Ron DeShon was the founder of KBC News. In 2001, when he heard about the Tulelake WWII veterans' homesteads being denied water by the U.S. government, he created this website almost overnight for the Tulelake and Klamath farmers and ranchers. His father, from "The Greatest Generation," farmed one of these WWII homesteads. It quickly became the website of the Klamath Water Users Association, Tulelake Growers Association, and Klamath Bucket Brigade (which later developed their own websites). During the 2001 crisis when farms and ranches, for the first time in recorded history, were deprived of water for political reasons, there were bankruptcies, suicides and heart attacks. Nearly 20,000 people showed up from around the country at the Bucket Brigade protesting the actions by our federal government. Literally thousands of people viewed the website daily for information about: food banks for farmers, farm workers and entire communities, meetings, protests, and new regulations restricting the farmer's use of their deeded water. The National Academy of Science later ruled that the water shutoff "was not justified." Ron abandoned his successful international heavy equipment brokering business to help the farmers have a voice with this website, coming from his home in Medford to attend meetings, and posting information, photos, and voices continually on KBC News with the help of dozens of farm supporters. It was viewed daily by government agencies trying to hush the voices of the farmers and ranchers.

Ron passed away this month of cancer. But the voices of the farmers, ranchers, and other resource users live on through his masterpiece, KBC News.

Thank you Ronnie! May our voices never die.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/heraldandnews/obituary.aspx?n=ronald-deshon&pid=176919905

Obituary

 

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Ronald James DeShon of Medford died on Dec. 4, 2015. A graveside service will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015, at Klamath Memorial Park, 2680 Memorial Drive, Klamath Falls. Ron was born in Madera, Calif., to James and Barbara DeShon on March 20, 1950, and grew up on his father's Tulelake homestead. He was in 4-H, high school sports, and attended U.C. Santa Barbara, where he played rugby throughout the U.S. and Australia. Ron built his own successful international business brokering heavy equipment. When irrigation water was shut off to the Klamath Basin farmers in 2001, Ron founded the www.klamathbasincrisis.org news website, which supports farmers, ranchers and resource users. He enjoyed camping and fishing with his family, woodworking, and collecting old coins and stamps. In 1985, Ron married Kristeen Cooper and they have two sons, Christopher DeShon and Adam DeShon and grandson, Gabriel. They divorced in 1999. He's also survived by his sister, Karen Hamlin and step-mother, Betty DeShon. He was preceded in death by his mother, Barbara DeShon, in 1952 and his father, James DeShon, in 2012.

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