(Obituary for Leon Gittins Pine - below that is an editorial written about him)
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A former Chadron resident who was very involved in community activities
died on April 23 at Zellwood, Fla., where he had lived the past 12 years.
Leon G. Pine, 80, was an economics professor at Chadron State College for 25 years until his retirement in 1977.
During the mid 1950s, he helped found the college rodeo club that annually produced a rodeo in Chadron. He served
as the club's sponsor until his retirement.
He was a member of the Chadron City Council 1956-66 and served as the mayor 1960-64. He was instrumental in developing
Chadron's water system by suggesting that wells be drilled south of Chadron, as occurred a few years later.
He also was a member of the Chadron Library Board, was chairman of the Red Cross drive in Chadron several years
and was a deacon of the First Congregational Church.
His first wife, Dorothy, died Feb. 2, 1979. He later married the former Naomi Findley. They lived in Estes Park,
Colo., briefly before moving to Florida in 1980.
Survivors besides his widow include a son, Leon H. (Howie) of Virginia Beach, Va.; a daughter, Mary Louise Peterson
of Arlington, Va.; a sister, Mary Louise Petznick of Norman, Okla.; and two grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, May 3 at the Rolling Hills Community Church at Zellwood with the Rev. Howard
DeRoo officiating.
The Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Home at 601 North Park Ave., Apopka, Fla., is in charge of arrangements. |
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The Leon Pine Influence
(An Editorial)
The book on May shouldn't be allowed to close without a comment or two
on Leon Pine's recent retirement from Chadron State College.
He is among the last of the "old guard" professors at Chadron State who joined the faculty at a time
when the college's enrollment was quite low and helped build the school into the viable force it enjoys today in
educational circles.
These instructors always gave their teaching "the personal touch," willingly accepted extra duties and
in general kept things going through thick and thin by gong the extra mile.
This, of course, is not to say that many of their successors haven't done the same thing. However, the college's
facilities and conditions have improved considerably the past 15 years, and while some new problems have come along,
there were plenty of trying circumstances through the years. A recent issue of the Alumni Eagle published for Chadron
State graduates notes that Pine saw the enrollment at CSC sag to around 300 during the Korean War and then jump
to 2,469 in 1970. During the surge, he taught as many as 295 students in six classes one semester and 252 another
semester.
That's a big load under anybody's standards, but we never knew the time when Pine or any of his colleagues of that
era who remained for more than a few years wouldn't take the time to answer an extra question, explain a point
two or ten times if necessary or lend a helping hand to a student in numerous other ways.
After the classes were over, they'd spend hours sponsoring some organization or another, just as Pine did the rodeo
club for 23 years. The frustrations often outweighed the rewards, to be sure, but few complaints were heard.
While much has already been said about Pine's contribution at CSC, not too much has been written about his tenure
as a city councilman and mayor. He also made a significant contribution there.
It was during this period that Chadron solved it long-standing water problems that were stifling the community.
If memory serves correctly, it was near the end of one of the city council meetings that Pine said, in effect,
"I think it's high time we did something about the water situation around here."
That started the ball rolling toward drilling wells on the Table south of Chadron and piping the water to town.
Perhaps the residents of Chadron don't give too much thought to the significance of that program when they turn
on the faucet these days, but it should be appreciated in view of some of the water problems that are cropping
up around the country.
That action probably helped Chadron as much as anything that has ever been done.
Also on the council then were Cy Hall, Jerry Linn, Gerald Inslee and Gordon Larson as they moved ahead t give the
town the boost it needed for the future. a spinoff of the water improvement was the Ridgeview Country Club golf
course, which never could have been built without new water sources.
Pine wasn't the most dynamic member of the CSC faculty, be he was most knowledgeable, steady, even-handed and sound
in his practices. His influence at both the college and to the city will be felt for years to come. |
