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Richard Lewis Jennings
March 19, 1954 ~ April 15, 2005
Richard Lewis Jennings passed away April 15, 2005, in Denver, Colo. Richard was born March 19, 1954, to Glen and Ina Mae Jennings. Richard had three sisters, Roberta Culverwell, Marjorie Jennings and Betty Ford.
He was preceded in death by his father and sister Marjorie.
In 1973 he married Joy Hatley. They had two daughters, Carrie Marie Hockins and Sarah Jean Jennings. On Jan. 1, 1983, Richard married O’Kalla Fisher. She had two children, son Jay and daughter Carley Suessmeier. Together they had five grandchildren. Richard loved them all.
He was a self-employed contractor.
Denver Nuel Pittman
December 16, 1922 ~ March 18, 2005
Denver Nuel Pittman, 82, long-time resident of Rangely, passed away Friday, March 18, in Windsor, Colo. He was born Dec. 16, 1922, in Van Buren, Mo., to John and Doshee (Blanchard) Pittman. He married Elsie Booth Sept. 16, 1950. Elsie passed away in Windsor, April 6, 2003.
Denver came to work the oil fields in Rangely after serving in the US Army during World War II, as a rifle marksman in the Pacific Theater. He worked for the Chevron Oil Company for 36 years. He was a mountain man that enjoyed hunting, fishing and growing tomatoes; he especially loved times with his family. He was the most honest man any one ever met and his word was good as gold. He never turned his back on any one in his life.
He moved to Windsor after his retirement but continued to work as a consultant for Chevron Oil Company. He was also a captain firefighter in the Crystal Lake area.
Survivors are two daughters, Linda Hickenlooper of Susanville, Calif., and Diana Dale of Fort Collins; two sons, David Pittman of Rangely and Gary Pittman of Fort Collins; a sister Ann Baker of Troy, Mo., a brother, Bob Pittman of Grand Junction: eight grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
He was a great man, son, brother and a father. He is greatly loved and missed.
He was cremated and his ashes were taken to the Missouri Ozarks and scattered on a mountaintop over his mother’s grave.
Martin Villa
September 17, 1922 ~ April 5, 2005
Lifelfong Meeker resident Martin Villa, 82, died April 5, 2005, at Pioneers Hospital.
Iver Martin Villa was born on the family homestead Sept. 17, 1922, in Matt and Sigrid Villa. He and his four sisters attended the Strawberry country school. After being graduated from Rio Blanco County High School in 1942, Martin started college at Fort Collins, but ended his studies to serve his country during World War II. He was stationed in Okinawa with the 7th Air Force. After the war Martin returned to the family farm and spent the rest of his life ranching on Strawberry Creek.
In 1950 he married Mary Wear, a Meeker girl who was teaching music at the time. They played music often. In the early days Martin played guitar, Mary the piano, Al Wear trumpet and Dave Allen drums. Later Martin played banjo, fiddle and then enjoyed the mandolin and joined Bob Searcy, Johnny Barton, Bob Ridings and many others. Martin continued inviting people to play music and had 'get-togethers' until his last hospitalization.
Agriculture was Martin’s passion. He raised wheat and cattle. He built reservoirs and controlled the brush, constantly improving his operation. He worked for the National Farmer’s Organization in the late 1960s and encouraged collective bargaining. He wrote numerous editorials hoping to make the public aware of agricultural economics. He and Mary purchased the adjoining Pete Hausser place and then bought the family homestead from Matt and Sigrid in 1962 to form the present Villa Ranch. They also purchased, improved and later sold the King Ranch at Sunbeam near Maybell. In 1976 he and Barton Porter of Silt purchased the Rifle Packing Plant.
Martin and Mary had two children, Mary Katherine and John Martin. They raised their children on the ranch enjoying ranch work and their loved of music.
