09/16/2026
The Legacy of a Hard-Working Cowboy
John Kevin Amerson
April 23, 1979 – September 16, 2026
Some men leave behind a name.
Some leave behind a business.
Some leave behind accomplishments.
But every now and then, God gives us a man who leaves behind a legacy, one that lives on in the hearts of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
John Kevin Amerson was that man.
Born on April 23, 1979, to Pat and Fran Amerson, Kevin grew up with a cowboy's heart. As a young man, he chased the dream so many cowboys understand. He competed in high school rodeo as a team roper and calf roper, learning early the value of hard work.
But after Kevin married his soulmate, Tonya, he discovered that his greatest passion in rodeo wasn't being the man on the back of the horse competing, it was being the man who came running when another cowboy needed him.
Kevin became a pickup man.
And if you knew Kevin, you knew that job was more than a rodeo position. It was a perfect reflection of who he was.
He was always the man who came to the rescue.
For 26 years, Kevin and Tonya walked through life together, married for 24 of those years. She was his person, his best friend, and without question, one of the greatest loves of his life. Together they built a family and raised three sons: Kason, Kolton, and Kasston.
His boys were his pride and joy.
And then came the girls God blessed his sons with, the Donaldson sisters, who Kevin loved as his own. His family was his greatest treasure, and there was never any question about how deeply he loved them.
Kevin also had a servant's heart when it came to his work. For more than 20 years, he served the cattle industry, providing farmers and ranchers with Anipro Xtraformance Feed supplements. He didn't simply sell a product. He built relationships. He knew people, cared deeply for them, and treated people with respect.
Kevin also poured his heart into Dothan Livestock Company, working alongside Mr. Ed and Dallas "Catfish" Neel. Though they may have been his employers on paper, Kevin considered them family. Through his work, he gained countless friendships, many of which became some of the most meaningful relationships of his life.
That was Kevin.
He worked hard.
He loved deeply.
He showed up.
He helped people.
And he made friends everywhere he went.
Everybody knew Kevin. And everybody loved him.
Kevin grew up in church, but at the age of 43, something changed. He didn't simply know about Jesus, he truly surrendered his life to Him.
And that decision became the most important decision he ever made.
When cancer entered Kevin's life, he fought a hard battle. There were days of uncertainty, fear, pain, and heartache, but even in the hardest moments, his story was never ultimately about cancer.
It was about faith, because Kevin knew where his story was going to end.
Today, the cowboy who spent his life helping others is finally home.
No more sickness.
No more pain.
No more sorrow.
No more battles.
His boots may no longer be walking through these earthly pastures. His hands may no longer be working cattle. His pickup-man days may be over.
But his legacy is still riding on.
It lives in Tonya.
It lives in Kason, Kolton, and Kasston.
It lives in Savanna and Delaney.
It lives in his parents, Pat and Fran, his brother Jeffrey and Tayler, and his in laws, the Bartons: Ken, Rhonda, Chad, Ashley, Kenny, Kaylee, and Khloe.
It lives in the friends he made at Dothan Livestock Company, in the cattlemen he served with his Anipro business, in the cowboys he helped, and in every person who can tell a story that begins with, "Do you know Kevin Amerson..."
And perhaps most importantly, Kevin's legacy lives in the message he leaves for all of us:
Don't wait until something bad happens to turn your life over to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Kevin learned that lesson while fighting his greatest battle.
And now, because of that surrender, he has won the only victory that matters forever.
Our cowboy has entered his heavenly home.
The pickup man has made his final ride.
The hardworking husband, father, son, brother, friend, and servant has finished his race.
And the man who spent his life coming to the rescue of others has finally been rescued himself, not from this life, but into eternal life with Jesus.
We know he heard the words:
Well done, good and faithful servant.
Your work on earth is done.
Life here won't be the same without him, but Happy Trails, Kev, until we meet again.
Services will be held at Carmel Assembly of God Church on Saturday 11:00 AM, September 19, 2026, with interment to follow in the Gully Springs Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 9 to 11 AM Saturday at Carmel Assembly of God Church,1485 Carmel Church Road, Bonifay, Florida.
Serving as pallbearers will be: Jamie Hightower, Kenny Woodham, Colby Gay, Tim Adams, Stacy Ward, Vance Cauley, Kerry McLaney, Jason Waters, Jonathan Stephens, Josh Hodge, Clayton Ward, and Clint Long. Honorary pallbearers will be: Kenny Barton, Brasyn Miller, Kaden Hodge, Justin Miller, Roman Purvee, Dawson Taylor, Bailey Miller, and Blake Majors.
