by Heath Carroll

Practical Stand Points
Most people do not like to be rushed into making purchasing decisions, especially when they involve important matters. For this reason alone, each of us has an obligation to spare our families the added responsibility of making important decisions surrounding our demise by taking funeral planning into our own hands. By pre-planning, you have the advantage of comparing the costs of goods and services without feeling pressured. Moreover, you get to set the tone and tenor of your funeral by working closely with a funeral director who shares your concerns. While it is certainly possible for surviving members of your family to plan your funeral and burial on short notice, why not relieve them of it Pre-planning relieves surviving family members of the emotional burden that comes along with funeral arrangement decisions by reducing stress, anxiety and confusion at an already emotional time. CARROLL-LEWELLEN FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES is ready and willing to assist you in pre-planning a personalized service of remembrance. You and your family will have time to research your options and make well-informed decisions, without feeling rushed. Please feel free to visit our home at 503 Terry St. and if a question arises, do not hesitate to contact us at (303)776-4477.
You remember your loved one we’ll remember the rest.
www.carroll-lewellen.com

May 14, 1910 – May 14, 2012

Irma L Bledsoe, 102, of Longmont died May 14, 2012 at The Peaks Care Center in Longmont.  She was born May 14, 1910 to William and Grace (Thome) McCart in Boone County, Nebraska.  On April 18, 1946, she married Marx Bledsoe in Raton, New Mexico.  He preceded her in death on July 28, 1989. 

Irma attended schools in Boone County Nebraska as a child. The family moved to Longmont in 1924 and she graduated from Longmont High School in 1926. She then earned bachelor and masters degrees from University of Northern Colorado and a further masters degree from The Denver University. After her marriage she taught for a while in Cassel, Germany in the Dependents School.  She returned to Longmont where she taught in area schools and she retired from Saint Vrain Valley School District in 1975.  She played the organ at Erie United Methodist Church for over thirty years. 

Irma was a member of Central Presbyterian Church, Delta Kappa Gamma, and AAUW.

She is survived by her daughter Elaine (Bledsoe) Wischnowsky of Bourbonnais, Illinois, and her son Richard William Bledsoe of Boulder, Colorado;  five grandchildren and one great- grandchild.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband and three sisters.

Visitation will be held Monday, May 21, 2012 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., followed by the funeral service at 1:00 p.m. all at Central Presbyterian Church in Longmont.  Graveside services will follow at 3:00 p.m. at Longmont Mountain View Cemetery.  Friends may share memories with the family at www.carroll-lewellen.com

 March 6, 1915 – May 11, 2012

 Long-time resident of the Highlandlake community and descendant of prominent pioneer families, Mary Mead Jensen, died May 11, 2012 at  Lifecare Center in Longmont, Colorado.  She was born in the Mead family homestead house at Highlandlake,Colorado on March 6, 1915 to parents Malcolm Mead and Florence Baker Mead.  She attended Mead Schools and subsequently obtained a degree from Henager Business College in Salt Lake City.   She married and had six children.  She is preceded in death by her husband Chris in 1958 and son Roland in 1969, and Granddaughter Brook Sargent 1977.  She leaves behind son Lawrence Jensen of Longmont, and daughters Anita Schwartz of Trinity, FL, Joan Thompson of Johnstown, CO, Judy Sargent of Lakewood, CO, and Linda Spurlock of Longmont, CO along with 13 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

 Mary is best known for her ownership of Highland Lake and operation of the fishing and boating concession for more than 62 years where she has become acquainted with generations of families and patrons from all over Colorado.  She served as president of Historic Highlandlake Church for more than 50 years.

 She was a member of Mead United Methodist Church in Mead Colorado. Mary enjoyed traveling and visited many foreign countries along with extensive traveling throughout the United States.  She was an avid card player who belonged to several bridge clubs and was a member of a very long-standing pinochle club whose members met for more than 50 years.  She was active in many civic and community affairs, including a membership with DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). 

 Mary loved the mountains and enjoyed many hikes with the Colorado Mountain Club.  She also belonged to a bowling league.  Her greatest love was greeting her fishing customers at her concession stand.

 Mary was a descendant of pioneer families who were early members and residents of old Burlington and the (Longmont) Chicago Colorado Colony.  Her paternal  grandfather Lorin Mead, was a member of the Chicago Colorado Colony and the founder of Highlandlake community.  Her maternal  grandfather, Charles Baker was living in old Burlington and helped survey the township that later became Longmont.  He was also the 3rd Mayor of Longmont and Baker Street was named after him.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday, May 14,  2012 at Carroll-Lewellen Funeral Chapel.  Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at The First Congregational Church, 1500 9th Ave in Longmont.  Interment Mountain View Cemetery.

 It is requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her honor made payable to Historic Highlandlake Inc. in care of Carroll – Lewellen Funeral Home, 503 Terry St, Longmont CO 80501.