Besides music, Martin enjoyed team roping, bridge and joke telling and was a member of the Toastmasters and the local roping club. He was a Mason for 50 years, past-commander of the VFW, and a member and past president of the Old Timers Association. He served one term as Rio Blanco County Commissioner and was chairman of the Rio Blanco County Planning Commission.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Irene Villa and Ruth Brown, his wife Mary and son John. He is survived by his daughter Mary K. Krueger, son-in-law Albert, grandchildren Hanna, Martin and Elly and sisters Margarete Johnson and Eldrid Hilkey of Rangely and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Saturday, April 9 at the Meeker United Methodist Church with Pastor Johnny Arrington officiating. Military honors were provided by member of V.F.W. Post #5843 in the Highland Cemetery.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Pioneers Hospital Memorial Fund. Cochran Memorial Chapels has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Fern Hicks Porter
February 24, 1913 ~ April 10, 2005
Fern Hicks Porter, 92, died April 10, 2005, at her home in Fort Collins. She was born Feb. 24, 1913, to Bert Nelson Hicks and Maude Pearle Hicks in Dallas County, Iowa. At the age of eight, she moved to Greeley with her family. She was graduated from Greeley High School in 1931. Fern completed two years of college at Colorado Teachers College and received a Life Certificate for teaching. She taught school for two years in a one-room school house near Meeker.
On Jan. 13, 1934, she was united in marriage to Vincent Archie Porter in Meeker. In the spring of 1945 they moved to Grand Junction where they resided for 18 years. During this time, their children received High School diplomas and attended Mesa College.
Fern was mostly a home-maker, enjoying family and friends, cooking, sewing, reading and life in general, which included card games like bridge and Oklahoma Rummy. She participated in all her children’s activities in school and church. She has been a life long member of the First United Methodist Church, belongs to AARP and PRSEA. Fern enjoyed traveling, which included all 50 states except Alaska. Her favorite trips were in the Western states.
In 1963 Fern moved to Fort Collins where she spent the remaining 42 years of her life and celebrated 69 years of marriage to Archie before his death in 2003. She was employed by Poudre R1 School district for 10 years in the administration office at Lesher Junior High.
Fern Porter is survived by two sons, Lee Porter of Fruita, Colo., Roger Porter and wife Elizabeth of Johnstown, Colo., a daughter Diana Porter Adams and husband Gary of Canon City, Colo., and a niece Norine Reagan of Aurora, Colo. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Tammy, Shawn, and Leann, Glenn and Paul and nine great-grandchildren.
Fern was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Archie, two sisters Mildred and Gladys.
A memorial service for Fern will be held, Thursday, 1:30 p.m. at Bohlender Funeral Chapel. Interment will follow at Grandview Cemetery. Rev. Charles Schuster will officiate the services.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Hospice of Larimer County or the First United Methodist Church of Fort Collins, in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive, Ft. Collins, Colo., 80524.
Donald H. Rose
September 11, 1917 ~ April 4, 2005
Donald H. Rose, 87, of Rangely died April 4, 2005, at the Rangely District Hospital.
Mr. Rose was born Sept. 11, 1917, in Hastings, Mich., the eldest child of nine children born to Herbert and Nellie (Service) Rose. He was educated in Hastings and while in high school participated in baseball and golf. Following his graduation from high school he entered the United States Army where he served his country in the European Theatre during World War II. Following his discharge he returned to Hastings where he worked in management for the E.W. Bliss Company.
A member of Lions Club International, Mr. Rose was a former scoutmaster. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and reading. In 2000 he moved to Rangely with his son from Rocky Ford.
Survivors include his son, Craig and his wife Bonnie Rose of Rangely, one step-daughter, Laura Lampman of Woodland, Mich., one grandson, Gabriel Rose of Homer, Alaska, two step-grandchildren, Jane Scobey and Terri Dow, both of Michigan and two sisters, Betty McIlvain of Hastings and Helen Purdy of Kalamazoo, Mich.
His wife, the former Wilma Terry and six of his siblings have preceded him in death.
At his request, no services are planned. Memorial contributions may be made to the Eagle Crest Memorial Activity Fund, 222 Eagle Crest Dr. in Rangely.
Cochran Memorial Chapel has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Martin Villa
September 17, 1922 ~ April 5, 2005
Lifelong Meeker resident Martin Villa, 82, died early Tuesday morning, April 5, 2005, at Pioneers Hospital in Meeker.
