Crippin Funeral Home

Life's journey on earth came to an end for Elaine Maria Nelson who passed away July 13, 2025 in Montrose, Colorado. Elaine was born in Glendive, Montana on January 14, 1942 to Norvald and Myrtle Nelson, the only daughter in addition to five sons. When she was 9 years old, the family moved to Pomona, California. As an adult, she moved and lived in several cities in California, Colorado, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Elaine retired in 2003 after being employed 41 years in various administrative positions for companies located in California, Colorado and Kentucky. After retirement, she enjoyed traveling to and spending time with her family, and also traveling to places near and far that...

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." (Proverbs 31:26) Kiersten Joy Walchle (46) born May 22, 1978 of Montrose, CO passed away on January 14, 2025 after a 3 year journey with cancer. Kiersten was born to Harry (Bud)and Pamela Drennan. And the daughter-in-law of Ralph and Karen Walchle. Kiersten attended Colorado West Christian School during her elementary years and Olathe and Montrose High Schools, after which she fulfilled her childhood dream of being involved in international missions. That dream led her to Nepal and Norway with Youth With A Mission. Kiersten's travels continued throughout her life, taking her to London, Scotland, Ireland,...

Carolyn Schindel LeFevre was born to Mary and Melvin Schindel in La Mesa, California, where she spent her early years before moving with her family to Grand Junction, Colorado. There, she graduated from Central High School and attended Mesa College. On New Year's Eve, 1951, she was introduced to Bill LeFevre on a blind date. That chance meeting led to a lifetime of love, and they were married on July 13, 1952. Their journey together began in Florence, Colorado, where Bill began his 34-year career as a band director, and where they also started their family. While raising their three boys, Carolyn supported the family with her strong secretarial skills. She always took pride in her work, no...

Nola Mae (Wells) Golden of Montrose, Colorado, passed away peacefully on October 7, 2024, at home with family members around. She was a homemaker, wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She especially enjoyed sewing, crocheting, quilts, babies, and flowers (especially lilacs and violets). Nola gave her life to Jesus at a young age. Her favorite song was What a Friend We Have in Jesus and one of her last sentences was "Jesus Loves Me and He Tells Me So." Nola was born on February 12, 1940, to Charles and Geneva (Sullivan) Wells in Eddyville, Illinois. She married Lowell Golden on January 31, 1959, in Pekin, Illinois, and they celebrated their 65th anniversary this year. He...

Bernice M. (Mulik) Ruby, 83, died peacefully on August 23, 2024, in Montrose, CO, after suffering a stroke. Originally from McAdoo, PA, Bernice was born on July 30, 1941, to John and Mary (Malega) Mulik and graduated from McAdoo High School as valedictorian of her class in 1959. She obtained a degree in Medical Technology in 1961 and worked for Tice Clinic in Quakertown, a local physician practice, and Young's Medical Equipment in Lansdale. She married John J Ruby of McAdoo, PA in 1964 and moved to Pennsburg in 1967. Bernice enjoyed conversing with friends and family, shopping, reading, knitting, and crochet, and was a regular volunteer for the Friends of the Upper Perkiomen Valley...

Raymond Douglas Fulkerson, 72, passed away Aug. 1, 2024, at Colorow Care Center in Olathe, CO. Doug was born on Oct. 30, 1951, to Raymond Fulkerson and Barbara D. Bentley Fulkerson in Spartanburg, SC. After Doug graduated from Sough High School in Willoughby, OH, he went on to work for several companies in northeast Ohio and ended up retiring from Grayson County Schools in Leitchfield, KY in 2014. He was an avid reader. As a kid he loved to read his Tom Swift books, any book about space or ham radios and even the Encyclopedia Britannica's. Doug would read about making anything he could from scratch-- flashlights, radios, kites, planes and everything else his imagination could come up with....

Glen J. Farley, age 77, of Montrose, CO passed away Sunday, July 14, 2024 at his home. Glen was born Oct. 28, 1946 in Falls City, NE to Lewis Farley and Josephine Miller. He was the youngest of 5 brothers and had his childhood in White Cloud, KS and K.C., MO. He vmet his wife, Frances Willimann, and they were married on Mar. 12, 1966. They had 2 sons, Nick and Sean,and moved to Denver. Then they moved to Grand Junction where Glen was a truck driver for the Daily Sentinel on the western slope. He loved his family and is survived by his wife, Fran, of 58 years, and one son, Nicholas of Las Vegas, and one brother, Gary of Glenwood, IA. Arrangements are made through Crippin Funeral Home of...