What You Should Know

by Heath Carroll

REGRETS
When palliative-care specialist and writer Bronnie Ware recently chronicled the regrets of her dying patients, there were some common themes. The regret most frequently cited involved the wish to have had the courage to live a
life that was true to one’s self and not what was expected by others. The second most common regret involved wishing that the person hadn’t worked so hard. This regret emerged from the lips of every dying male patient. Next, the dying wished that they had the courage to express their feelings, which was followed
by the wish that they had stayed in touch with friends. Finally, many regretted
that they hadn’t allowed themselves to be happier. Words to live by?
At CARROLL-LEWELLEN FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES we take great
pride in what we do. Our purpose is to provide a peaceful and comforting
environment where people can gather to honor a loved one. We offer personalized and affordable services and products. Please feel free to visit our home at 503 Terry St. or call us at (303)776-4477.
We help families make wellplanned preparations in their time of need.
You remember your loved one we’ll remember the rest.
www.carroll-lewellen.com

Rosalie Jessie Colton Hoge passed away May 3, 2012, at the age of 91. She loved everyone she met and all those with the good fortune to have met her loved her in return.

Beloved Ro Hoge (born Rosalind Jessie Colton) entered life in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, the second of three children of Ralph L. Colton, a First World War Naval officer and graduate in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, and Florence Wilson Colton, a homemaker and graduate of Bryn Mawr College. Ro grew up in the historic Harriton House of Bryn Mawr, which her father had purchased, restored and refurbished as a beautiful family home.

The summers of Ro’s youth were partly spent off the coast of Mt. Desert Island, Maine, where she fell in love with the rocks (especially her favorite “Big Rock”), the seas, the salty fogs and the tall pine trees. Generations of her family had gone to sea, and like them she carried a love for adventure and faraway places. Her father suffered a tragic death in a boat accident in 1931. Afterwards, Ro spent part of her summers at Fern Mountain in Arizona with family members and dear friends. She had many happy times there. These experiences gave her an abiding love for the American West and her taste for old-time cowboy songs.

She graduated from Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, and was rated as one of the top young mathematics and physics students in the United States at the time. In 1939 Ro attended Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, New York. Due to family circumstances and the coming of World War II, she was unable to complete her studies at Vassar. During the war, she served with the Red Cross at Valley Forge Military Hospital and worked for the U.S.O. At this time, she met, fell in love with and married (in 1946) Army Medical Corps Captain George Lee Hoge, Jr. George Hoge graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. (Ro and George were divorced in 1979.)

After a honeymoon to Mexico, Ro’s early married life was in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Following the birth of their first child, the Hoges moved to Texas, and then to Colorado as George fulfilled his Medical Corps commitment to the Armed Forces for his education. They were subsequently posted to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and West Point, New York, before George left the military for private practice. In 1951 the family moved to Boulder, Colorado. 

In Boulder, Ro joined the Newcomers’ Club and the Welcome Wagon, and also served Meals on Wheels to help elderly and shut-in people. In these groups, and wherever she was, she developed enduring friendships and fond memories.

Raised as an Episcopalian, over the years she added elements of numerous other religions to her broad and tolerant belief system. Throughout her life, she kept her core value that you were closer to god in nature than anywhere else.

Ro always said that she never met a person she didn’t like. In spite of personal sadness’s and hardships, she maintained an almost preternatural cheerfulness and outward-looking friendliness. She took an interest in and cared about so many people. But her dearest love and closest attachments of all were with her large, close and rambunctious family.

She is survived by her eight children, of whom she was very proud: in birth order, Robert Hoge, George Hoge III, Bill Hoge, Rick Hoge, Pam Hoge, Patty Hoge, Penny Hoge, and Peggy Hoge. Numerous other friends thought of her as their own second mother or aunt. Ro is survived, in addition, by eleven grandchildren: Colton Hoge, Ben Hoge, Jenny Hoge, Jeff Hoge, Heather Hoge, Hilary Hoge, Rebecca Reid, Sophia Walder-Hoge, Zoe Walder-Hoge, Peter Chopra and Jessie Chopra. Three great grandchildren also survive her: Brooklyn Hoge, Nathaniel Hoge and Katelyn Hoge. She was preceded in death by her grandson Michael Hoge, and brothers Ralph and Sabin Colton.

Among Ro’s foremost attachments in life were her animal friends. Along with her children, she loved and raised dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, guinea pigs, rabbits, lizards, parakeets, parrots and various injured wild animals. They all were a part of her profound love of nature.

Ro always kept well informed with current affairs, and to the end of her life, she had a rye sense of humor. She was superb at telling jokes, even racy ones. She loved all holidays, any excuse to celebrate life and family. She never tired of her constant cooking, cleaning, nursing, mending, gardening, teaching and nurturing. And she still seemed to have endless time for friends and family in need. Her largest frustration at the end of her life was not being able to help others. But still she managed to spend countless hours each day consoling people on the telephone (maybe you were one of them?).

With her happy, friendly smile and sparkling eyes, Ro brought a touch of sunshine and merriment to all those she knew. Her delight was in doing things for other people, giving the gift of whatever she could (she said it lit up her happy spot in her brain), and living with kindness and selflessness. She will forever remain in our hearts and in the spectacular sunsets of brilliant clouds (she always saw animal shapes in the billowy formations) and the majestic mountains of Boulder.

Her family has tremendous appreciation for all of Ro’s caregivers over the last 6 months, including Boulder Community Hospital Home Care and especially Family Hospice. Thanks to Carroll-Lewellen funeral services for their tender care and respect.

A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held later. Condolences may be sent to her home. We also welcome your thoughts and memories at the website: http://www.carroll-lewellen.com/05032012hoge-rosalie/ Donations may be made in her name to the Boulder Valley Humane Society, Nature Conservancy, American Red Cross, Boulder’s Homeless Shelter, and Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch (in Texas).