From Garfield County, Colorado:
Urban Frank Holt
May 25, 1920 - June 25, 2000
Urban Frank Holt, died 25 June 2000 at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was 80 years old.
Born 25 May 1920 in Lindstrom. Minnesota, he was one of ten children born to Edward and Amanda Holt. As Swedish immigrants, his family was proud of their heritage and he kept many traditions alive including speaking the Swedish language. He was the last surviving member of his family.
Urban attended Itasca Junior College in Coleraine, Minnesota where he hoped to turn his love for animals into a profession as a veterinarian. World War II got in the way of his plans an he fought in Europe as a Technical Sergeant in the 78th Lightning Division of the US Army Infantry. He was awarded the purple heart medal in Belgium. He and three of his five brothers fought in World War II. His brother, Alarick, did not return Urban worked as Accountant and Personnel Director for Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company for over 30 years. He and his wife, Dorothy, moved their family from Minnesota to Colorado in 1965. Their children are forever grateful.
Urban was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Nashwauk, Minnesota, the Scottish Rite, the Rifle VFW, and the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, The Moose Lodge #1345. All who remember him, have a clever story or witty trick to tell. Humor was an essential element of his being.
He loved to fish with his grandsons, dance with his granddaughter, tell stories to his children and be anywhere and everywhere with his loving wife of 52 years, Dorothy. He loved working in his workshop, expertly organized and filled with every tool. Urban and Dorothy remodeled every home they owned and always to include a sauna bath. They were very involved in building the Emmanuel Lutheran Church and hand-crafted the exterior and alter crosses.
He is survived by his wife Dorothy, who was at his side when he died: his daughter, Nancy and her husband, Larry Rehwoldt; son Alarick (Larry) Holt II and his wife, Lori; daughter, Jane and her husband, James Siedenburg; grandsons, Alarick (Erik) Holt III, Lucas and Tyler Rehwoldt and granddaughter, Carlisle Siedenburg; sister-in-laws Helen, Katherine, and Oriole Holt; brother in-law I.K. Peterson. Many nieces and nephews, droves of friends and hundreds of honorary family members.
Funeral services are 2pm Friday, 30 June 200 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 5th Street, Rifle, Colorado. Please bolo tie if you have one.
A lover of children, donations in his memory can be made to the preschool at Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
Clara Belle Hughes Just
Wednesday, July 5, 2000
Funeral service for Clara Belle Hughes Just, 95, will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, July 6 from the Silt Congregational Church in Silt. Interment will follow in the Rosehill Cemetery in Rifle.
Friends may call after 10:00 Thursday morning at the church.
Mrs. Just died July 3, 2000 at the Walbridge Memorial Wing in Meeker.
Meeker Mortuary has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Ruth Heelan
1916 - 2000
Ruth M. Heelan of Mankato, Minn., mother of Colorado Mountain College President Dr. Cynthia M. Heelan passed away June 26. She was 84.
Among Ruth Heelan's life accomplishments was 30 years of singing for her church choir, including this most recent Mother's Day.
Ruth Heelan is survived by: her husband John, of Mankato, Minn.; daughters Cynthia Heelan of Glenwood Springs and Jennifer Connolly of Mankato; sons Michael of St. Paul, Minn., and Timothy of Mankato; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held June 29 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in North Mankato.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Ruth and John Heelan Scholarship Fund c/o the Colorado Mountain College Foundation, P.O. Box 1763, Glenwood Springs, Colo., 81602. The scholarship will benefit first generation students, those who are the first in their family to attend college.
Harry Charles Simms
Dec. 2, 1927 - June 25, 2000
Harry was born in Rifle Dec. 9, 1927, the tenth of 13 children of Ezra Hensley Simms and Madie Edna (Bryant) Simms. He passed away June 25. He was preceded in death by his son, Douglas; his parents, Ezra and Madie; brothers Ed, Eugene, Rich, Wally and James; sisters Margie, Ruth, Aleatha and Mary.
He is survived by his wife, Leona Simms; six daughters, Cindy Simms, Sheri Simms, Debbie Stewart, Holly Evans, Jeanette (Rod) Delano, Debbie (Tom) Farrar; two sons, Buddy and wife Debbie Sayre, Ric and wife Kathy Conyers; three sisters Naomi Roberson, Jo (A.C.) King and Helen (Wally) Cerise; 15 grand children, three great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
He was always there for his family when they needed him and will be greatly missed. He consoled us when things were bad and made us laugh when we talked of the days of growing up in Rifle, all the good times we shared with family and all the friends he knew from growing up in Rifle, the service and his many friends in Oklahoma.
