Obituary of Leon Silkman

Melvin Leon Silkman (Leon) was born January 29, 1935 in Goodland, Kansas. He passed away January 20, 2012 in his home. Leon was the youngest of four children of Violet and Arthur Carter (AC) Silkman. He grew up on a farm south of Ruleton, Kansas, and attended country school in the area and later Goodland High School. Leon married his loving wife, Irma Stephens, January 31, 1954. They were blessed with three children: Terry, Dan and Jill. Leon relentlessly pursued perfection in all of his vocational and recreational activities. His aptitude as a craftsman was demonstrated in many different areas. In high school he built his and Irma’s first set of furniture, later remodeled their home north of Kanorado, Kansas, and built and remodeled a variety of farm and automotive equipment. He was committed to stewardship and improvement of natural resources in his farming practices and later in life devoted a significant amount of time to actively shaping the future of conservation and American agriculture. He served on several local and state service boards. Leon was an active member of the Evangelical Free Church of Burlington and enjoyed providing positive experiences for the youth in the community. Leon is survived by his wife, Irma; two children Terry (wife Cris) and Jill; five grandchildren (Alex (fiancé Amy), Clayton (wife Rachael), Brandon (wife Sharon), Colin and Erin) and three great grandchildren (Colin, Jaxon and Ava). Leon was preceded in death by great granddaughter, Ashleigh; son, Dan; sisters, Delma Teel and Patricia Weltz; and parents, Violet and Arthur.