The Tiawah community in Rogers County is in mourning after a longtime rancher died while tending to his cattle.
74-year-old Arthur Leake was attempting to deliver a calf Tuesday when the cow got spooked and ran off, dragging Leake by a chain to his death.
Loved ones here are looking back at the legacy he leaves behind.
“It's going to be very tough to go on because everything was around my dad and this ranch,” said Leake's daughter, Katie Boyer.
Boyer says she spent the majority of her childhood at her father’s side as he worked on the land that he loved.
“He believed in raising beef for meat and sold it to Tulsa stockyards,” she said.
“He would outwork even younger men,” said granddaughter Amber Green. “It was his passion.”
Birthing calves was a common practice for Leake, who often used birthing chains during the process.
First responders aren't sure what startled the cow that day. It was later euthanized in order for crews to reach Leake.
His family says Leake died doing what he loved for those he loved even more.
“I think it was just having a lot of work and building something he thought his family could have for years afterwards,” said Green.
Now they want others to remember him as a hard worker and teacher.
He served in the army, and retired from Tulsa Glass after 28 years. They say he was a man who delivered food to the local church, and who helped his neighbors as much as he could.
“We always called Art our neighbor who knew everything. He kept us well-informed,” said Hilbert.
“This is what he loved, and he was trying to bring a new life into the world,” Boyer said.
“He's the greatest man I've ever known,” said Green. “And I don't think anyone can top that for me.”
Leake's family says they'll keep the ranch running in his honor.
He'll be laid to rest Tuesday, a few days after his 50th wedding anniversary.
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