Longmont newspaper Longmont, Colorado 07-04-02 21, 1914 - June 29, 2002 Dr. Samuel Cameron Litzenberger died Saturday, June 29, 2002, at Applewood Living Center. He was born July 21, 1914, in Calgary, Canada, to Adam Litzenberger and Marie Elizabeth Gorr Litzenberger. When he was 1, the family returned to Colorado. Sam started his schooling in Brighton and completed his high school at Longmont, graduating in 1933. He attended Colorado State College in Fort Collins, now CSU, graduating in 1937 with a bachelor's degree. Two years later, he received his master's degree in agronomy with a fellowship in wheat breeding at Montana State College, now MSU. He continued to teach and do research work at Montana State College. It was during this time that he met and married Hazel Lucille West, his wife and companion for 56 years. After a leave of absence from MSU following World War II, Sam spent two years at Iowa State College. Sam completed the requirements for his Ph.D. with a major in plant pathology and crop breeding in 1948. He worked as cereal agronomist with the University of Florida Agricultural Experiment Station until late 1949, when he accepted the USDA Agricultural Research Administration appointment as agronomist to the territory of Alaska at Matanuska Agricultural Experiment Station. After two years, he accepted an assignment with what is now the U.S. Agency for International Development as an agronomist. The next 25 years were spent in the Republic of Nicaragua (1951-1957); Cambodia in southwest Asia (1958-1963); Guinea, West Africa (1964-1966); Tunis, Tunisia, as agronomy research specialist and chief of the Crops Production Division, Office of Agricultural Technical Assistance Bureau of the Agency for the International Development, until he retired in 1975. After retirement, Sam did some consulting for the U.S. in international agricultural development work. He was a master gardener, helping at the Boulder County agricultural fair and the National and Colorado Big Tree Program for the Colorado State University Forest Service. He has also completed his family genealogy. He was a member of the Christ Congregational Church of Longmont. He was proceeded in death by his parents, Adam and Marie Litzenberger; his wife, Hazel Litzenberger; four brothers, John J. Litzenberger, Alvin Litzenberger, Edward Litzenberger and Edward Adam Litzenberger; two sisters, Marie Elizabeth Martin and Amelia Befus; two nephews; two nieces; and two great-nephews. He is survived by nephews Jim Litzenberger and wife Marilyn of Longmont, John Litzenberger of Sterling, Ed Befus of Longmont and Dennis Murphy and wife Linda of Hawthorne, Calif.; nieces Betty Jean McClanahan and husband Milton of Oklahoma, Pauline Dietz of Rupert, Idaho, Amelia Hilderbrand and husband Harold of Wenatchee, Wash., and Faye Litzenberger of Acampo, Calif.; numerous great-nephews and great-nieces; and sisters-in-law Julia Litzenberger of Acampo, Calif., and Virginia Murphy of Gardena, Calif. Visitation will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 2, at Lewellen Longmont Memorial Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 3, at Christ Congregational Church, 1240 Francis St., with the Rev. Ed Zimmerman officiating. Interment will follow at Longmont Mountain View Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Friends of the Longmont Senior Center in care of Lewellen Longmont Memorial Chapel, 503 Terry St. Lewellen Longmont Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Back to the top