Edith L. Soderstrom
Edith L. Soderstrom, beloved aunt, passed away Dec. 14, 2004, at age 82 in her Englewood home with family members present. Born May 3, 1922, on a homestead near Brandon, Colo., she was the youngest daughter of Swedish parents Anton George Soderstrom and Augusta Justina Svensk. She lived in a two-room log cabin with her two brothers, Herman and Carl, and her sister, Edna. Edith attended Pleasant Valley Grade School in Prowers County. She then went to Englewood High and graduated from South Denver High School.
Her desire was to be an educator, and she earned her teaching degree from Denver University. Her first teaching job was at Eastlake with Mrs. Quick, and then she taught at Burlington Elementary for several years. She returned to Denver to teach second, third and fourth grades at Maddox Elementary. After thirty rewarding years, she retired from teaching. Her love of teaching was so strong that she continued as an active member of the retired teachers’ association, receiving an award for her dedication and involvement.
Edith was involved in numerous activities such as supporting the National Geographic Society, the reconstruction of the Statue of Liberty and the Billy Graham Association. She was a faithful member of the Methodist Church and involved in several groups and activities. She was a care giver for a number of years, caring for friends and relatives as well as her sister, Edna, in her final years. She attended the South Denver Bible Chapel along with Herman and Edna in their youth, making lifelong friends. Edith loved the mountains and spent time visiting her brother, Carl, at the cabin outside of Bailey. Many a family gathering was held there.
She will be missed by her friends in the Bailey area. Edith was a loving and caring competent individual who had an inner strength and serenity of self. She was intelligent, educated and quick. She had strong inner beliefs with a fantastic sense of humor. She was beloved by her family, colleagues, students and friends.
Edith is survived by her brother, Carl, and many nieces and nephews. A viewing was on Sunday, Dec. 19 at Crown Hill Mortuary. Services were held at Evanston United Methodist Church on Monday, Dec. 20.
Evan Richard Jones, Jr.
Evan Richard Jones, Jr. died on Christmas Eve. Evan was a resident of Bailey, Colo. in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. He was a member of the “Top of the Hill Gang” social club and active in community events.
Born in 1925, he served in the United States Army and Air Force during World War II and Korea, as well as the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. He was discharged honorably with the rank of Master Sergeant from the U.S. Air Force in 1952.
Evan was an Arapahoe Council District Commissioner with the Boy Scouts of America and was proud of his achievement of Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow.
His early training as a radio operator in the service led him to his career as an electronics engineer and he was one of the pioneers in early Denver television working at Channel 2, the first station in town, then called KFEL.
He worked on the Titan Missile program for Martin Marietta during the ‘60s which gave him pride in being part of our country’s space program. He was always interested in science, art, tinkering and inventing.
In his later years, he was very interested in family genealogy and Colorado history. A member of the Colorado Historical Society, he spent hours on the computer researching souvenirs and memorabilia from his family’s long history in the state.
He is survived by his son Evan in Centennial, Colo.; daughter Debra Jones in Scottsdale, Ariz.; sister Wilma Stevenson in Littleton, Colo.; and brother Eldon Jones, as well as nieces and nephews locally and across the United States.
Services and burial were at Fort Logan Cemetery on Jan. 6, 2006.
Jack D. Jaynes
Alma Resident Loved the Mountains
Jack D. Jaynes was born December 9, 1916 at Mercy Hospital in Denver. His love of the mountains began early in his childhood years as he was active in all sorts of outdoor activities. He loved to hunt and fish. In 1972 he purchased property in the Alma area and his family has many fond memories of the enjoyable times they spent there.
Jack’s life was full of many different adventures. During the depression he worked for the railroad but wanted to find another job where he could make more money. In 1941 he found that the Denver Fire Department had openings. So he took the exam and on May 1, 1941 he became a Denver firefighter along with 20 other recruits. This was the beginning of a 45 year career. World War II interrupted his fire career for a short time in 1945 when he entered the Navy as a seaman first class.
Jack rose in the ranks, finally achieving the title of Assistant Fire Chief. He was one of Denver’s finest assistant chiefs, well liked and widely respected. Those fire fighters who worked beside him tell of his many injuries, close calls, and deeds of heroism, some that even his family had not heard of. In 1986, at the age of 70, his illustrious career came to an end as he had reached the mandatory retirement age.
Jack Jaynes passed away at the age of 89 in his home in Westminster on April 9, 2006. He was preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth, and survived by two sons, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Janice Maxine Nettleman
Janice Maxine Nettleman, 90, of Loveland, Colo., died January 11, 2003 at McKee Medical Center’s Hospice Care Center in Loveland.
She was born August 17, 1912 in Lawrence, Kan., to Guy Joseph and Grace Swisher Hulsizer. Her family moved from Kansas in 1913 and settled in Long Beach, Calif. She wed John Benjamin Nettleman on October 11, 1935 and so began her adult life’s journey with her husband and three loving children. Early in her marriage, she lived on their dairy farm in Hines/Paramount, Calif.
During WWII, they sold the dairy and moved to Long Beach where Mr. Nettleman worked at McDonald Douglas. After the war, they looked to a new venture called Dowman Products and still later, they owned and operated Crawford Press, a print shop in Long Beach.
