Obituary - Calvin Clarence McKean
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Calvin Clarence McKean was born in Scott County, Kansas, August 6, 1933, to LeRoy Everett and Martha Edra (Rose) McKean, and died September 12, 2025, at Bluestem Village in La Junta.
He attended grade school at Scott City and Shallow Water, Kansas. In 1947, his family moved to a farm eleven miles north of Cheyenne Wells, and he attended all four years of high school at Cheyenne Wells, graduating in 1951.
He served in the U.S. Navy from April 8, 1952, to February 10, 1956. He served during the Korean conflict and traveled to Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Guam. He served aboard the USS Rochester, USS Uhlman, and the USS Shangri La.
Calvin attended Colorado State University at Ft. Collins and received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1961. After finishing college, he worked as an engineer for Schlumberger in Texas, France, Spain and Libya.
In 1964 he bought a farm at Delta, and farmed there until coming back to help his dad on the family farm in 1966, where he had lived until retirement and moving to La Junta in 2014 with his wife, Karlene.
June 1, 1975, he married Karlene Gloria (King) at Swink. They lived on the home place, and farmed and ranched. Together, they enjoyed the wildlife, especially bird watching. Calvin was an avid reader.
He was a past member of the Eastern Colorado Historical Society, and longtime member of Cheyenne Wells Masonic Lodge No. 132. He became Mason in 1961, and served as master in 1973, 1975, and 1990. He served as chairman of the scholarship committee for several years, and also held the offices of treasurer and secretary.
Calvin was a committed Christian and attended the Arapahoe Community Church, serving on the church board from about 1980 to 2013. After moving to La Junta, he attended the La Junta Baptist Tabernacle and helped with Awanas.
He is survived by his wife, Karlene of the La Junta home; sisters, Norma Darnall of Russell Springs, Kansas, and Marilyn Wetzbarger of Hermosa, South Dakota; and brother, James (Emily) McKean of Cheyenne Wells.
He was preceded in death by his parents, LeRoy and Martha McKean; brother, Everett McKean; brothers-in-law, Ken Wetzberger and Joe Darnall; and sister-in-law, Anne McKean.
There will be no memorial services.
Arrangements are under the direction of Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home & Arkansas Valley Crematory.
