PRESTON ELMER DIXON, JR.

10/16/49 — 1/19/25 Preston Elmer Dixon Jr of Ellis, Idaho, born on October 16, 1949, in Mansfield, Louisiana to Preston Dixon Jr and Mary Lilene Ricks- Dixon, passed away peacefully January 19th, 2025. Preston graduated from Mansfield High School and attended Northwestern University and Colorado State University. He worked summers on hay crews in Nebraska, which is where he discovered his passion for ranching. He graduated CSU and, after working on ranches in several states, moved to Idaho, where the Pahsimeroi Valley would become his lifelong home. He made his passion for ranching into his career, purchasing and running the Keppner Ranch for many years with his ex-wife Nadine. He loved his horses, cows, dogs, and everything to do with ranching, often building his own tools from scrap rather than purchasing new ones and keeping workhorse tractors running far past their expiration dates. Once the consequences of a serious spinal cord injury caught up to him, he became a real estate broker and successfully brokered many ranch purchases in the area. He eventually retired and spent years exploring and fishing most of the west of the country. He was proud of his children and always made time to spend with them, from horse rides with Leah to yearly road trips with Cameron. Preston adored time with his grandchildren Lillian and Parker. The three of them would ride horses and 4-wheelers, go shooting and tubing, and spend hours reading books. Throughout his life as a son, brother, student, rancher, broker, husband, father, and grandfather, Preston always lived life his own way, without compromise, and this is what he will be most remembered for. He is preceded in death by his older brother James Hamilton, older sister Triola, and his mother and father. He is survived by his son Cameron Dixon (Aaron) and Leah Pallat (Jeff) and his two grandchildren, Parker and Lillian.