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Austin Colwell Holeman
Austin Colwell Holeman passed away Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, at Freeman Hospital, Joplin, Mo. Colwell was 92. He had suffered numerous health issues in his last months and it was time for God to call him home. Colwell was born in a farmhouse northwest of Bronson, Kan., and was a life-long farmer and stockman in the Bronson area. The only time Colwell was away from the Bronson area was a tour of duty serving his country in the Korean conflict, where he served in the U.S. Army as a corpsman and X-ray technician in a MASH unit. Colwell loved the outdoors, and spent much of his time hunting, trapping, tending the livestock and operating one of his Allis Chalmers tractors. He loved working harvest and assisted many friends and neighbors with haying, silage chopping and grain harvest. After retiring from full time farming, he and Hope would travel to the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas in the cold winter months to spend time with friends and family in the more agreeable climate. Colwell was a life-time member of the American Legion and a lifelong member of the Bronson United Methodist Church.
Colwell leaves behind his wife of 69 years, Hope Elaine (Burtch) Holeman and two sons; Robert Austin Holeman of Parsons, Kan., and William Burtch Holeman and wife Lora of Bronson, Kan. He also leaves behind seven grandchildren; Justin Daniel Holeman and wife Jamie, William Austin Holeman, Jessica Nicole (Holeman) Laforge and husband Jordan, Joshua Chance Holeman, Joel Austin Holeman, Andrew Olin Scott Holeman, Adrienne Hope Holeman and six great-grandchildren. His Father, Austin Scott Holeman, mother, Eunice (Colwell) Holeman, sister Mary (Holeman) Weston and one daughter, Mary Margaret (Peggy) Holeman preceded him in death.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 at the Bronson United Methodist Church. Friends and relatives are invited to come share their remembrances of Colwell’s life. Burial will follow in Bronson Cemetery where military honors will be provided by the American Legion Post No. 385 of Moran. Arrangement are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel of Ft. Scott, Kansas. Memorials are suggested to the American Legion Post No. 385 and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.