore and Adam Steinbach; great-grandchildren, Aidan, Connor, and Ashlyn Morganfiled, Joey and Timmy Lepore and Bryce Ciprianni; brother Delbert Haynes; sisters Helen Einspahr, Charlotte Pate, Marilyn Kirkwood, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Carroll, Wilmer, Harold, Ronald, Garry, And Larry; sisters Ruby Roberts and Vivian Howland, and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Fleming Alumni Association, Hospice of the Plains, Inc., or Area on Aging, care of Tennant Funeral Home, PO Box 1547, Sterling,

CO 80751.