Leo Sylvester Roscoe

Birth: Born in Staples, Minnesota on November 25, 1891.  

Family Information: Brother of Mabel Busick.

He had three sons living in Tacoma, Washington -- Richard, Clement and Donald; also one grandson, three sisters and two brothers still living in Washington.

Description: He was always regarded as one of the colony's best workers and did everything cheerfully.  

Pre-Colony History:  

Home in Colony: Lived with his sister and her family during the four years he lived in the colony.  

Job in Colony: In January 1932 he was part of a group including Banks, Geo. Jensen and Clarence Long sawing heavy timbers to shore over a driveway to the filling station.

Also in 1932 he was working at the hotel where he helped cook breakfast, then rushing to the machine shop where he would spend the rest of the day. In February of that year he, along with B. Bartlett, Doug Bridger, John Lukko and C.F. Kimball were working as carpenters on the building jobs. Later that year, he was working as one of the carpenters on a building job at the Anacoco sawmill. He worked on Llano's two (at that time) oil wells and also at times worked outside the colony on oil wells located near Many, LA.

In 1933 he and Harry Layer were repairing the bread mixer and the peanut hulling machines. In December 1933 Claude Long, Leo Roscoe, Cecil Thompson and Fred Busick began tearing down the rig at No. 2; the lumber would be salvaged and put to use again as good as new. Roy Parsons went along in his usual capacity -- that of first-class cook.  

Other Info: As a young man just out of school, Leo worked for the post office, then worked in the contracting business, building bridges and doing structural steelwork in Washington until he came to the colony around 1930.

His fearlessness of dangerous jobs and working in high places led him to the perilous task of demolition, wrecking buildings for colony use, as well as oil well work. Being very strong, he proved to be most efficient at any task set before him.  

Post-Colony History:  

Death: In November, 1934 he lost his balance and fell into the hot water veneer pit receiving serious injuries. Though fatally scalded, he was conscious, patient, and even rather cheerful up to within a few minutes of his end which came several days later. Received the sacraments of the Holy Catholic Church administered by Reverend Father Pashaub who traveled from Many, LA. Five minutes later, he breathed his last. He was buried in the New Llano Colony cemetery; the services were conducted by Reverend Father Claucab of Many.  

Sources: Family Source: Val Busick; "Llano Colonist": January 9, 1932, February 20, 1932; May 7, 1932; July 9, 1932; December 3, 1932; December 9, 1933, December 1, 1934, December 8, 1934