Terry Aten

Terrell W. Aten was born on February 22, 1948 in Grant Nebraska. He was the oldest of 4 sons born to Wayne and Barbara Watkins Aten. He lived his early years on a ranch in Long Pine Nebraska before the family settled in Grant in 1951 where his father eventually established Aten Department Store. Terry attended school in Grant, graduating from Perkins County High School in 1966. While in high school Terry was an outstanding player on Grant’s first state basketball championship in 1966, a feat he was very proud of.
Terry attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. During this time he became a member of the Air National Guard. He moved to Blackhawk Colorado in 1971 and later served on their city council. He attended classes at Communtiy College of Denver and became a certified waste water operator in 1976. He operated the waste and water plant for Black Hawk and Central City for several years and later was the owner/manager of Crooks Palace in Blackhawk, the oldest saloon in Colorado. Terry later moved to Boise Idaho where he was involved in a windshield repair business called Star Technologies. In 1990 he moved to Potter Valley California and lived in his mountaintop home until his time of death. Terry had been failing in health and died at the Ukiah Valley Hospital in Ukiah California on September 24, 2014. He had reached the age of 66.
Terry was an avid sports fan, especially following his beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers and Perkins County High School Plainsmen.
Terry is survived by his parents, Wayne and Barbara Aten of Goodland Kansas; his 3 brothers- Steve and his wife Karen of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Gregg and his wife Denice of Lincoln, Shane and his special friend Dana Grant of Ukiah, California; 9 nephews and nieces, many other family members and friends.