Obituary of Verdi Clay Overton

The world lost a great man on February 15, 2022, and to many, it will never be quite the same. Verdi Clay Overton passed away peacefully at 4:15 PM at the age of 92. Verdi was loved by everyone that ever was lucky enough to know him. He was a loving husband, Brother, Father, Grandpa, Great Grandpa, Great-Great Grandpa, Uncle, Cousin and Friend to more people than be counted. Many of his grandchildren referred to him lovingly as Grandpa Mountain, and he loved every minute of it. Verdi was born in Des Moines, Iowa on September 14, 1929. While many might not know, when he was a young man he loved horses and even owned a few of them. That explains why Louie L'Amour, with his famous western stories, was always his favorite author. It is believed that he read every one of them a dozen times each. On October 23, 1948, Verdi married the love of his life, Betty Ilene Barker, whom he would spend his entire life with. And what a life it was�. In his twenties he worked for Solar Aircraft in Des Moines building jet engines. While this may have been a great profession at the time, his dreams were too big to stay. He moved the family to Colorado in the summer of 1961. Starting over, he held several odd jobs before landing a carpenter job building houses. Little did he know at the time, this profession would alter the memories of so many. It allowed him to purchase a couple acres of land in the mountain town of Florissant, Colorado. He couldn't live in the "rat race" any longer. From there the dreams and memories began. He found water, had a well drilled and handcrafted a beautiful home on the top of the mountain which was completed in 1979. Make no mistake, it was on top of the mountain. If you were to go into their basement utility room today, you can still see the rock that it was built on. They lived happily ever after in this home until the last few days of his life. In addition to their primary residence, he also built a second home outside of Florissant, which he sold after completion. Verdi was never accused of not being a hard worker and his ethics were envied by many. Verdi loved everything outdoors, from fishing to hunting just about everything there was to hunt/catch in Colorado. He spent countless hours in his lifetime sharing his knowledge with anyone who cared to learn. He was a true storyteller and no matter how many times you'd heard a particular story, you always felt blessed to hear it again. The way he whispered dirty jokes, and that laugh�. That laugh could bring a smile to anyone's face. His love for everyone was infectious. He did have another love however, video poker�He and Betty spent many a day, the whole day, gambling in Cripple Creek, Colorado and loved their trips to Las Vegas, Nevada. Stories of royal flush wins were often shared. He is survived by his loving wife, Betty Overton; sons, Gaylon (Karen) Overton, Gary (Susan) Overton, and Mike (Lynn) Overton. He lovingly leaves behind eight grandchildren, eighteen great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. We are all better people having had him in our lives and he will be truly missed forever. "Never start a fight, but you can finish it. Unless they offer you drugs, then punch them right in the nose and I'll bail you out" - Verdi Overton