WATTERS, John "Buddy"

John "Buddy" Watters, 78, a Gunnison rancher and long time Salida resident, died Dec. 19, 2006, at home after suffering a heart attack while running a snowblower clearing his driveway. He was born Feb. 27, 1928. He spent his life on a ranch in Gunnison County and graduated from Gunnison High School where he excelled at football, basketball and track. His education continued in Chicago where he attended electrical school, but after graduation he returned to Gunnison and worked on the Pleasant View Ranch with his father. He married Lois Goolsby in 1951 and eventually bought the ranch from his father. Skilled in welding and mechanics, he designed and built the first mechanical bale stacker in Colorado. Mr. Watters and Lois divorced in 1973 and he moved to Salida where he worked for Monarch Ski Area and the Colorado Department of Transportation. He married Jan Gibson in 1979. He was a member of the Colorado Civil Air Patrol, Chaffee County Search and Rescue, Salida Masons and Shriners. He was known as one of the most honest people in Salida and he always thought of others before himself. In fact, he cleared a neighbor's driveway of snow before starting on his own during the large December storm. He loved aviation and airplanes and enjoyed flying the front range in his Cessna 182. Survivors are his wife, Jan; son, Stephen and daughters, Linda, Brenda and Beverly. A memorial service will be held at the Gunnison cemetery sometime in the spring. His family asks memorial donations be made in John Watters' name to Salida Search and Rescue, P.O. Box 699 Salida, CO 81201. Mountain Mail SAlida, Colorado