When Mr. Nettleman retired, they had an opportunity to move to Fairplay, Colo. where they would appraise mountain properties for the Park County Assessor’s Office and enjoy five years in a small mountain community on top of the Continental Divide.
When her husband of 38 years passed away in 1973, she moved to Seal Beach, Calif. and lived in Seal Beach Leisure World Retirement Community. After 23 years there a decision to come back to Colorado was made, and she found her way to The Good Samaritan Retirement Village in Loveland in 1996. She moved to North Shore Manor in Loveland in April of 2002.
First and foremost, she loved her family and friends. She performed volunteer work for her community and her church. She was an avid Bridge player. She belonged to P.E.O. Chapter IM in Loveland and P.E.O. Chapter RT in Seal Beach. P.E.O. fellowship and sisterhood was a comfort and joy in her life. She enjoyed gardening and was always ready to go — whether a short drive across town or a trip across the country. Her earthly journey has ended. Her family and many friends will truly miss her beautiful smile, her humor and her love of life.
She is survived by her son, George Henry Nettleman and his wife Barbara of Canyon Lake, Calif.; two daughters, Nancy Ann Stimson and Valerie Jean Tilley and her husband Doug, all of Fairplay, Colo.; 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren; nieces and a nephew. After cremation, a family memorial service will be held in Fairplay to celebrate her life.
Mary Morrow Gardner
1917-2006
Mary Gardner, long time South Park resident, passed away in her home at Gardner Ranch on April 5, 2006. Mary Morrow was born in Los Angeles, Cali. on Feb. 22, 1917 to James Brian Morrow and Grace Calhoun. Mary spent the next 14 years in the coal mining town of Dawson, NM, where her father was chief engineer of the Dawson mine. In 1929 the family moved to Raton, NM where Mary finished high school. She went on to Highlands University at Las Vegas, NM, for a Junior English degree, then to Denver University for her BA, and DU for her masters in English literature.In the fall of 1938 Mary bought her South Park homestead, which joined Gardner Ranch, and first met her future husband, Byron. By 1941, war was inevitable, and Mary went to San Diego, Cali. and gained employment with The Civil Service procurement office of Consolidated Aircraft, builders of the B24 Liberator bomber. In early 1944 she transferred to the Weather Bureau in Ketchikan, AK, to be part of an early warning program to detect balloon carried Japanese incendiary bombs as well as track weather for allied forces. Mary returned to South Park in 1947, moved back to her homestead, re-kindled her relationship with Byron Gardner, and they married in 1948.During the lean times in the early to mid 1950’s Mary supplemented the ranch income by writing romance stories for various magazines owned by the Cosmopolitan magazine group. She worked in the old Fairplay USFS office from 1958 till 1963 as administrative assistant to the forest ranger, and at the local selective service draft board from 1965 to 1968. From 1969 till the present Mary lived a very reclusive lifestyle on the ranch.
She will be deeply missed by the family. She is survived by her son, James B. Gardner and wife Amanda, step-grandchildren Benjamin Thober of Fairplay and Samantha Bertin of Jefferson. grandson Brant and wife Carmen Gardner of Lincoln, Neb. and great-grandsons Steven and Christopher Gardner, enlisted marines.She was pre-deceased by her husband Byron C. Gardner and Grandson Brian J. Gardner in 1994. Cremation and Private Services are planned. Please direct donations or memorials in lieu of flowers to benefit the Park County Crisis Center in Bailey.
Dr. Loren Meyerink
Dr. Loren Meyerink, 62, of Bailey, Colo. died at his home on April 10, 2006. He was born in Platte, S.D., to Henry and Alice (Zylstra) Meyerink. He received his Ph.D. in Neuropsychology from the University of Arizona in 1982. He was in private practice in Denver all his professional life.His parents and two brothers preceded Loren in death. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann; his children, Shayden (Jennifer) Ward, Marisa (Mike) Lahey, and Alicia Meyerink; three grandchildren, a sister, a brother and many nieces, nephews and dear friends. He loved his family, camping, horses, hunting and “projects.”A memorial service will be held in Bailey on Saturday, April 15, 2006 at 9 a.m. at Platte Canyon High School in the Canyon Room. In lieu of flowers a memorial fund will be established in the name of Alicia Meyerink to be used for Loren’s favorite charities.
James Lewis Griebel
James Griebel, a 14-year resident of Bailey, died on May 19 at Johnson Center Porter Hospice in Centennial. He was 52.
A memorial service was held May 23 at “The Barn” in Evergreen Memorial Park.
He was born May 3, 1952 in Sioux Falls, S.D. He had worked 16 years for the Faris Machinery in Commerce City and was previously employed in sales for Evergreen Disposal System.
On May 24, 1975, he married Constance Geraldine Kreutzer at the Mother Cabrini Shrine near Golden.
Survivors include his wife; children Jeremy, Jennifer, Jamie and Joey, all of Bailey; Sister Gloria Anderson of Westminster and Captain Judy Miller of Oahu, Hawaii, and brother Roger of Bailey.
Memorials may be sent to the Johnson Center Porter Hospice, 5020 E. Arapahoe, Centennial 80122 or the Diana Price Fish Foundation, P.O. Box 22919, Denver, CO 80222.