Vicki Rae Kocan Johnson had a hot glue gun - and she wasn't afraid to use it. Born in Berwyn, Illinois, Vicki grew up in La Grange with her parents, Victor and Carol Kocan and her sister, Cheryl. The Kocans moved to Colorado in 1969 where they built their dream home in Ouray. Vicki graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fort Lewis College in 1973 with a degree in History and Summa Cum Laude from the University of Colorado in 1976 with a master's degree in American History. In 1976, Vicki married K. Michael Johnson (Mike) and the couple lived in Ouray. Vicki volunteered at the Ouray County Historical Society where she managed acquisitions and collections for the county Museum. In 1978, they...

It is with great sorrow we announce the passing of Donald Nick DeJulio of Montrose, CO. Donald passed away on Monday December 11th, 2023, surrounded by his loved ones. Donald was born in Montrose, CO to Josephine and James DeJulio on October 8th, 1936. In February 1964 Donald married Elaine Peterson, they were married for 53 wonderful years. Donald was a proud Italian descendant of a hardworking farming family. His first job was selling cars for Perry Flanigan in Montrose. He then moved to Grand Junction, CO and worked at Franks Lounge bartending and was the manager of the Royal Inn. He met his wife Elaine in Grand Junction and later moved back to Montrose where they purchased the Chipeta...

It is with great sorrow we announce the passing of Donald Nick DeJulio of Montrose, CO. Donald passed away on Monday December 11th, 2023, surrounded by his loved ones. Donald was born in Montrose, CO to Josephine and James DeJulio on October 8th, 1936. In February 1964 Donald married Elaine Peterson, they were married for 53 wonderful years. Donald was a proud Italian descendant of a hardworking farming family. His first job was selling cars for Perry Flanigan in Montrose, CO. He then moved to Grand Junction, CO and worked at Franks Lounge bartending and was the manager of the Royal Inn. He met his wife Elaine in Grand Junction, CO and later moved back to Montrose, CO where they purchased...

James (Jim) Donald Jackett, age 51 of Montrose, Colorado, passed away on October 24th, 2023. Jim was born on December 29th, 1971 to Anna Marie Jackett and Donald George Jackett. After graduating from Rifle High School in 1990, he went on to study Social Work at Colorado Mesa University. He later received a Master's degree in Social Work from Colorado State University. In 2002, he moved with his family to Montrose, Colorado, where he impacted many in his career as a social worker. Jim spent the next fifteen years working for Montrose County. In 2017, he began working for the Dolphin House, a child advocacy center within the community. When the opportunity arose for him to provide...

Nicki Cameron passed away Sunday, October 22, 2023, at her home in Montrose, Colorado, with her loving husband at her side. She was 75 years old and had lived in Montrose for 44 years. Nicki Jeanne (Evans) Cameron was born in Berkeley, California, on December 29, 1947, to parents Donald and Rosamond Evans. She spent her childhood in southern California and moved, with her parents, to Yreka, California, as a teenager. There, she met and fell in love with Jeff Cameron. They were married in Yreka on February 4, 1967, and spent some time in Yreka before moving to Sacramento where Nicki worked for the telephone company while Jeff attended college. The couple then moved to Corvallis, Oregon,...

Jerry Wayne Yates July 24, 1947 - July 18, 2023 Jerry passed away at Montrose Regional Hospital in Montrose, CO with his family by his side. Jerry was born July 24, 1947 to Edward Yates, Jr. and Faye McBride (Rice) in St Genevieve (New Offenburg), Missouri. Jerry joined the Army in 1965, served in the Vietnam War where he received multiple honors and a Purple Heart. Following his return to the US, he initially worked at Dugway Proving grounds in UT where he met his wife, Elizabeth Yates (Taylor). They were wed on March 22, 1969 and were married for 54 years at the time of his passing. Jerry and family were sealed together in the Seattle Washington Temple on May 1, 1987. Jerry worked...

Dorothy L. Walz passed away Wednesday, May 24th, 2023, at 89 years old, after succumbing to a long battle of Alzheimer's and heart disease. Born to Arthur and Ruth Schweinsberg on 9/9/1933 in San Diego, California. Dorothy was mostly known to all who knew and loved her as Sue. She met and married, Fred L. Walz, her brother Richard's (Dick) Marine Corp buddy. He was her lifetime love of 62 years. After leaving the Marines in1953, they moved to Fred's hometown of Grand Junction, CO. Fred & Sue also lived many years in Tucson, Arizona, and retired in Austin, Colorado where they lived until Fred's death in 2014. Sue then moved to Peyton, Colorado with their oldest daughter Patty. Sue...

