Melvin R. Simms

Melvin R. Simms, 75, of Kimball, died at the Kimball County Manor on Wednesday, May 7, 2014. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, May 12, 2014 at the Cantrell Funeral Home in Kimball with Jim Shields officiating. Inurnment will be held at a later date. Friends may visit http://www.cantrellfh.com to view the obituary and leave condolences for the family. Memorials may be given in Melvin's name to the Kimball FFA Scholarship fund. The services for Melvin have been entrusted to the Cantrell Funeral Home.

Melvin Richard Simms was born in Sterling, Colorado on September 18, 1938, the son of Lawrence and Esther (Clermont) Simms. He was raised on a farm/ ranch near Padroni, Colorado and graduated from the Padroni High School in 1956. While in high school he learned the trade of welding in his classes and FFA, this trade became his livelihood. Melvin was married to Roxie Chambers on September 28, 1958 in Sidney, Nebraska. Melvin moved his family to Kimball in 1964 and owned and operated Simms Welding Service until 2005. He built many gas plants and laid miles of pipeline in Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and Kansas. From 1987 until 2012 he also helped with the farm/ranch near Padroni. Melvin had a love for working hard, fishing, and animals.

Survivors include his wife Roxie of Kimball, NE; daughters LaValla (Rodney) Reher of Padroni, CO., Lisa (Todd) Parsons of Bushnell, NE., and Loretta Simms of Kimball, NE; sisters Janice (Donald) Shriver of Commerce City, CO., and Genevieve (Mark) Ramey of Sterling, CO; grandchildren Crystal (Jeff) Cook, Spencer Teasley, Sierra (Corey) Kramer, Woodrow Parsons, and Cody Simms; step granddaughters Amanda, Natalie, and Nicole; numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.