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From: "Bob & Elaine McDowell" <>
Subject: [GV] obit: Litzenberger
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 08:53:15 -0500

Longmont newspaper
Longmont, Colorado
07-04-02


21, 1914 - June 29, 2002

Dr. Samuel Cameron Litzenberger died Saturday, June 29, 2002, at Applewood
Living Center.

He was born July 21, 1914, in Calgary, Canada, to Adam Litzenberger and
Marie Elizabeth Gorr Litzenberger. When he was 1, the family returned to
Colorado.

Sam started his schooling in Brighton and completed his high school at
Longmont, graduating in 1933.

He attended Colorado State College in Fort Collins, now CSU, graduating in
1937 with a bachelor's degree. Two years later, he received his master's
degree in agronomy with a fellowship in wheat breeding at Montana State
College, now MSU. He continued to teach and do research work at Montana
State College. It was during this time that he met and married Hazel Lucille
West, his wife and companion for 56 years.

After a leave of absence from MSU following World War II, Sam spent two
years at Iowa State College. Sam completed the requirements for his Ph.D.
with a major in plant pathology and crop breeding in 1948. He worked as
cereal agronomist with the University of Florida Agricultural Experiment
Station until late 1949, when he accepted the USDA Agricultural Research
Administration appointment as agronomist to the territory of Alaska at
Matanuska Agricultural Experiment Station. After two years, he accepted an
assignment with what is now the U.S. Agency for International Development as
an agronomist.

The next 25 years were spent in the Republic of Nicaragua (1951-1957);
Cambodia in southwest Asia (1958-1963); Guinea, West Africa (1964-1966);
Tunis, Tunisia, as agronomy research specialist and chief of the Crops
Production Division, Office of Agricultural Technical Assistance Bureau of
the Agency for the International Development, until he retired in 1975.

After retirement, Sam did some consulting for the U.S. in international
agricultural development work. He was a master gardener, helping at the
Boulder County agricultural fair and the National and Colorado Big Tree
Program for the Colorado State University Forest Service. He has also
completed his family genealogy. He was a member of the Christ Congregational
Church of Longmont.

He was proceeded in death by his parents, Adam and Marie Litzenberger; his
wife, Hazel Litzenberger; four brothers, John J. Litzenberger, Alvin
Litzenberger, Edward Litzenberger and Edward Adam Litzenberger; two sisters,
Marie Elizabeth Martin and Amelia Befus; two nephews; two nieces; and two
great-nephews.

He is survived by nephews Jim Litzenberger and wife Marilyn of Longmont,
John Litzenberger of Sterling, Ed Befus of Longmont and Dennis Murphy and
wife Linda of Hawthorne, Calif.; nieces Betty Jean McClanahan and husband
Milton of Oklahoma, Pauline Dietz of Rupert, Idaho, Amelia Hilderbrand and
husband Harold of Wenatchee, Wash., and Faye Litzenberger of Acampo, Calif.;
numerous great-nephews and great-nieces; and sisters-in-law Julia
Litzenberger of Acampo, Calif., and Virginia Murphy of Gardena, Calif.

Visitation will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 2, at Lewellen
Longmont Memorial Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 3, at Christ Congregational Church, 1240 Francis St., with
the Rev. Ed Zimmerman officiating. Interment will follow at Longmont
Mountain View Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Friends
of the Longmont Senior Center in care of Lewellen Longmont Memorial Chapel,
503 Terry St. Lewellen Longmont Memorial Chapel is in charge of
arrangements.

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