In 1870, when the Ayer family ancestors migrated to Colorado from upstate New York, they purchased thousands of acres on the eastern plains near Black Forest for $1 an acre.Many years later, Ralph and Beulah Ayer inherited a sizable investment with the land and area that was known back then as Black Forest/Eastonville. They settled there and started their own family.To retain ownership of the property, the family was required to work the land ó grow crops, raise livestock and make improvements.On Nov. 24, 1932, Ralph and Beulah had a son, Richard ìDickî Ayer, who eventually established his own legacy in Black Forest.Dick Ayer graduated with just five others from Falcon High School in 1950, and then attended Colorado Agriculture and Mechanic Arts college in Fort Collins, which was renamed Colorado State University in 1957. Ayer joined the United States Air Force shortly after college. He developed a talent for typing (more than 100 words a minute) and the Central Intelligence Agency encouraged him to join their ranks. His application to Cryptographic School was accepted and he went to work for the CIA.He married Shirley Smith from Manitou Springs in September 1956; the CIA relocated them to Arlington, Virginia. Their first child, Michael, was born in Arlington and their daughter, Susan, was born when they relocated to Santa Monica, California.When Ayerís mother, Beulah, was diagnosed with cancer, he returned to Colorado., where his son Patrick was born. Ayer left the CIA and went to work for Hewlett Packard ó at the same time continuing to assist his father with the ranch.Eventually, Ayer became self-employed and opened Chainsaw Sales and Service. During that time, because he owned a substantial part of Black Forest, he was able to harvest trees, which prompted Ayer to start another business, Firewood and Tree Clearing. Ayerís mother passed away in 1970. Following her death, he had a house built for his family, including his father, and became more involved in the community.He served on the board of Mountain View Electric Association for many years; he also served on the El Paso County Colorado District 49 board and on the board of the Falcon Fire Protection District. In 2012, after 56 years of marriage, Shirley Ayer died from Parkinsonís disease, and was buried in Eastonville Cemetery.A huge source of pride for Ayer was managing and caretaking the Eastonville Cemetery, located at the corner of Meridian Road and Latigo Trails. His father and his grandfather also managed the cemetery. Ayer maintained the cemetery until he was 88 years old. Ayer died on April 29, 2022. Although the cemetery had been under the care and control of the Ayer family for more than 150 years, Dick and Shirley Ayer are the first family members to be buried there. Ayerís parents and grandparents chose to be buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs.Ayerís daughter, Susan Gordon, had this to say about her father. ìMy dad taught me many things. He was an educated college graduate with an extensive background of hard work and knowledge. But his ideas and examples were down-to-earth, common sense and initiative. The best example that he provided was the way he lived his life. His legacy to me, and many others, was that ëhard work and honesty always pays off.íî