Martin was born Sept. 17, 1922, on the family homestead ranch up Strawberry Creek, the son of Norwegian emigrants Mathias and Sigrid (Dahle) Villa.
Survivors include his daughter, Mary K. (Albert) Krueger of Meeker, three grandchildren, Johanna of Meeker, Martin, a student at C.U., Boulder and Elly, a student at Western State College in Gunnison, two sisters, Margarete Johnson of Meeker and Eldrid Hilkey of Rangely as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
His wife, Mary, one son, John and one sister, Ruth Brown have preceded him in death.
Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Meeker United Methodist Church.
Military Honors will conclude the services in the Highland Cemetery. Friends may call Friday from 4-8 p.m. at Cochran Memorial Chapel in Meeker.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Pioneers Hospital Memorial Fund through the funeral home office.
A complete obituary will appear in the next edition of the Herald Times.
Denis Unrein
November 27, 1944 ~ March 28, 2005
Well-known Meeker resident Denis Unrein, 60, died March 28, 2005 at Pioneers Hospital following a valiant fight with cancer.
Denis was born Nov. 27, 1944, in Chicago, Ill., one of 17 children born to Cyril and Mary (Kuhn) Unrein. As a child the family moved to Kansas and later to Berthoud and Mead where Denis attended school, graduating from high school with the Longmont High School class of 1963.
In 1963, Denis began a career as a lineman and installer for Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph, retiring from Qwest on March 21, 2003. In October of 1965 Denis left the telephone company to serve his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He returned to the Mountain Bell following his discharge in August of 1967.
While working for the telephone company he lived in Boulder where he was a member of the Boulder Rural Fire Department. In June of 1980 Denis and his family moved to Meeker. In February of 1981, Denis was preceded in death by his wife Linda. On Dec. 27, 1982, at the urging of his two sons, Denis was united in marriage to Anne Vanfossen at the home of his mother in Mead.
Denis was a Life Member of V.F.W. Post #5843 in Meeker where he served as post commander for a number of years. He was twice named All State Quartermaster and in 2004 was named All American Commander by the national V.F.W. association. It was a great honor for Denis to coordinate and assist at a great number of military burial services in Meeker throughout the years.
Denis loved to spend time outside camping and fishing. He will be remembered by many in Meeker for his hearty laugh, broad grin and grand sense of humor.
In addition to his parents and his first wife, Denis is preceded in death by one son, Grant Unrein, one brother, Darrell and two siblings who died in infancy.
Survivors include his wife, Anne, of the family home, one son, Denis Unrein, II of Las Animas; one step-daughter, Leslie Croley of Mt. Vernon, Wash., four grandchildren, Jessica Warden of Craig, Trenton Croley of Mt. Vernon, Cheri Filloon of Denver, Lindsay Croley of Mt. Vernon; one great-granddaughter, Neveah Filloon and his brothers and sisters, Jeanie (John) Curley of Dorchester, Mass., Ernie (Loree) Unrein of Ft. Lupton, Arlene (Cecil) Bohall of Lakewood, Cy (Linda) Unrein and Ralph Unrein, both of Longmont, Joyce (Warren) Bertrang of Valentine, Neb., Phyllis Unrein of Arvada, Mel (Cathy) Unrein of Windsor, Joy McDonald of Denver, Mary Kay Unrein of Lakewood, Dave (Yvonne) Unrein of Windsor, Carolyn (Vince) Cummins of Bailey and Tom (Mary) Unrein of Grand Island, Neb., and his mother-in-law, Opal Switzer of Medford, Ore.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, April 1 at Cochran Memorial Chapel in Meeker with interment and full military honors to follow in the Highland Cemetery. Friends may call Thursday evening until 8 p.m. or Friday until service time at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Denis Unrein Memorial Fund at First National Bank of the Rockies, the proceeds of which will be divided between the VFW Auxiliary Educational Scholarship and the V.F.W. Cancer Research Fund.
