Celebration of Life for Larry Bohrer Set for Oct. 17 in La Junta

Description: Family and friends will celebrate the life of Larry Bohrer, 83, of Fowler, on Oct. 17, 2026, at the Arkansas Valley Auction Barn in La Junta...


Published: 10/10/2026
Byline: SECO News

Larry Bohrer’s Story

Because he always said "there better not be any tears or feeling bad when I'm gone.  Laugh and have fun or don't do nothin at all"
 
So join us in celebrating Larry Bohrer's life October 17, 2026 @ 11:00 AM @ 
The Arkansas Valley Auction Barn behind the Walmart at the end of the road.
26510 Conley Road and BB
La Junta Colorado 81050

God called a great man home August 2, 2026.  Larry Bohrer, 83, Fowler Colorado, is doing what he loved most, ranching.   Only the brand he is riding for now is the beautiful Beulah Land with cattle so fat and shiny their bellies rub in deep never ending green grass.  With a big ole grin every time he  gets to throw a leg over his best horses and travel with his best dogs to go check cattle on 1000 hills for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It cannot get any better than this!!! 
 
Larry is the son of Ray and Lena Bohrer of Las Animas.   Brother of Gary(Harlita), Ronnie(Bonita), Nita Hess.   
Husband of 62 years to Kandy.
Dad to Travis(Carolyn) grandsons Brian, Doug (Ashton) Great Grandkids Kayden, Klaye, Kynsi
Dad to Kristi & Grandson LT
 
Larry left home around the age of 14 and went to work.  He drove tractors and farmed the earth in Haswell and Eads country.  He would tell you he DID NOT love it.  He did however find what he loved and that was Ranch life.  He worked for Elk Spady for a  time which started his life as a rancher.  Larry was working on the Dickson Land and Cattle Ranch north of Limon when he met Kandy Simon of Limon Colorado at the A&W drive-in in Limon, where she worked for Willard Nordick as a waitress/carhop.   Their first date was goin" to the dump and shootin" rats.  It was then and there they fell in love and got married a year later in a blizzard.  The weather wasn't what they had in mind but they spent the next 62 years building a wonderful life.  They continued to stay on the Dickson for a while before they went to the  Culberson Ranch at River Bend where they found out they would have a boy, Travis Wayne.  They decided to be closer to family so back to Limon they went & lived in a trailer at Kandy's folks, Doc and Iva Simon where Larry worked for the family business.   After Travis was born they moved into Limon and Larry got on at the COOP where he delivered fuel to the farmers and ranchers.  
 
Charley Rouse and John Henander got him hired to calve out first calf heifers in Agate and Kandy baby set.  The adventure continued and they went to Hugo CO and Larry worked for Snell Grain working in the mill and hauling feed. 
 
 Alvin Gordan, Matheson CO, asked them to come to work on his Dairy where Larry milked 125 cows twice a day.  Alvin would tell him he would spend too much time cleaning the barn and not taking time off.  He was always so picky and particular about being clean and organized.  Larry was missing the ranch life and so they got offered to work on a ranch for Buddy Major in Magdalena NM.  The drive to town was quite a ways twice a week to the Navajo Indian reservation commissary to get their mail and groceries.  
 
 They left NM & traveled back to Aroya Colorado, to the JOD ranch and worked for Vern Hockett.  They found out they were going to have another youngen.  Kandy grew overdue and so Larry took her coyote hunting across the pasture hoping  Kandy would go into labor.  They never saw a coyote but it must have worked, later that night Kandy went into labor.  This was in December and while Kandy was delivering their daughter Kristi Lanelle, Larry was in the lobby helping the nurses decorate  the Christmas tree.  
 
After a time Kandy read an ad in the paper to work on a registered polled Hereford ranch in Firestone CO.  It turned out to be Bernard Teets, the deputy governor of Governor Love.  Larry would calve out cows and heifers during the night and mornings then work at Coors on the 2-10 shift, and Kandy would watch  cows & kids until he came home.   Working in a factory setting didn't suit Larry.  
 
They had went to the Hugo County fair and saw good friends of theirs, Chugg Beckett and Ilene Beckett & he asked Larry to come to work for him at the Smith Ranch south west of Punkin Center CO.  They went and really enjoyed it there.  Larry took care of a lot of cattle.  
 
A few years later Dave Beaty, Manzanola,  offered Larry to come run his ranch north of Ordway.  Chugg didn't want them to leave and even offered a raise but Larry shared with Chugg it was his dream to get to run a big quality ranch by himself, and so he did.  It was one of the top 10 ranches in Colorado at that time.  Some of their best times, friends and memories were made on this ranch.  Because Larry loved to play the guitar and sing he helped start up a band.  Etta Jenkins played piano, her son Delbert played base, MB Anderson played banjo, his wife Marge sang and played drums.  They called themselves The JR 5 after the JR Hall which was an old one room school house in the middle of no where's ville.  They played many dances in that hall and then got to play for other occasions as well. It would always be a potluck dinner and the dance afterwards.  In those days everything was family friendly so it was always a packed house. They stayed on the Beaty Ranch until the family decided to sell it.  They loved this ranch and Dave too.  
 
