From Larimer County, Colorado:
Bertie Oleda Brown
Bertie Oleda Brown, 89, died Sunday, June 20, 2004, at Estes Park Medical Center with her family present. Bertie Oleda Brown was born September 25, 1914 in Stephenville, Texas to Virgil and Beulah (Long) Chambers. She married Donald Sheppard Brown on June 7, 1933. Bertie spent the majority of her life in California and moved to Estes Park in 1999. She worked in food service for 26 years for the Los Angeles School District. Bertie was a member of the Long Beach chapter of the Sweet Adelines International Barber Shop Chorus for 51 years and participated in international competitions. She was an avid supporter of the Estes Park High School band and choir and a member of the Rocky Mountain Evangelical Free Church. She also enjoyed traveling, cooking and spending time with her family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents Virgil and Beulah Chambers; husband Donald Sheppard Brown; her brother Winslow, and grandson Mark Brown. She is survived by her son, Donald Sheppard Brown, Jr. of Kooskia, ID; her daughter Judy Brown-Smith of Las Vegas, NV; granddaughter Lisa Way of Tacoma, WA; granddaughter Jenny Wells of Seattle, WA; grandsons Eric Rose of Estes Park and David Brown of Seattle, WA. She is also survived by 13 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held in California. Memorial contributions may be made to the Rocky Mountain Evangelical Free Church (RMEFC) Building Life Fund, in care of First National Bank of Estes Park, P.O. Box 2390, Estes Park, CO 80517. Please see www.allnutt.com for online obituary and guest book.
Lucile Parker
Lucile Parker, 94, of Aurora, Neb., died Saturday, Aug. 28, 2004, at Memorial Community Care.
Lucile Margaret Parker, the daughter of Frank L. and Mabel (Cavanaugh) Gleich, was born in Platte, S. D. on July 7, 1910. She was raised in Gayville and Yankton, S. D. where she graduated from high school.
She married Gerald L. (Jerry) Parker on Aug. 17, 1930, in Yankton. Jerry worked for the J.C. Penney Company in Yankton, Sioux Falls, and Huron, S. D. He became manager of the Penney’s store in Superior, Neb., and Lucile worked for the Superior Express newspaper. They lived in Superior for 21 years, where they raised their family. In 1965, they moved to Aurora and opened Parkers of Aurora. In 1973, they retired and moved to Estes Park, where they lived for 18 years. In 1991, they returned to Aurora.
Lucile was a member of Aurora Presbyterian United Church of Christ, where over the years she served on many committees. She was a member of the PEO and DAR, the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the Women’s Club, both in Superior and Aurora.
Her husband Jerry, who died on Oct. 2, 1997, preceded her in death. Her parents and a sister, Marjorie Gordon and a great-granddaughter, Abby McMinn also preceded her.
Survivors include her three children, Joanne Howard of Edwards, Colo., and Bonita Springs, Fla., David Parker of Lincoln, Neb., and Dr. Richard Parker of Denver; nine grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren and five great great-grandchildren. A sister, Helen Kost of Aurora and a brother, Robert Gleich of Beneta, Ore., also survives her.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2 at the Higby-McQuiston Chapel in Aurora. Rev. James Keyser will officiate. A private family burial will follow the service at the Aurora Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Memorial Hospital Foundation, 1423 Seventh Street, Aurora, NE 68818. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at higbymortuary.com.
Dev Halter
Dev Halter, 74, of Eugene, Ore., died Aug. 23, 2004.
She was born Jan. 28, 1930, in Lincoln, Neb., to Phil and True Colbert. She attended the University of Nebraska, earning a degree in fine arts. She married Jack Halter in Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 2, 1956. A homemaker, she enjoyed needlepoint, hiking and cross country skiing.
Dev spent the last nine summers volunteering in Rocky Mountain National Park where she was a member of the Road Hogs and the 2,000-hour club. She was also a member of the Hilltop Guild. In Oregon, she was a member of the Tri-Delta Society, the Oregon Horsemans Association and the Eugene Hunt Club.
Her husband Jack preceded her in death on Dec. 7, 1993.
Survivors include daughters, Nancy Halter of Eugene and Jackie Hale of Portland, Ore. A sister, Phyllis Hunley of Denver and two grandchildren also survive her.
A memorial service was held Aug. 27 at the Musgrove Family Mortuary in Eugene.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Rocky Mountain National Park Association.
Ruben J. Hirning
Ruben Hirning, 76, died Friday, Feb. 25, 2005, at the Estes Park Medical Center. He was born July 27, 1928, in Burt, N.D. to Henry Hirning and Louisa (Aisenberg) Hirning. He married Erma Garrison in Cheyenne, Wyo.
Ruben grew up in North Dakota and worked on his family’s cattle and crop farm near Mott, N.D. He and Erma moved to Estes Park where Ruben worked for the Mobil Service Station on Elkhorn Avenue for 23 years. He then worked for Woodward Govenor in Fort Collins as a supervisor in the production department. He retired from Woodward Govenor after 18 years of service.
Ruben enjoyed helping others by mowing many yards and plowing many driveways for elderly friends. His hobbies included woodworking and craftwork.
His parents, two sisters, two brothers, and one daughter, Doris Long, preceded him in death.
He is survived by his wife, Erma; one son, Robert “Mooner” Hirning of Estes Park; two daughters, Anna Margaret Harmon of Seattle, Wash., and Betty Bowersox of Pine Haven, Wyo.; one sister, Anna Walt of Bismarck, N.D.; nine grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, March 3, at 11 a.m. at the Community Church of the Rockies, Reverend Dr. Jonathan Hole officiating. Burial will be at Resthaven Memory Gardens at 3 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Moose Lodge, Fort Collins Chapter #412 in care of Allnutt Estes Park Chapel, 1302 Graves Avenue, Estes Park, CO 80517. Please visit www.allnutt.com to view the obituary and sign the online guest book.