Harry graduated with the class of 1946 from Rifle Union High School. He was very active in high school and still enjoyed seeing his friends at class reunions and hearing from them through e-mail on his computer.
He retired a CMSgt. from the U.S. Air Force after 26 years. He was a veteran of the Berlin airlift, Korean conflict and Viet Nam war. He retired from the Oklahoma State Tax Commission in 1991. Harry was past master of Del City Masonic Lodge #536, 32nd Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the India Shrine Temple. He was a Shrine clown and I'm sure we can all see him riding in his little car along the parade route, waving and making people laugh, since we all remember his sense of humor.
Services were held June 28 at 10:00 a.m. Burial was in Sunnylane Cemetery in Del City.
WHEN I MUST LEAVE YOU
When I must leave you for a little while
Please do not grieve and shed wild tears
And hug your sorrows to you through the years,
But start out bravely with a gallant smile,
And for my sake and in my name
Live on and do all the things the same
Feed not your loneliness on empty days
But fill each working hour in useful ways
Reach out your hand in comfort and in cheer
And I in turn will comfort you and hold you near;
And never, never be afraid to die
For I am waiting in the sky.
Merenciana (Mary) Urban
Nov. 3, 1908-June 29, 2000
Merenciana (Mary) Urban passed away Thursday, June 29 at the Colorado State Veterans Nursing Home in Rifle. She was born Nov. 3, 1908 in La Sauses, Colo.
She enjoyed gardening, embroidery, hand crafts, painting, traveling and camping.
Survivors include sons Sonny (Marga) Fernandez, Lee Roy Urban; daughters Margaret (Joe) Diaz, Angie (Gerry) Elger, Laura (Pat) Cruz, Eva (Eugene) Diaz; brothers Salvadore Espinoza, Serafin Espinoza, Jay D. Espinoza; one sister Bertina Rivera and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
She is proceeded in death by her first husband, Ernest Fernandez, and second husband, Tony Urban, her parents, three brothers, one sister, a daughter-in-law (Jane), and three grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Monday, July 3 at the Silt Congregational Church at 1:00 p.m. A visitation was held at the Rifle Funeral Home Chapel on Sunday, July 2 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Burial was at the Skyline Cemetery in Silt following the Monday service.
Catherine Reigan Wigington
July 6, 1903-June 26, 2000
Catherine Reigan Wigington passed away at the E. Dene Moore Nursing Home on June 26 at the age of 96 years, 11 months and 23 days. Catherine was born to Robert Reigan and Mary Lochran Reigan on July 6, 1903 in Meeker. She was the sixth of seven siblings, all whom have proceeded her in death; James, Robert, Patrick, Ellen, Alice and Margaret.
She spent her childhood and early adult life between Meeker and the vast expanses of her beloved Piceance Creek, where her parents were involved in cattle ranching. Her family and friends were enriched by her many wonderful and entertaining tales of their life in that era. She attended Mount Saint Scholastica in Canyon City, St. Mary's Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah and Rifle High School, from which she graduated. She married William G. Wigington on April 12, 1928 and lived in the Rifle area, first on Graham Mesa and later on state highway 13, where they farmed and were involved in their sheep and wool growing operation. She was proceeded in death by her husband and two sons, Larry and William. She is survived by her son Jack (Irene) Wigington of Rifle; two grandchildren, Mark and Mellisa, both of Grand Junction, and several nieces and nephews.
She will be remembered as a very intelligent, endearing person, fiercely loyal to her family and friends, and though we are saddened by her passing, we are fortunate to have wonderful memories that will keep her forever with us.
A funeral service was held Thursday, June 29 at St. Mary's Church in Rifle. Burial immediately followed at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Rifle. Memorial contributions may be sent to St. Mary's Church, 341 E. 5th St.
George Wayne Cook
George Wayne Cook passed away June 18, 2000 at the E. Dene Moore Memorial Nursing Home in Rifle Colorado. He was 83. Mr. Cook was born in Homestead, Florida to Floyd Cook and Lola McJunken. He is survived by a daughter, Tara Tripp of Rifle, Colorado and a sister, Elizabeth Hupp of Jacksonville, Florida.