A friend of Kandy's from High School wanted them to come help them on the ranch they were on in Byers CO, so they moved to Bill and Karen Kestersons.   It was fun while it lasted but was only for a season.  
 
A job came available for them to get back to the Arkansas Valley so they went south of La Junta to the Wine Glass Ranch. This is the ranch the famous dinosaur tracks are located.  Chris Steinman owned it then and he was real close friends with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  So on game days it was a big deal to watch the game with the boss.  Kandy would cook, Krist would sit on Chris's lap and they would yell and holler at the TV.  They all loved this ranch.  It was rough country and the whole family would be horseback every day which was what Larry loved most having the family together.  Together they gathered and chased 4 generations of wild cattle until they got them all caught and hauled to the sale.  Larry and Travis would rope the ones they could and tie them to trees and then go back later with the trailer to load them.  The 4 of them would ride until they saw the cattle in a clearing and once the cows caught sight it became the wild west and a horse race to head them off in the right direction before they got to the river and hit the tamaracks.  Once the cattle did that, Larry would send his dogs in to try and push them out because it was too thick to get horse and rider in.  Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Travis and Kristi had to travel many miles to catch the school bus.  They left just before daylight and got home close to dark.  They blew lots of tires because of the shale rock.  So when the opportunity came available for them to go to Penrose and work in the family business again they did just that.  
They bought some land and made it their own.
 
After a few years it was time to get back on a ranch so they went South of  Fowler to the Drawdel Ranch for Ed and Ronda Whittenburg.  It's known today as The  Apishapa.  Larry was forman and was over a lot of Ranches  that were under the Drawdel name.  Lots of lifelong friends were made and thousands of memories. Ed was very good to Larry and his whole family.  Because of Larry's knowledge and wisdom he had gained throughout his years of ranch life, he could see what the future held and knew it was time to move on.
 
God knew what the future held and He saved the best for last for his servant well done.  Larry, Kandy and Kristi went north of Ordway to the B&M Cattle Co.  Travis and his family joined them for a time.  Larry not knowing it would be his last ranch he would run.  Marvin Montini was not only the best boss Larry could ask for but wound up being one of his best friends whom he cared for very much.  Marvin was very good to Larry and his family and he would do anything for him.  They spent the next 24 years working for Marvin.  Being on this ranch, Larry and Kandy come full circle with all the original "northern bunch" they started with.  What a beautiful thing.  Larry was sure he was gonna be there til he died,  but that's not how it worked out.  The ranch sold and Larry retired in which they bought and sold a place in Ordway.
 
They purchased a fifth wheel camper where they stayed with Kristi in Fowler for a while, Then go stay with Travis in Penrose for a while.
They knew they weren't going to do much traveling so they sold the camper and bought a place in Fowler where Larry could help and be around horses and cattle with Kristi.
Eventually, sold the house in Fowler and they moved into a house at Kristi's for his remaining 5 years.
 
His last 3 were so incredibly special.  Kristi chose to stay home full time and they spent every single day together.  They worked on many projects, built stuff, tore up stuff, rode horses, check cattle, drink beer, sit and talk for hours, take drives & made memories.  The best part of each day was seeing who could prank who first.  Kandy laughed at them constantly because they argued, aggravated & teased each other all the time until she would hollar at them  "would you two go outside" and they would just laugh and giggle.
He took his last breath peacefully at home just the way he wanted, with family.  
 
Anyone who knew Larry knew how ornery he was.  He loved teasing and laughing with people and loved it even more when they did it right back.  You always knew when Larry was around by all the laughter, commotion & chaos goin on in good fun.
 
His work ethic was incredible that even his later years, young men couldn't keep up with him.  Anyone will tell you he was an honest man that worked hard his whole life and was'nt afraid to do so. 
 
As you can see Larry and Kandy traveled to many places with their family throughout the years, and he learned and accompished many things in his life.  The man was full of so much knowledge and wisdom from all he had done it was important to him to teach that to his kids.  This is why there wasn't much Larry couldn't do.  
 
He always had good horses and dogs.  He loved to play his guitar, ride and train good horses and rope.  He and grandson LT would jam on their guitars every now and then.  He would come up with amazing ideas and then would build them.  He was an amazing storyteller, & wrote poems.  He was a welder, mechanic, electrician, Plumber, inventer, true & loyal friend, Great husband, loved his grandkids and the best dad ever!!
 
Larry Bohrer was one of good ones for sure and is already missed!


Follow SECO News on Facebook.
Subscribe to the SECO News YouTube Channel.