March 29, 2024

Keith Charles Cogley

June 19, 2019

On June 19, 2019, surrounded by his loving family, Dr. Keith Charles Cogley D.V.M. received a first class one way ticket to heaven aboard "Angel Airlines." God was in desperate need for an experienced veterinarian that could care for all his creatures great and small. Dad passed away at home at his beloved Hawthorne Farm. A funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Monday, June 24 at the Howard Street Christian Church in Colfax. Burial will follow at McKeever Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday at the church. Memorials may be directed to the Dr. Keith Cogley Memorial Fund and condolences may be left for the family at coburnfuneralhomes.com.

Keith was born on the family farm north of Grinnell July 6, 1936. He was the ninth of 13 children born to John and Clara Figland Cogley. Dad would say he was the toughest of all the children because he was born in 1936, the coldest and hottest summer we have ever had. In fact, it was so hot that day the family had to place him in the livestock water tank to keep him cool. It must have been fun growing up in that era. Everything was simpler. The family worked side by side on the farm everyday. On Saturday nights they would head to Grinnell to sell their eggs and cream. Grandpa and Grandma would then give their kids 25 cents each to see a picture show. They still had 15 cents left over to buy popcorn, candy and a hamburger. When dad was growing up he had a dog named Ladd. Dad and Ladd were inseparable until a big bad badger got the best of Ladd one day. Dad also had a spotted horse named Flash that he trained to do all kinds of neat tricks.

During his formidable years on the farm a veterinarian named Dr. Woods would come to the farm to treat their animals. Dad thought a lot of Dr. Woods and wanted to be a veterinarian just like him. With so many chores to do he only was able to participate in one sport — track. Dad made the best of this opportunity as his 4x1 mile relay team won the 1953 state championship for Grinnell High School. We did not know this until five years ago when a former teammate gave us a picture of the team. When we confronted him why he didn’t tell us he said he didn’t like to brag. Dad enrolled at Iowa State University in the fall of 1954 as a pre-vet major. The year 1956 turned out to be a very lucky year for dad. He got accepted into vet school and he met the love of his life at a dance in Deep River. Her name was Caroleen Lou Shifflet (mom). Caroleen had a twin sister named Kathleen. Caroleen and Kathleen often played tricks on dad when they were courting, often pretending to be each other. Mom and Dad dated for four years and were married Sept. 6, 1959. In the spring of 1960, Dad received his DMV degree from ISU and in the fall of 1960 traveled to the little town of Colfax to start his practice with Dr L.H. Birchmier. They named the clinic The Colfax Veterinary Clinic. Dad often stated that he was very lucky to have a partner in his business with the qualities of Dr. Birchmier. Dr. Birchmier and Dr. Cogley were also veterinarians at the Colfax Sale Barn. Boy oh boy some of the stories they told about the sale barn. Back in the 1960s, sales would usually last until after midnight. Steak night at the American Legion was also on Saturday nights and located directly north across the Skunk River from the sale barn. Both veterinarians told us the same story, “We would be vaccinating cattle until the wee morning hours and we could smell that steak cooking at the legion but by the time we were done working the legion was closed.” Dad still owned and operated the Colfax Veterinary Clinic and was the current veterinarian at the Colfax Sale Barn when he passed away, a span of 59 years.

