Carl Joe Brisendine

Carl Joe Brisendine, 74, died Friday, December 10, 2021, from cancer. He was born at Epworth Hospital in Liberal, Kansas, to Elma and Clarence Brisendine on March 2, 1947. He married Patricia Corene Fomby in 1970, who he divorced after 9 years of marriage. He was preceded in death by his parents; his younger brother, C.M, who was stillborn; and his ex-wife.

He graduated from Liberal High School in 1965. He graduated from Oklahoma Panhandle State University in 1981, with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science.

His first job was delivering the Southwest Daily Times and the Oklahoma Daily News at 10-years-old. He also mowed lawns, trimmed the neighbor’s hedges and shoveled snow until he had earned enough money to buy his first .22 caliber rifle at age 12. In high school, he worked various jobs including helping his uncle herd cattle, farmed for a local farmer, worked at a grain elevator for Standard Milling in Flores, Oklahoma, and riveted aircraft at Beach Aircraft in Liberal.

He enlisted in the Army in May 1969. He served at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Biosensor Research at Edgewood Arsenal, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Maryland, as a Veterinary Technician. He trained and cared for the dogs in the War Dog training and breeding program instituted during the Viet Nam Conflict that ended soon after. He was allowed to bring home one of the breeders, after the bloodlines of the colony had improved beyond the breeder’s capacity to throw eligible pups. Peg of the Army lived with Carl and his family until the time of her death.

After his military service, Carl worked for John’s Construction and PAC Construction building several homes and buildings in and around the Liberal area, including the dorms at Seward County Community College, the floor and foundation of the building currently holding The Crazy House, and the hog farms south of Sublette, near Kismet. He helped remodel what is now the 7th Day Advantest Church on Kansas Avenue; the expansion of Forgan Elementary and Middle School in Forgan, Oklahoma; and poured all the curb and gutter in Kismet, Kansas, to name a few projects.

The economic downturn in the early 1990’s caused new construction to evaporate in Liberal. Carl went to work for National Beef in 1993, in the Maintenance Department as a carpenter. During his tenure at National Beef, he built conference tables, cabinets, and mail cubbies as well as maintained the fire systems and any other odd jobs needed to maintain the plant. He retired from National Beef in 2013.

His hobbies included hunting, fishing and working on old firearms and was a patron member of the NRA.

He is survived by his son, Clint Brisendine and spouse, Leah; his daughter, Corene Brisendine; and three grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, December 17, 2021, at Miller Mortuary 908 N. Lincoln Ave., Liberal, Kansas. Funeral services, also at Miller Mortuary, will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, December 18, 2021. Military honors will follow at the gravesite at Liberal Cemetery 1900 W 15th Street, Liberal, Kansas. Flowers may be sent to the mortuary or a charitable donation to the charity of your choice may be made in his honor.