Obituaries

Jul 4, 2026

Betty Jo Crane was born to Fred and Iva (Madsen) Crane at the family homestead south of Springfield, CO on November 6, 1931. She passed away on July 4, 2026, at Hugoton, KS at the age of 94 after battling a long illness.

Betty Jo was an only child until the age of 8 when her sister Dorothy was born. Dorothy’s...

Jun 26, 2026

Joy Nadine was born the third child from the marriage of Alden “Ted” Harper and Iva (Elam) Harper on a farm about seven miles north of Holly, Colorado.

She attended 11 years of school in Holly later taking a correspondence course for her high school diploma. She also took several courses from Lamar College.

She was married to Stanley Lepel and had...

Jun 21, 2026

In Loving Memory of Bobby Jack “Bob” Crill

June 23, 1944 – June 21, 2026

Bobby Jack “Bob” Crill, lovingly known as “Bodge” by family and friends, passed away leaving behind a legacy of faith, family, friendship, and the cowboy way of life. Born on June 23, 1944, at the Crill Homestead in Baca County, Colorado, Bob was the third son of...

Jun 18, 2026

Gary Wayne Bryan, 75, of Walsh, Colorado, passed away on June 18, 2026.

Born in Lamar, Colorado, on April 28, 1951, Gary was the son of Harold Eastham Bryan and Dorothy Lee Bryan. He grew up in Walsh, where he attended school and met his future wife, Cheryl. His family was among the early homesteaders of the Stonington area, and Gary...

Jun 15, 2026

Walter was born in Oklahoma City on November 5th, 1932 to Clarence E. Smithee and Janie I. Smithee. He spent his childhood growing up in Walsh, Co.

He joined the United States Army on April 10th 1953 and enrolled in engineering school for diesel mechanic at Fort Belvoir, VA. He was then deployed to South Korea.

While serving, he achieved the rank...

Jun 6, 2026

Nita Lorene Scott, 84, passed away on June 6, 2026, at the hospital surrounded by her children following a lengthy illness.

Nita was born on December 20, 1941, in Springfield, Colorado, to James and Alice Davis. She grew up in Springfield with her four siblings, three older and one younger, and graduated from Springfield High School in 1960.

In 1957, Nita met...

May 9, 2026

Robert Wayne Ballard, 79, passed away on May 9, 2026 at Southeast Colorado Hospital in Springfield, Colorado. He was born on November 6, 1946 in Eads, Colorado to R.L. Ballard and Dortha Ballard. He was the youngest of three children, having two older sisters, Carolyn Hicks and Sharon Seagler.

Wayne’s family moved to Hale Center, Texas in 1950. Wayne graduated from...

Apr 29, 2026

Bill Burdges passed April 29,2026 with his son, Kevin, by his side.

Bill was born in Prairie Grove, Arkansas July 8, 1936. By the time he was three, he began displaying his love of horses. He later dreamed of becoming a naval aviator.

Bill married the love of his life, Maxine, July 29, 1960. He supported his family by working for Colorado...

Apr 28, 2026

Ricky Dean Hair was born July 10, 1958, in Ulysses, Kansas, to Clifford and Johnetta Cora Hair.

Rick had three brothers; Cliff Lee. Monty and Rex. Rex was raised in Walsh where he spent many days on the farm with his siblings and dad feeding cattle and raising crops.

Rick attended Walsh School and graduated in 1976. His love for music started...

Mar 17, 2026

Sandra Jean Butler, of Walsh, Colorado, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer, surrounded by her loved ones at the Southeast Colorado Hospital in Springfield. She was 80 years old.

Sandra was born on August 25, 1945, in Stonington, Colorado, to Everett “Jack” Butler and Joyce (Eaton) Butler, both of whom preceded her in death. She spent her entire life...

Jan 21, 2026

Tina Louise Ardry, born to Hubert and Mary Ardry passed away January 21, 2026, in Walsh, Colorado.  She was 50 years old.  Local survivors include her daughter, Angel, of the home.

Cremation has taken place and there are no services planned.

Jan 15, 2026

Lola Janell Gist was born October 23, 1938, in Seminole, Oklahoma and passed away January 2, 2026. She was the third child born to Henry and Edythe Gist. The family moved to Baca County in 1945 when her dad began ranching on the Alley Ranch with his cousin Romaine Alley. She attended Mitchell School for her elementary education and transferred...

Jan 15, 2026

William Barry Eaton (Bill), born on December 13, 1943, in Springfield, CO, peacefully passed away on January 15, 2026, surrounded by his family. He was the son of Cyrus and Juanita Eaton and had two sisters, Hazel and Joyce, and one brother, Kenny.

In 1946 the Eaton family relocated from Leadville to Walsh, where Bill’s early years were filled with memories...

Jan 14, 2026

Jack Lynn Wright, 85, passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 14, 2026, at 6:06 p.m. in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Born on September 15, 1940, in Plano, Texas, Jack arrived in the world with grit, stubbornness, and a fierce independence that stayed with him all his life. 

Jack was born to R.F. “Red” Wright and Marquerite (Wright) Partain and grew...

Jan 8, 2026

Trudy Anne Koehn, 72 years young, peacefully passed on January 8, 2026.

A long-time resident of Baca County, Colorado, Trudy was a beloved teacher, mother, mentor, friend, and farmer. She devoted nearly 40 years to teaching, shaping the lives of hundreds of kindergarten, first- and second-grade students. Over the decades, she had the rare joy of teaching multiple generations of the...

Jan 2, 2026

Lola Janell Gist was born October 23, 1938, in Seminole, Oklahoma and passed away January 2, 2026. She was the third child born to Henry and Edythe Gist. The family moved to Baca County in 1945 when her dad began ranching on the Alley Ranch with his cousin Romaine Alley. She attended Mitchell School for her elementary education and transferred...

Dec 27, 2025

Carlos Rangel III age 77 of Walsh Colorado died Saturday December 27th in Lamar Colorado. He was born on December 4, 1948, in Laredo, Texas to Celsa Idrogo Martinez and Roman Martinez.

Carlos was a devoted Son, Brother, Nephew, Dad, Grandpa, Father-in-law, Uncle and friend. He left behind family and friends who will cherish his memory. Carlos...

Nov 30, 2025

Romaine (Hanes) Alley, lovingly known as Granny to all who knew her, was born August 12, 1935, in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, to Roy B. Hanes and Ruby Lee (Gist) Hanes. Romaine grew up on the family farm, the third of four children and the only girl. She quickly learned that hard work and perseverance were ways of life in...

Nov 25, 2025

Linda K. (Wellman) Lewis, 78, passed away on November 25th at her home in Arvada, Colorado. Linda grew up in Walsh, Colorado, the only child of Elma (Trahern) and Clifford Wellman. She graduated from Walsh High School with the Class of 1965. She attended Southern Colorado State College before transferring to the University of Colorado Boulder, where she played...

Oct 14, 2025

Celebrating an ancient and beautiful soul. As our hearts are infinitely broken, we take this time to give everyone who did not know her, the obligatory obituary for our shining light, Lena.

Lena Suzanne Dukes entered this world with vengeance on June 13, 1976. Being rushed to the ICU in Shreveport, Louisiana. Born full term, Mom said...