Obituaries
Obituaries in La Junta Colorado and
Stephen Edward Milenski
Jan 20, 2021
Stephen Edward Milenski, 74 of Las Animas, entered into heavenly rest with his savior on January 20, 2021 in the comfort of his home. Steve was born April 3, 1946 in La Junta to Victor and Margaret (Stephenson) Milenski of Rocky Ford. Throughout his life he was a cowboy, a heavy equipment operator, truck owner operator, an excellent horseman, a...
Josephine Tafoya
Jan 17, 2021
Josephine Tafoya, 78, of Ordway passed away on January 17, 2021 at the Penrose St. Francis Hospital in Colorado Springs. She was born on July 10, 1942 in Sopris, Colorado to Toby & Eva (Swaso) Aragon. Josephine was a homemaker and loved listening to the Spanish band, Los Tigres del Norte and her favorite singer, Ramon Ayala. She enjoyed watching...
Betty Jean Miller
Jan 17, 2021
Betty Jean Miller, 91, passed away on January 17, 2021 in Aurora, Colorado after living in La Junta for many years. She was born in Garden City, Kansas on May 9, 1929 to Benjamin and Ethel Goddard. She was the second youngest of eight children. She met and fell in love with Otto Miller when she was 16. They were...
Frankie Mae Rutherford
Jan 14, 2021
Frankie Mae “Mickie” Rutherford, 92, of La Junta passed away on January 14, 2021 at the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center. She was born on March 26, 1928 in Hill City, Kansa to Frank & Ruby Mae (Jones) Hunter. She married William Glen “Ole” Rutherford; he preceded her in death in 1972. Mickie and Ole were owners of the Country...
Donald Clifford Burkepile
Jan 12, 2021
Donald Clifford Burkepile, 92, passed away peacefully on January 12, 2021 in Alamosa, CO. Don was born on October 8, 1928 in Manzanola, CO to Daniel and Lillian (Hundt) Burkepile. The family soon moved to a small farm near Hasty, Colorado, where he grew up with two sisters: Irene and Carrie, and four brothers: Ivan, Charles, Ross and Glen. He...
Robert F. Durante
Jan 12, 2021
Robert "Bob" Durante, 83 passed away on January 12, 2021 at his La Junta home. He was born on December 28, 1937 in Albany, New York to Frank & Frances Durante. Bob was raised in Medford, Oregon. He was in the Naval Reserves in his Junior and Senior years in High School. Upon his graduation from high school he joined...
William Glenn Parker
Jan 11, 2021
William Glenn Parker, 76, of La Junta passed away on January 11, 2021 at the Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs. He was born on December 13, 1944 in Smithfield, NC to William Golden & Irene Marie (Ethington) Parker. Glenn entered the US Air Force in 1963 as a Radio Operator and was stationed in Germany on a 3-year tour. After...
Bobbie Dean Covington
Jan 9, 2021
Bobbie Dean Covington, 66, of Las Animas passed away on January 9, 2021 at the UC Health in Aurora. He was born on June 19, 1954 in Pueblo to Richard L. & Ruth (Lewis) Covington. Bobbie was a kind hearted, giving, and compassionate man. He was a loving father, grandfather, and friend. His mischievous smile and laughter was contagious and...
Jose Guerrero Torrez
Jan 8, 2021
Joe Torrez, 60, of Santa Maria, California, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 8, 2021, at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Joe had been quietly battling a terminal lung illness that was complicated by Covid exposure. Joe was born in La Junta, Colorado to Mike and Rosa Torrez in February 1960 before relocating to Lompoc,...
Andrea Kathleen Walsh
Jan 5, 2021
Artist Andrea Walsh, 77, passed away at her La Junta home on January 5, 2021, following a year-long battle with cancer. She was born, Andrea Kathleen Carmichael in Boston, MA on May 26, 1943, she lived her early childhood in Brookline, MA, near JFK’s childhood home. When she was a young teen her family moved to Newton Center, MA, where...