In 1965, mom and dad purchased a farm north of Colfax named “Hawthorne Farm.” The Century farm was purchased from the family of C.C. Turner who built the farm after he served in the civil war. Mom and Dad worked together on this farm raising kids and crops and dreaming of their future like all parents and families do. Mom and us kids would go to church on Sundays, but Dad would often stay home to work on buildings or fences. In 1971, mom passed away after giving birth to their eighth child. Dad was left to raise eight kids ages 1 month to 10 years old without his wife. How he did this and run his vet practice still amazes us to this day. Dad had lots of loving help from our aunts, uncles, neighbors, friends and housekeepers, Lee Engelbart, Lavon Brelsford, Kathleen Wright and Patty Kirwan. During our years of growing up on the farm we always had plenty of work to do. We never got into any trouble because we were so tired that we didn’t want to go out at night. I can remember in August of 1977 our family had sweet corn to pick, square bales to bale, corn to detassle, cows to A.I. and livestock to show at the county fair all in one week. Years later I asked Dad how we got all that done, he said “I do not have a clue.” During this time he was also searching for a breed of cattle that he could develop on his farm. In the fall of 1971 Dad and three other veterinarians, Dr. Richard Shirbourn of Coon Rapids, Dr. Fred Wood of Osceola and Dr. William Owen of Maxwell, traveled to Osceola to form the Iowa Limousin Association. He was a charter member and former president from 1973-1975. He still has his current herd of purebred Limousin Cattle that he has bred continuously for 48 years. He named his cattle operation Frontier Breeds Inc. In 1975 the Iowa Beef Expo was in the planning stages. In 1976 Dad accepted the job as Iowa Beef Expo veterinarian and held that position until 2018. He loved that time of year in February when he could evaluate all the cattle that came to the Expo. In 2015 he received the “Friend of the Expo” award for his continued service — an award he really appreciated.

In the 1980s Dad became involved with the Colfax-Mingo School board and became president and board member. Also during this time the farm crisis struck and dad would often go without material things to keep the farm afloat. Interest rates were 18 to 22 percent. One time dad needed a pair of gloves ($8) and had them at the checkout counter at Big Bear but put them back on the shelf. When I asked him why he didn’t buy them he said the bank wasn’t going to break him. He was very proud of the fact that he paid back every cent of interest and principle to the bank. In the late 1980s, Dad became interested in the opening at Prairie Meadows. He worked as a veterinarian at Prairie Meadows for many years and was the state veterinarian at the race track for several years. After working at the race track he got the “fever” and started breeding some quarter horses for racing. He went down to Texas and bought a well-bred stud named Special Eye Appeal, a horse he was very proud of. He still has some descendants from this bloodline at home on the farm. Dad was an avid reader and spent many hours a day reading all sorts of books from westerns to technical vet updates. He knew the meaning of every word in the dictionary. We didn’t need a Webster Dictionary at home, we just asked Dad.

Dad taught us kids to always tell the truth, be kind to people, be humble and modest. When asked by a neighbor if he was proud of a certain son or daughter his response was “I am proud of them all.” All of us kids feel very fortunate to have had parents like Mom and Dad. Dad loved his family, friends and farm. He loved being a veterinarian and was an active veterinarian when he passed away. He loved treating all the creatures great and small. He particularly took great pride in his surgeries. I would watch in awe as he made surgeries look easy and routine. I asked him, “How do you make that look so easy?” His response was practice, practice, practice.

All of us kids would like to thank you for your caring thoughts, compassion and kind words towards our father. He was our shining light. Our goal is to make that light shine brighter as we carry on his legacy. Rest in peace dad. We love you.

Survivors include sons, Shawn Cogley of Colfax, Dr. Patrick (Jenniffer) Cogley of Grinnell and Brian (Angie) Cogley of Colfax; daughters, Kelly Cogley of Mingo, Megan (Mel) Morrissey of Valeria, Brenda (John) Probasco of Moulton and Marna (Brant) Fox of Mingo; brother, Leroy Cogley of Green Valley Ariz.; sisters, Pat Lang of Grinnell, Joan Hopkinson of Milwaukee, Wis., and Marilyn Copeland of Jefferson; grandchildren, Jennifer (Doug) Engle, Brandon Cogley, Mckenzie Cogley, Austin Redman, Josie Redman, Kyle Cogley, Catherine Cogley, Andrew Cogley, Colton Probasco, Madison Probasco and Dalton Probasco; numerous nieces and nephews; and great-grandchildren, Tucker Engle and Cody Engle.

Proceeding him in death were his wife, Caroleen Lou Shifflet Cogley (1971); son, Colin (1993); parents, John and Clara Cogley; siblings, Avis, Barbara, Bernice, Betty, Allen Jim, Clarence and Eleanore.