Cochran Memorial Chapel has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Juelene K. Sargent
August 20, 1944 ~ March 15, 2005
Juelene K. Sargent, 60, of Meeker died March 15, 2005, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction.
Juelene was born Aug. 20, 1944, in Palisade, the daughter of Kenneth Wayne and Juel Fern (Carrell) Kelley. She attended schools in the Grand Valley and on Oct. 21, 1963, was united in marriage to Richard Earl Sargent who preceded her in death on July 23, 1992.
An excellent seamstress, Juelene did sewing and alterations for many people in and around Meeker. She had a great sense about repairing garments and was well known for the outfits she made. She enjoyed gardening, spending time outdoors and the special times she shared with her grandchildren. For the past couple of years she has worked as a contract mail carrier for the Gerloff’s, carrying mail between Meeker, Rangely and Dinosaur.
She enjoyed her job and the different people she encountered on her route each day. Survivors include her son, Steve Sargent and his wife, Rebecca and their children Trent and Taryn, all of Meeker. She is also survived by two daughters, Juelena Richardson of Casper, Wyo., Jackie Richardson of Phoenix, Ariz., grandchildren Ryan, Jamie and Tommy Richardson and Jessica Brusacorum as well as three great-grandchildren, Daniel, Justina and R.J. Brusacorum.
Funeral services were held Saturday, March 19 from Cochran Memorial Chapel in Meeker with Ran Cochran officiating. Interment was made in the Highland Cemetery
with Jerry Seely, Leonard Thompson, Joe Ruckman, Brett and Jeb Berthelson and Matt Jensen serving as pallbearers.
Friends may make memorial contributions to the Juelene Sargent Memorial Fund through Cochran Memorial Chapel, PO Box 1048 in Meeker.
Matthew Joseph Levi Roach
May 12, 1986 ~ March 23, 2005
Matthew Roach, 18, of Meeker died March 23, 2005, in Meeker following a tragic work-related accident.
Matthew Joseph Levi Roach was born May 12, 1986 in Oroville, Calif., the God chosen son of Levi and Darcy (Bird) Roach.
As a young boy the family moved to Meeker where Matt attended school. At the time of his death, he was working for G.T.M. but was looking forward to a move to Roosevelt, Utah.
Matt was an artist at heart. He loved to draw and sketch and had shown many of his art pieces at local shows. He enjoyed bowling, fishing and writing poetry. He had a great sense of humor and was known far and wide for his fun-loving spirit.
Matt had a firm and steadfast belief in God and was unashamed to share his faith with others. He thought up the name Soulkeepers, the youth group at the New Creation Family Church.
Survivors include his parents, Levi and Darcy of Meeker, two sisters Amber of Grand Junction and Ashley of Meeker, his grandparents Ed and Rita Bird of Meeker, Jean Dick of Meeker, Carol and Dan Berstein of Sacramento, Calif., his great-grandparents Cleo and Yvonne Richard of Chico, Calif., Fred Eggers, and his aunts and uncles, Debbie Huston, Duane (Kathy) Bird and Dijee (Dave) Wyles, all of Oroville, Calif., Joe (Rachelle) Anderson of Cresent City, Calif., Joe (Chris) Bird of Grand Junction and Jay Roach of Meeker and many cousins and a host of friends.
Funeral services were held Saturday, March 26 at the Fairfield Community Center with Pastors Rex Townsley, Bill Gibson and Pat Turner officiating. Interment was made in the Highland Cemetery.
Friends may make memorial contributions to a scholarship fund for art students through Cochran Memorial Chapel, which was entrusted with the arrangements.
Larry Wayman Persinger
November 24, 1943 ~ March 6, 2005
Larry W. Persinger, 61, of Rangely died March 6, 2005, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction.
Lawrence Wayman Persinger was born Nov. 24, 1943, in Philadelphia, Pa. He was graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and following graduation entered the United States Army where he was noted as an expert rifleman. Following his discharge he served with the Army National Guard Reserve and was active in the reserves in Craig, Colo.
