EVERETT SIMKINS 1957 - 1986 STATION AGENT, STATION MANAGER GTF WRL COS HDN About Steamboat/Hayden/Craig: The Yampa Valley Airport was on the mesa east of Hayden (pop 1,000) and was the only runway in the valley that contained Craig, Hayden and Steamboat Springs long enough to accommodate a CV580. Steamboat had a shorter runway that Rocky Mountain Airways flew Twin Otters into. It had a propane tank farm at the south end, and I suspect that limited FL's interest in trying to work something out there. I was manager in HDN in '75/76, replacing Gary Frogge. We had the typical back-country, high-altitude problems: runway braking checks at 5:30 am, chasing deer off the runway, begging the highway department to plow the road to the airport in time for passengers to catch a 7 am flight, etc. FL investigated the possibility of flying 737s into HDN in 76, but the altitude plus runway length plus obstacles at the east end of the runway prohibited operating them there. But since the 580 was such a horse and TLs for the average flight were less than a dozen, 737s would only have been an item for weekend ski flights anyway. One Saturday in March, 76 we had a special promotion running with the Steamboat Ski Area and initially scheduled 8 round trips from DEN in addition to our normal 2 round trips DEN/HDN/RKS. I begged for help and got Roger Sorensen on his days off, Gretchen Wilkerson, John Morelli, Steve Zurbocken, Everett Simkins, Dave (can't remember the last name) and JD Newton. We also welcomed help with baggage from any pair of available hands, whether they were ALEA or not. We ended up doing 6 round trips in addition to our regular schedule, boarded 305 passengers (a one-day record for HDN at that time) and had a great time. WE TOOK NO DELAYS! We had a 2-hour gap in flights about lunch time, so we all went to lunch and on the way back to the airport I bought a case of beer and threw it in the snow bank outside the ops room door. When the last flight called in times, we all popped foamies and started on the paper work. We worked our butts off and incidentally had a great time. Working in HDN included shooting at bats flying around the ramp lights, sending mice in matchboxes aloft with weather balloons and arguing with hung-over hunters about checking to see if they had really unloaded their rifles before packing them. It also included delivering late bags to Baggs, WY, and other remote areas, looking for mailboxes and addresses in the middle of the night, 50 miles from nowhere. For all of you who have worked seasonal stations and C Stations, you know how much work it is, how many different hats you have to wear...and what a blast it was! -Steve Galusha (10/16/04) Everett Eugene and Shirley Lorayne (Bohn) Simkins of Ellicott celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception. They were married June 4, 1950, in Lyons. He is retired from Frontier Airlines. She is a homemaker. Both are members of Ellicott Baptist Church. They have a son, Elmer E. of Ellicott, and four daughters: Wanda Ward, Rhonda Kennard and Melody Ballard, all of Colorado Springs, and Evelyn Diss of Ellicott. They also have 17 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. -Colorado Springs Gazette, Jun 17, 2000 (3/5/09) E E SIMKINS Station agent seniority date of 4/15/57, emp# 07910, on the 1/1/86 FL/ALEA seniority list. -Jake Lamkins (3/5/09) Everett Eugene Simkins 82 Colo Springs, CO Yoder, CO Colorado Spgs, CO Calhan, CO Colorado Springs, CO Elmer E Simkins Jamie A Simkins Shirley L Simkins -Intelius.com (3/5/09) I worked with a great old guy named Everett Simkins in Hayden and knew he just didn't fit in Denver. I was only 19 or 20 when I worked in Hayden and he took me out to see the migrating cranes one day. -Bill Hoermle (5/29/13) Your mention of Everett caused me to check on him and I found he died two years ago: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=72570996 -Jake Lamkins (5/29/13) E. E. SIMKINS GTF station agent DOB 7/5/26 DOH 4/15/57 per the Feb 1960 FL Roster. -Jake Lamkins (5/29/13) Flacebook and FL Club I just found out station agent Everett Simkins died two years ago. During his 29 year career he was stationed at GTF WRL COS HDN http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=72570996 http://www.tributes.com/show/Everett-E.-Simkins-91317076 -Jake Lamkins (5/29/13) I worked with Everett in HDN...sad to learn of his passing. A great guy. -Mike Jensen (5/30/13) I also worked with Everett in HDN, a terrific guy. Roger Sorensen also put a lot of faith in Everett. Everett nicknamed me Delay DeLoach after I ruined a longstanding on time departure record at Hayden. Sorry to hear the news. -Chuck DeLoach (5/31/13) Posted at FLacebook and the FL Club: GTF WRL COS HDN station agent/manager Everett Simkins' memorial webpage is posted. http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Everett_Simkins.html -Jake Lamkins (6/8/13)