09/18/2025
2025 Limon Homecoming Grand Marshals
The Limon Alumni Association is proud to announce the 2025 Limon Homecoming Parade Grand Marshals as Doug & Rhonda Blackwelder. Doug is receiving the Outstanding Alumni Award and Rhonda an Honorary Alumni Award from the Limon Alumni Association. The couple has made a large impact for the good of the Limon community, and has worked diligently to encourage and equip young people to achieve success in whatever endeavors they undertake.
Doug is a 1968 graduate of Limon High School. He was the second of eight children in the Lloyd and Leona Blackwelder family, and grew up on a farm north of Limon. After high school, he went on to attend Colorado State University, graduating with a degree in Animal Science in 1972. Doug then moved to Downey, Idaho, to manage a ranch. He and Rhonda met there, as she was a native of the state, and was attending Boise State College. A fun fact is that she was a member of the skydiving team and competed collegiately! They were married in May of 1975, celebrating 50 years of marriage this year. They promptly moved to the Fort Collins area where Doug worked in construction while he figured out how to get back home to the farm at Limon. Rhonda had a full-time job raising bucket calves. It goes without saying that Rhonda is a hard worker too, and will tackle most any job with the intensity and determination of an Olympic athlete.
They moved to Limon in 1976 and started a swine operation with three gilts, one bred sow, and a borrowed boar. Doug and Rhonda eventually grew that into over 200 sows, and those hogs helped to fund what would become their farming operation. In 1988 they bought their current farm, which they continue to operate today. Doug has been a pioneer in the Limon area regarding no-till farming. He consistently has raised crops with top yields by utilizing herbicides to control weeds rather than tilling the soil, and by meticulous management of the crop production cycle. His cattle are well-known for being some of the best in the area.
Doug and Rhonda’s three children all graduated from Limon High School – Lindsey (1999), Andrea (2001), Dan (2005) – and they were always involved in their many school activities. Doug and Rhonda have been heavily involved in 4-H, Doug serving on the Fair Board and Livestock Sale Committee. Rhonda was elected to the Lincoln County 4-H Foundation in 1988 and still serves to this day. Their dedication is for the benefit of the youth of this area, encouraging high standards, honoring the 4-H motto of “To make the best better.”
Rhonda has been a workhorse of service for this community. She has served on the Gift of Life Foundation and the Limon Education Foundation, served at her church, and worked at the community food bank program. Rhonda loved running the community food bank program for 10 years, and was instrumental in getting the Middle School Honor Society students involved in it so that they would go and assist with the food bank. It was their community service program for many years. Rhonda also goes to Aspen Leaf Assisted Living in Limon to read to the residents there, also something she has done for many years.
Rhonda has been a mainstay of service to Limon Public Schools. She started driving the north school bus route in 1999 and drove that route full time up until a few years ago. She loved driving the bus and served as a confidant and trusted source of support for many of her riders as they grew up over the last 26 years. She continues to drive the bus as a substitute and help out in the school kitchen when needed.
Rhonda started the reading assistance program at the elementary school in 2001 and worked as a reading instructor for 19 years. During that time she taught students of all ages how to read. She is truly passionate about teaching kids to read and would laugh and cry with them through their successes and frustrations. She still goes in and reads “The Great Green Turkey Creek Monster” yearly to kids in the elementary school and always gives them a book to take home.
Doug and Rhonda have an impressive list of accomplishments to their credit and the Limon Alumni Association is proud to name them 2025 Grand Marshals with Doug’s Outstanding Alumni Award and Rhonda’s Honorary Alumni Award. Congratulations Doug and Rhonda!