Following his graduation he worked in the coal mines in West Virginia until moving to Colorado to work in the Deserado Coal Mine. He worked for Blue Mountain Energy until an accident forced his early retirement.
On April 3, 1999, he was united in marriage to Barbara Hawkins at the Bible Baptist Church in Rangely. Larry was a devoted member of the Bible Baptist Church and openly and honestly shared his faith. He was a voracious reader and loved science fiction and political science. He enjoyed being outside hunting and fishing and collected many guns throughout the years.
Those who survive include his wife, Barbara, one son, John Paul Persinger of Triangle, Va., one step-son, Aaron Hawkins of Paradise, Calif.; his aunt, Estella (Gordon) Flynn of North Ridgeville, Ohio; his mother and father-in-law, Cleo and Yvonne Richard of Chico, Calif. and numerous other in-law family members, including Rita and Ed Bird and their family Darci and Levi Roach, Joe and Chris Bird and Duane and Kathy Bird.
Larry is preceded in death by one son, Larry, Jr. and his parents, Orville Jackson and Victoria Mae (Smith) Persinger.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 16 from the Bible Baptist Church in Rangely. Interment with military honors was made in the Rangely Cemetery.
Friends may make memorial contributions to the Larry Persinger Memorial Fund through Rangely Mortuary, PO Box 351 in Rangely which was entrusted with the arrangements.
Jon E. Petersen
June 18, 1963 ~ March 9, 2005
Jon E. Petersen, 41, passed away March 9, 2005, at Cottonwood Care Center in Brighton, Colo., following a lengthy battle with Huntington’s Disease.
Jon Edwin Petersen was born in Montrose, Colo., June 18, 1963. He spent his childhood in Nucla and Redvale, being graduated from Nucla High School in 1981. He continued his education by attending Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely.
Petersen married Stormy Osborne of Rangely. They had two children, Raquel Marie and Ryan Lee. The marriage ended in divorce.
Petersen worked for a number of years for the Town of Rangely in the water treatment plant. Later he worked for the Northwest Pipeline Company/Williams Company in Rangely, eventually relocating to LaSal, Utah, and working at their Moab station. In 2002, he took medical retirement and returned to Redvale, Colo., to be near family.
Petersen enjoyed hunting, fishing and off-road 4-wheeling. He was an avid Denver Broncos fan and liked his rock-n-roll music. He particularly enjoyed time spent with his two children.
Petersen will be missed by his surviving family members. Daughter, Raquel and son, Ryan of Rangely; mother, Adaire Barrett of Redvale; sister Cindy (Stan) Reiva of Redvale; sister, Dawn (Jerry) Adams of Westcliffe, Colo.; sister, Penny (Jimmy) Quintana of Montrose; brother, Richard (Mary) Petersen of Redvale; step-mothers, Carmen Petersen of Nucla and Josephine Hyde of Grand Junction and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
Preceding him in death are his father, Donald Petersen; step-father Gordon Barrett and dear friend, Anne Wright.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2005, at 1 p.m. at the Redvale Community Church, with Pastor Clint Perry officiating. Cremation has taken place.
Juelene Sargent
Well-known Meeker resident Juelene Sargent, 60, died March 15, 2005, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction.
Funeral services are pending with Cochran Memorial Chapel and friends are asked to call 878-5722 for service information. A complete obituary will appear in the next Herald Times.
Darrel T. Muller
July 10, 1921 ~ March 5, 2005
Longtime Rangely resident Darrel T. Muller, 83, died March 5, 2005, at the Rangely District Hospital.
Mr. Muller was born July 10, 1921, in Oberlin, Kan., the son of Clarence A. and Florence Tennessee (Nitcher) Muller. He was raised in Oberlin and was graduated with the Decatur Community High School Class of 1939. During World War II Mr. Muller worked as a precision machinist for the Boeing Corporation, proudly making several of the components used in making the Boeing B-29 'Enola Gaye.'
On Oct. 19, 1942, he was united in marriage to Veda Lillian Nielsen at the home of his sister in Oberlin. The couple farmed and worked in Kansas until moving to Colorado in 1949. In 1953 the family moved to Rangely where he managed Foster Lumber, worked for Chevron and also on the Salt Lake Pipeline.
