Norma G. Sandoval died Feb. 15, 2016, at Columbine Manor in Salida.
Norma was born at Round Up Lodge (Frontier Ranch) on Dec. 21, 1933 to Alfred and Grace Acree.
She really enjoyed her childhood there riding, roping and doing things like the boys at the camp in the summer. She had fond memories of the smell of the saddle room, filling the feed bags with oats for the 100 horses her father was in charge of and taking visitors on guided tours of all the buildings at the camp when she was just 8 or 9. She loved how reveille each morning and taps each night would echo off the mountainside.
When the camp was done for the season she and her brother Jack had the place to themselves. They were the only two in the school at the camp until she was in the fifth grade then they went to the Nathrop school.
Her family moved to the Dewitt place (Kelly ranch) when she was 12 and at 16 they moved to the ranch north of Buena Vista at Riverside where she lived most of her life.
She attended 7-12 grade in the courthouse building and was valedictorian of her class.
Norma had decided in the fifth grade that she wanted to be a teacher and so she went to college in Greeley. She attended school for 2 years then ran out of money. There was a teacher shortage at the time and she was offered a position teaching second grade so she started her career at 20.
She had a side job on weekends singing with the Sechrist family band. They played in bars and meeting halls in Jefferson, Fairplay, Hartsel, Antero Junction and Leadville. She also got to know her future husband Mike Sandoval while she was touring with the band because he always seemed to show up to give her a ride home.
They eloped the day after school was out and were married by a justice of the peace in Raton, N.M. They came back to Buena Vista and rented a room above the Lariat.
Then they went to Fry Canyon, Utah where Mike drove a truck at a uranium mine. Mike was drafted and they moved to Falls Church, Va. where he drove at the Pentagon and she worked at the Drug Fair store.
Mike was discharged and they got to come home to Buena Vista after 2 years.
Norma was called to teach again in November not long after they got back because a teacher had been fired and there was an opening again. She took the sixth-grade position and stayed for the rest of her 34-year career with the middle school age kids. She finally got her teaching degree after many night classes and summer school terms from Western State College.
She taught in the courthouse building until McGinnis Middle School was built. She loved her seventh-graders. Her favorite class to teach was one she created herself called Know Your Mountains. She loved teaching about the history and the outdoors of this area and Colorado.
Norma sponsored many school activities over the years and Pep Club was one of her favorites. She also loved to attend school plays, music programs and sporting events.
She ran the Frenchman’s Creek campground for many years.
Norma loved fishing, jeeping, snowmobiling, watching the Broncos, playing cards, eating out, calling friends, singing, telling stories and laughing. She loved to hear and tell jokes and was known for her cheerful personality and large laugh.
Norma was preceded in death by her parents and husband.
She is survived by her daughter and husband of Buena Vista; brother and wife of Davis, Calif.; granddaughter of Colorado Springs and grandson of Buena Vista.
Viewing is Feb. 17, 6-8 p.m. at Runyan Mortuary. Service will be Thursday, Feb. 18, at ClearView Community Church, at 1 p.m.
Arrangements by Runyan Mortuary with online condolences at RunyanMortuary.com.
(Used with permission from Chaffee County Times with living names removed)
Norma was born at Round Up Lodge (Frontier Ranch) on Dec. 21, 1933 to Alfred and Grace Acree.
She really enjoyed her childhood there riding, roping and doing things like the boys at the camp in the summer. She had fond memories of the smell of the saddle room, filling the feed bags with oats for the 100 horses her father was in charge of and taking visitors on guided tours of all the buildings at the camp when she was just 8 or 9. She loved how reveille each morning and taps each night would echo off the mountainside.
When the camp was done for the season she and her brother Jack had the place to themselves. They were the only two in the school at the camp until she was in the fifth grade then they went to the Nathrop school.
Her family moved to the Dewitt place (Kelly ranch) when she was 12 and at 16 they moved to the ranch north of Buena Vista at Riverside where she lived most of her life.
She attended 7-12 grade in the courthouse building and was valedictorian of her class.
Norma had decided in the fifth grade that she wanted to be a teacher and so she went to college in Greeley. She attended school for 2 years then ran out of money. There was a teacher shortage at the time and she was offered a position teaching second grade so she started her career at 20.
She had a side job on weekends singing with the Sechrist family band. They played in bars and meeting halls in Jefferson, Fairplay, Hartsel, Antero Junction and Leadville. She also got to know her future husband Mike Sandoval while she was touring with the band because he always seemed to show up to give her a ride home.