A friend to everyone he met, William "Bill" Hammond Dickey passed away on May 11th, 2023 at age 79. Born to Joseph Stutso and Eva Hammond in Franklin, Kentucky, he was later adopted by Gilbert Dickey, Jr. Bill spent his youth in War, WV, Kentucky and Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelors of Science in Advertising. Bill proved himself a mediocre student but the life and soul of every party - a trait that he maintained and was known for over the course of his life. He had a varied career, from managing a ranch in Winter Park, Colorado to owning bars and restaurants. He met his beloved wife Becky and together they lived in Prescott, Arizona for twenty years...

JoAnn Jeffcoat, 89, of Montrose, Colorado passed away on May 4th under Hospice care. She was born January 22, 1934, in Pilot Point, Texas to Walter and Avis Locke. JoAnn met her beloved husband, Marion, when she was just 15 years old. After just a few short months of dating, Marion proposed, and they married on November 12, 1949. Marion was in the Air Force, so in the beginning they relocated often, finally settling down in Aztec, NM where they would reside for almost 50 years before moving to Colorado in 2009. She was a happily devoted wife for 65 years before Marion's passing in 2014. Anyone who knew them knew that they were hopelessly devoted to and madly in love with each other. ...

Stacie Langley Brown 52 passed away at Montrose Regional Health on the morning of April 22, 2023. Services will be held at Circle 3 Cowboy Fellowship (C3CF) (62885 LaSalle Rd. Montrose, CO 81401) Friday, May 5th at 4:00 PM with refreshments to follow. Stacie was born in Warren Ohio on November 4th, 1970, to proud parents Edward (Dan) and Bonnie Langley. She spent her early years in Ohio with her family and relocated to Colorado in 1999. Here with her daughter Ashton, she met her beloved husband Jeremy Brown in 2000 and they had three more children, all sons Jared, Caleb, and Ethan. Stacie was a bright mind who loved to learn, and she already attained her bachelor's degree before coming to...

Elizabeth Jean Bull Gilleece passed away peacefully on April 16, 2023 at age of 91, at Valley Manor Care Center in Montrose, Co. Jean was born March 7, 1932 at the family ranch on Surface Creek in Cedaredge to Earnest A. Bull and Dorothy A. Nelson. After graduating from the Delta County schools, she attended Colorado Mechanical and Agricultural college, which became CSU, in 1954 with a major of Vocational Home Economics. Jean later received her masters in Life Science from Western State College. Jean's teaching career while mostly based in the Grand Valley, from Fruita to Palisade, she taught home economics in Delta County, Lamar, Cherry Creek, and even a reservation in Wyoming. ...

DIANA RUTHERS 76, OF MONTROSE PASSED AWAY AT VALLEY MANOR CARE CENTER ON APRIL 15, 2023. CRIPPIN FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATORY IS ASSISTING THE FAMILY. 970-249-2121

Stephen E. Stone June 15th, 1948 - March 5, 2023 Stephen Stone passed away unexpectedly Sunday March 5th at 74 years old. Services will be held at the ELKS lodge 563 Main St, Delta, Colorado on March 18th, at 2:00pm in the auditorium. In lieu of flowers please send a donation to the Elks lodge in Delta, Colorado. Stephen was born to Margaret and Preston Stone in Lubbock, Texas. As a young child the family moved to Colorado where Steve was raised and lived his entire life. He graduated from Fruita Monument High School in 1967. Steve was an all-state football star. He was a member of the only football state championship team from Fruita high school in 1966. Steve was also a member of the...

Raymond E Zielke, 70, died Friday, February 17 2023 at the age of 70 at his home in Montrose, Colorado. He was born May 12, 1952 in Dodge City, Kansas the son of Harry and Marguerite (McGee) Zielke. Raymond graduated from Dodge City Senior High School in 1970 and began work as an auto mechanic for Goff Motors in Dodge City prior to enlisting in the Army in 1972. He married Lauretta Speer that same year. Two sons were born to this union. They divorced in 1985. After his military service with the 547th Engineering Battalion, 567th ADM Company ended in 1975, Raymond returned to Dodge City for a short while (employed by Sperry-New Holland) and then continued his career as a farm equipment...