Keith Kale Iverson

On the morning of July 22, 2022, Dad slipped away from the confines of his 95-year-old body and joined dear ones who had been waiting for him to come! Now free from pain and physical limitations, he is enjoying a grand reunion!
Keith Kale Iverson was born November 18, 1926, in St. George, UT. He was the fifth of seven children born to Victor Moses and Leoma McCain Iverson. Keith was born at home and delivered by his father.
As a boy, Keith lived on a homestead at Mount Trumbull, Arizona, where his father worked hard to build up a good-sized herd of dairy heifers. One spring, all the cattle died of a bovine disease that swept through the rangeland. When this happened, the family moved into St. George, UT to start over. Keith missed the homestead, and his desire from childhood was to someday acquire rangeland and cattle.
Keith’s schooling began at age five in the Mount Trumbull, AZ, schoolhouse where he attended first grade. He completed elementary through part of the 9th grade in St. George and Washington, then left school and went to work for local ranchers, years later earning his GED.
During WWII, Keith served in the Navy. He sailed aboard the USS Bronx, making four round trips to the Philippines & mainland China, then after the war, to Japan. Following his release from the Navy in 1946, Keith returned home to St. George. His first job was pouring cement for 75 cents per hour. Then he worked as a ranch hand in Arizona, Wyoming, and Utah. He saved enough cash to buy a brand-new pickup for $1800.
On August 21, 1950, Keith married his sweetheart, Verla Brinkherhoff in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple, in Logan, UT. Soon after their marriage, they bought a section of ground on the Arizona Strip. Frank Childers, an old friend, trusted Keith and loaned him $5000 with which he made the down payment. Through the years they added to their ranching operation by working hard and being very frugal.
From 1950 to 1960, Keith and Verla lived in Glendale, UT, where Keith served on the town council. In 1960, he moved his family to Washington, UT. Six children were born to them: one daughter and five sons, their first son died in infancy. Today, their posterity numbers 23 grandchildren and 59 great-grandchildren.
Keith was a great supporter of the 4-H program, sponsoring his children and grandchildren’s steer projects. He helped them learn good nutritional & management practices. He emphasized the importance of carcass quality. Steers from his herd consistently placed in the top rankings of the carcass contest at the Southwest Jr. Livestock Show in Cedar City, UT.
Keith was a skilled stone and brick mason, often donating his time and labor to worthy causes. He labored long hours in the heat and cold to provide for his family!
Keith was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For many years he helped to prune and pick the church fruit orchards in Hurricane. He worked in the church cannery to preserve produce from the orchards. He was Elder’s Quorum President and a High Priest Group Leader. He served as a Stake missionary, and he & Verla were ordinance workers in the St. George Temple for 7 years.
Keith was always active in the Republican Party, serving as a county & state delegate several times.
In 1980, Keith introduced the “Salers” breed of cattle to Washington County & the Arizona Strip, with the purchase of a purebred Salers bull and several purebred cows. Working with Utah State University, Keith had 2 cows flushed and an embryo transfer was performed. Nine purebred calves were produced using nine surrogate Holstein mothers. Keith and his sons raised and sold purebred Salers cattle under the name “Sun Country Salers”. In 1984, they entered the Salers Division show at the San Francisco Cow Palace, where they won Grand Champion Cow-Calf pair.
Keith always took pride in his horses. He was still riding and working cattle at age 83. He believed in self-reliance and hard work. He was always frugal and honest with himself and others. In 2006, Keith received the Utah Rancher of the Year Award from the Society of Range Management at Utah State University.
Dad, thank you for the heritage you left us. We miss you and will love you always.
Keith is survived by his brother, Archie Iverson of Washington, UT, daughter Kayleen (Wendel) Bundy of Cedar City, UT, sons Derk (Christy) Iverson of Moccasin, AZ, Bard Iverson of Bayfield, CO, Dranen Iverson, and Dwight (Carma) Iverson of Washington, UT.
He is preceded in death by his wife Verla Brinkerhoff Iverson, infant son Brent Keith Iverson, father Victor Moses Iverson, mother Leoma McCain Iverson, sisters Bernice Iverson, Marie Iverson Waite, Sharon Iverson Hunt, brothers Alvin Levi (Bud) Iverson, Grant Harold Iverson.
Visitation to be held Friday, July 29th, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at Spilsbury Mortuary – 110 S. Bluff Street, St. George, UT.
Funeral services will be Saturday, July 30 at 11:00 a.m., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Washington Main Street Chapel, 82 N. Main, Washington City, UT. A viewing will be held prior to services from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Interment at the Glendale, Utah Cemetery 3:00 p.m. Saturday, July 30, 2022
Those who are unable to attend the services in person, are welcome to watch them online by clicking on the link below:
https://zoom.us/j/92172165255?pwd=OTB3QTBTVTRsd0NCbXlQbWozNzNsZz09
As Keith’s family, we express our gratitude to Dr. Ellen Gardner, and to Maree, Sherrie, and Brenda of Iron County Home Health, for their loving care of Dad.
Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S Bluff Street, St. George, Utah. 435-673-2454. Family and friends are invited to leave a memory at www.spilsburymortuary.com