Donna Jean Kurtz
Aug 21, 2026
Donna Jean was the first-born daughter of Gerald and Viola Myers; she was born at home on a farm northeast of Walsh, Colorado on February 4, 1939.
Times were tough on the family; most people did not have 2 coins in their pockets to rub together. Before Donna Jean was five years old, she had 2 little sisters (Neva Dean, 1940,...
Lester Gentzler
Jul 30, 2026
Lester Carl Gentzler, age 84, passed away peacefully on July 30, 2026, in Springfield, Colorado. He was born on October 21, 1941, in Liberal, Kansas, to the late Simon Peter and Jessie L. Gentzler. First and foremost, Lester was a deeply devoted believer in Jesus Christ. His faith guided his daily life, his interactions with his community, and the love...
M Olene Gourley
Jul 26, 2026
Moretta Olene McCauley Gourley was born on July 21, 1931 to Mason and Bessie Newman McCauley at Vian, Oklahoma and passed away on July 26, 2026 in Walsh, Colorado at the age of 95. She was one of eight children born to this union. Olene began her education in Sallisaw, Oklahoma and continued there through her sophomore year of high...
Bryan Richard Figgins
Jul 18, 2026
Bryan Richard Figgins, 62, passed away at his home near Manter, Kansas, on July 18, 2026.Bryan was born on March 17, 1964, in Ulysses, Kansas, to Richard and Diane (Disch) Figgins. During his childhood, the Figgins family moved several times, living in Utah; Washington, where Brent was born; Kansas, where Brad was born; South Dakota, where Tammy and Brook were...
Linda Beth Hutches
Jul 15, 2026
Linda Beth Hutches, 80, of Ulysses, Kansas, passed away on July 15, 2026, at Western Prairie Senior Living in Ulysses, Kansas.
Linda was born August 14, 1945, in Guymon, Oklahoma to Albert and Ruth (Smith) Berg. She attended school in Guymon later moving to Springfield, Colorado.
Linda married Preston Hutches April 2, 1982. In 1984 they moved to a farm south of...
Betty Jo Bangs
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...
Joy Nadine Lepel
Jun 26, 2026
Joy wrote her own obituary dated April 25, 2002. It's as follows:
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...
Bobby Jack Crill
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...
Gary Wayne Bryan
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...
Walter Gene Smithee
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...
Nita Lorene Scott
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...
Robert Wayne Ballard
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...
Billy G. Burdges
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...
Ricky Dean Hair
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...
Sandra Jean Butler
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...
Tina Louise Ardry
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.
Dennis Leroy Dunivan
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...
William Barry Eaton
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...
Jack L. Wright
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...
Trudy Anne Koehn
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...