Alvie Hampton Knight
Jan 5, 2021
Alvie Hampton Knight, 69, of Sugar City passed away on January 5, 2021 at the Memorial Central Hospital in Colorado Springs. He was born on March 18, 1951 in Englewood, Colorado to Robert Hampton & Alma Lee (Stallsworth) Knight. Alvie worked as security guard for over 25 years. He was a lifelong Denver Bronco fan. He will be missed dearly...
Joe Ray Blundell
Jan 5, 2021
Joe Ray Blundell, 47, of Las Animas, departed this life on January 5, 2021, at Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center in La Junta, CO. He was born on September 28, 1973, to Larry and Patsy Blundell in Johnson, KS. When Joe was 4, the family moved back to the family ranch south of Las Animas. When he was young he...
Amanda Jane Bravo
Jan 4, 2021
Amanda Jane Bravo, 88, passed away on January 4, 2021 at the Mount St. Francis Nursing Center in Colorado Springs. She was born on July 2, 1932 in Crescent, Oklahoma to Charles & Nellie (DeFreese) Thomas. She married Ernest Frank Bravo on October 14, 1950 at the St. Patrick Parish in La Junta; he preceded her in death on February...
Ardeth W. Sneath
Jan 2, 2021
Ardeth Sneath was born on March 13, 1935 in Eads, Colorado to Oscar C. and Golda Swisher (Sharp) White and departed this life on Saturday, January 2, 2021. The family moved to Rocky Ford when Ardeth was 5 years old and later settled in La Junta. She attended schools in Rocky Ford, La Junta, and Swink. She graduated from Swink...
Lois Maria Montoya
Dec 31, 2020
Lois Maria (Arellano) Montoya, 90, of La Junta, was called home on December 31, 2020 at Bent County HealthCare Center in Las Animas. She was born June 13, 1930 to Thelma (Roy) and Fernando Arellano in Silver Cliff, CO. Lois married Jose Robert Montoya on October 10, 1953 in Raton, New Mexico; together they raised three daughters in La Junta....
Marie Ida Tafoya
Dec 30, 2020
Marie Ida Tafoya, 82, was called home to be with her precious Lord on December 30, 2020 at her La Junta home with her family by her bedside. She was born on April 25, 1938 in Raton, New Mexico to Ezequiel & Mary (Montano) Vigil; that’s when her journey started in life. In 1943, her dad passed away and her...
Sharon Lynn Coburn
Dec 30, 2020
Sharon Lynn Coburn, 65, passed away on December 30, 202 at her La Junta home. She was born on November 25, 1955 in Denver, Colorado. Sharon lived in the lower Arkansas valley all her life. She loved the area and the people. She loved to fish and camp, garden and entertain guests in the back yard with a grilled dinner...
Jose Manuel Valdez
Dec 30, 2020
Jose Manuel Valdez, 82, passed away December 30, 2020 at his La Junta home. He was born on September 7, 1938 in Las Animas, Colorado. He worked for OJC for 31 years; he started with the Janitorial staff and became a plumber for the college. He enjoyed working on houses and remodeling his house and working in the yard. He...
Charles "Charlie" J. Venegas
Dec 26, 2020
Charles “Charlie” J. Venegas, 78, passed away on December 26, 2020 at Fowler Health Care Center. He was born on April 18, 1942 in La Junta to Donaciano & Leonicia (Baca) Venegas. He is survived by his niece and nephew, Monica & Jim Armendariz of La Junta; sisters, Mercedes Salamanca of Denver; Rita Carrillo of Denver; Corina (Manuel) Sigala of...
Olive Mae Rogge
Dec 24, 2020
Olive Mae (Smith) Rogge was born February 6, 1930 to Oran and Lorena Smith in the family home north of Fowler. She was the third of seven children that included two sets of twins. She had two brothers, and four sisters. For the first eight years of education, Olive attended Lakeview, a one room school located north of Fowler. She...
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