Mr. Muller was a skilled carpenter and cabinet maker, and developed and wrote the building trades program that he taught at both Rangely High School and Rangely Junior College. This program was implemented state wide. In 1970, Mr. Muller began operating Muller’s Building Service, a family business his son, Mark, carries on today. He later worked for the Rio Blanco County Assessors office.
Active in many community affairs, Mr. Muller was a past president of the Rangely Hospital Board, and was instrumental in leading the board to the establishment of our local clinic and also the construction of the houses for our doctors. He served on both the Rangely Town Board and the planning and zoning commission, the Council of Government and was a past master of the New Castle Oddfellow Lodge, and also served as a Cub Scout master. He loved gardening and raised beautiful roses and enjoyed sharing his tomatoes and the bounty of his garden with others. He enjoyed woodworking, hunting and fishing and the special times he spent with his children and grandchildren. His grandchildren will long remember his world famous sugar cookies.
In addition to Veda, his wife of 62 years who resides in the home Darrel built in Rangely, he is survived by seven children, Judy (Vernon) Lee of Omaha, Neb.; Michael (Jean) Muller of Colorado Springs; Janice Atkinson of Rangely; Richard (JoDell) Muller of Price, Utah; Robert Muller of Lakewood; Mark Muller of Rangely and Joyce (Charles) Novak of Portland, Ore. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren Jeff (Sharyl) Lee; Stacy Roberts; Michelle (Gabe) Pepper; Darrel Muller, Laura Atkinson-Mackey; Cansas (Jason) Grieger; Jessica (Lenny) Smith-Miller; Crystal (Beau) Bryant; Jamie Muller and Brandon Muller; 10 great-grandchildren, Jared, Lauren, Jaquilyn, Brittany, Alex, Jeffrey, Nicholas, Dylan, Austin and Elijah and two sisters, Irel Lohefener of Oberlin, Kan., and Delores (Royce) Patton of Salina, Kan. At the time of his death Mr. Muller was anxiously awaiting the birth of his 11th great grandchild.
His parents and one sister, Donnalee have preceded him in death.
Memorial services were held Wednesday, March 9 from the Rangely Mortuary with Ran Cochran officiating. Friends may make memorial contributions to the Rangely District Hospital Memorial Fund through Cochran Memorial Chapels Rangely Mortuary which has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Jerry W. Chism
December 26, 1956 ~ February 26, 2005
Jerry W. Chism, 48, of Rangely died Feb. 26, 2005, at his White River Village home.
Gerald Wayne Chism was born Dec. 26, 1956, in Albany, Ore. In 1964, the family moved from Tillamook, Ore., to Rangely where Jerry was raised, attending Rangely Public Schools.
Following high school he worked in the oilfields until he was injured in an accident. He helped his family operate Chism’s Drive-In in Rangely for many years. A member of B.P.O.E. #1907 in Rangely, Jerry loved fishing and spending time with his nieces and nephews.
Jerry is survived by his mother, Lois Chism of Rangely, his brothers and sisters, Vernon (Mary) Chism of Reserve, N.M., Roni Branham of Loveland, Mike (Barbie) Chism of Rangely, Tavanne (Bob) Burch of Craig, Denise (Shannon) Lovins of Colorado Springs, his grandmother, Dorothy E. Jacobs of Tillamook, Ore., his nieces and nephews, Levi and B.J. Burch, Michael, Mandi and Megan Chism and three great-nephews, Kelten and Dillon Burch and Shane Balleck. At the time of his death he was anxiously awaiting the birth of two more great-nieces or nephews.
Memorial services were held Wednesday, March 2 at the Rangely Assembly of God Church with Pastor Wayne Nickson and The Rev. James Fox officiating. Elk’s Burial Rites were presented by the members and officers of B.P.O.E. #1907.
Friends may make memorial contributions to the Jerry Chism Memorial Fund at First National Bank of the Rockies. Cochran Memorial Chapel has been entrusted with the arrangements.