Mildred Thomas
Mildred Thomas, 94, of Westminster, Colo., died Feb. 6, 2005, in Wheat Ridge. She was born in Rising City, Neb., on April 22, 1910. She attended Nebraska Wesleyan University where she graduated in 1931 with a BA degree in music. She taught school for eleven years in Nebraska and Colorado. In 1942, after war was declared, she enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. She stationed in Germany, England, Greenland and the U.S. Mildred retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Major in 1960.
After retirement she lived in Texas until the early 1970s, when she moved to Nebraska to care for her father and stepmother until their deaths in 1975. She then moved to Pinewood Springs where she resided until her move to The Covenant Village Community in 1999.
One sister, Dorothy Walker and two nephews, Robert and David Walker, survive Mildred.
A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, April 20, at 2 p.m. at the Springs Community Church in Lyons. A Committal service will be held at Circle Mount Cemetery in Rising City over Memorial Day weekend.
Memorials may be made to Pinewood Springs Community Church, 260 Kiowa Drive, Lyons, CO 80540.
Patricia “Trish” Weickum
Trish Weickum, 64, of Estes Park, died Friday, March 25, 2005, at the Prospect Park Living Center in Estes Park.
Patricia Groves was born March 23, 1941, in Riverside, Calif., to Calvin T. and Jessie (Moore) Groves. She graduated from Atascadero High School in California. Trish married Norman Weickum on June 28, 1980, in Idaho Springs, Colo. She had lived in Golden and Arvada, Colo., before moving to Estes Park in 1999. Trish was a financial planner who loved her work, and enjoyed helping others. She also enjoyed traveling, cooking, Estes Park, the mountains and spending time with her grandchildren.
Trish is survived by her husband, Norm, of Estes Park; a son, Jim and his wife Patty of Lordsburg, N. M.; three daughters, Lori Worthan of Lakewood, Colo., Cyndi Salthouse and her husband Mark of Brighton, Colo., and Cimine Weickum of Brighton; six grandchildren; Tyler, Brittany, Ryan, Kaleb, Kelsey and Christian.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday March 30 at 10 a.m. at the Allnutt Hunter Chapel 2100 North Lincoln Avenue in Loveland.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the Estes Park Medical Center Foundation (EPMCF) in care of Allnutt Funeral Service 1302 Graves Avenue Estes Park, CO 80517.
Charles Fray Thomas
Chuck Thomas, 84, of Estes Park, formerly of Omaha, Neb., died in Estes Park Saturday March 26, 2005.
Charles Fray Thomas was born Nov. 19, 1920, in Yates, Mo. to Dewitt A. and Laura Sue (Fray) Thomas.
He graduated from high school in Shipman, Ill., and received his bachelor of science degree from Illinois State University. After college, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and attended meteorology school. He was stationed at Chanute Field, Illinois as an instructor and was honorably discharged as 2nd Lieutenant.
After his military service, he was employed by the United States District Corps of Engineers in Omaha as a hydraulic engineer. He later was chief of the planning division, working on the Main Stem Dams on the Missouri River. He retired from that career in 1975. In 1950, as an “extra” job, he went to work at WOW-TV, becoming Omaha’s first TV Weatherman for the 10 p.m. news. He held that job for 20 years. While still in Omaha, Chuck was active in the Central United Presbyterian Church, having been a deacon, elder and trustee, and Sunday school teacher. His hobbies included woodworking and furniture building and he made much fine furniture for his and his family’s homes.
Chuck is survived by his wife, Phyllis of Estes Park; daughters Judith Andersen and her husband Wayne of Estes Park, and Carol Thomas of Havre, Mont.; a son, Charles and his wife Rita of Aurora, Colo.; seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren; three sisters, Virginia Skaggs of Chatham, Ill., Jeanne Faries of Farmington, Mo., and Anne Frazier and her husband Joe of Florissant, Mo.
A memorial service was held Tuesday March 29, at the Community Church of the Rockies in Estes Park.
Memorial contributions may be made to EPMC to benefit Prospect Park Living Center or the American Heart Association or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in care of Allnutt Funeral Service 1302 Graves Avenue Estes Park, CO 80517.
Jean Emerson Sweeney
Jean Sweeney, 83 died, March 23, 2005, following a heart attack. Her home was in Tucson, Ariz., where she has lived for 27 years. Her husband, Jack Sweeney died in 1986.
Jean was born in Denver in 1921 and lived during her young days in both Brush and Estes Park.
After finishing college in Gulfport, Miss., she married and had three children, twin daughters, Lee and Lynne, and a son Dana. While living in Williamstown, Mass., Jean was active in the “behind the scenes” support of the local theater.
Later the family settled in Estes Park, Colorado. During these years, Jean was a member of the Bishop’s Committee, which established St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Estes Park.
Jean met and married Jack while living in Scottsdale, Ariz. There she was one of the founders of the Scottsdale Girls Club. Jean and Jack enjoyed 25 years together, retiring in Tucson in 1978.
Jean is most remembered for her sense of humor, her loyal friendship with long-term friends, and her undying love for the University of Arizona basketball team. She attended many games, even flew to Hawaii with a girlfriend to support “the boys.” If anyone wanted to know the family history of a team member, Jean could quote many vital statistics.
Memorial contributions in memory of Jean Sweeney may given to Casa De La Luz Hospice, 400 W. Magee Road, Tucson AZ, 85704, phone 520-544-9890.