They eloped the day after school was out and were married by a justice of the peace in Raton, N.M. They came back to Buena Vista and rented a room above the Lariat.
Then they went to Fry Canyon, Utah where Mike drove a truck at a uranium mine. Mike was drafted and they moved to Falls Church, Va. where he drove at the Pentagon and she worked at the Drug Fair store.
Mike was discharged and they got to come home to Buena Vista after 2 years.
Norma was called to teach again in November not long after they got back because a teacher had been fired and there was an opening again. She took the sixth-grade position and stayed for the rest of her 34-year career with the middle school age kids. She finally got her teaching degree after many night classes and summer school terms from Western State College.
She taught in the courthouse building until McGinnis Middle School was built. She loved her seventh-graders. Her favorite class to teach was one she created herself called Know Your Mountains. She loved teaching about the history and the outdoors of this area and Colorado.
Norma sponsored many school activities over the years and Pep Club was one of her favorites. She also loved to attend school plays, music programs and sporting events.
She ran the Frenchman’s Creek campground for many years.
Norma loved fishing, jeeping, snowmobiling, watching the Broncos, playing cards, eating out, calling friends, singing, telling stories and laughing. She loved to hear and tell jokes and was known for her cheerful personality and large laugh.
Norma was preceded in death by her parents and husband.
She is survived by her daughter and husband of Buena Vista; brother and wife of Davis, Calif.; granddaughter of Colorado Springs and grandson of Buena Vista.
Viewing is Feb. 17, 6-8 p.m. at Runyan Mortuary. Service will be Thursday, Feb. 18, at ClearView Community Church, at 1 p.m.
Arrangements by Runyan Mortuary with online condolences at RunyanMortuary.com.
(Used with permission from Chaffee County Times with living names removed)
Norma G. Sandoval died Feb. 15, 2016, at Columbine Manor in Salida.
Norma was born at Round Up Lodge (Frontier Ranch) on Dec. 21, 1933 to Alfred and Grace Acree.
She really enjoyed her childhood there riding, roping and doing things like the boys at the camp in the summer. She had fond memories of the smell of the saddle room, filling the feed bags with oats for the 100 horses her father was in charge of and taking visitors on guided tours of all the buildings at the camp when she was just 8 or 9. She loved how reveille each morning and taps each night would echo off the mountainside.
When the camp was done for the season she and her brother Jack had the place to themselves. They were the only two in the school at the camp until she was in the fifth grade then they went to the Nathrop school.
Her family moved to the Dewitt place (Kelly ranch) when she was 12 and at 16 they moved to the ranch north of Buena Vista at Riverside where she lived most of her life.
She attended 7-12 grade in the courthouse building and was valedictorian of her class.
Norma had decided in the fifth grade that she wanted to be a teacher and so she went to college in Greeley. She attended school for 2 years then ran out of money. There was a teacher shortage at the time and she was offered a position teaching second grade so she started her career at 20.
She had a side job on weekends singing with the Sechrist family band. They played in bars and meeting halls in Jefferson, Fairplay, Hartsel, Antero Junction and Leadville. She also got to know her future husband Mike Sandoval while she was touring with the band because he always seemed to show up to give her a ride home.
They eloped the day after school was out and were married by a justice of the peace in Raton, N.M. They came back to Buena Vista and rented a room above the Lariat.
Then they went to Fry Canyon, Utah where Mike drove a truck at a uranium mine. Mike was drafted and they moved to Falls Church, Va. where he drove at the Pentagon and she worked at the Drug Fair store.
Mike was discharged and they got to come home to Buena Vista after 2 years.
Norma was called to teach again in November not long after they got back because a teacher had been fired and there was an opening again. She took the sixth-grade position and stayed for the rest of her 34-year career with the middle school age kids. She finally got her teaching degree after many night classes and summer school terms from Western State College.
She taught in the courthouse building until McGinnis Middle School was built. She loved her seventh-graders. Her favorite class to teach was one she created herself called Know Your Mountains. She loved teaching about the history and the outdoors of this area and Colorado.
Norma sponsored many school activities over the years and Pep Club was one of her favorites. She also loved to attend school plays, music programs and sporting events.
She ran the Frenchman’s Creek campground for many years.
Norma loved fishing, jeeping, snowmobiling, watching the Broncos, playing cards, eating out, calling friends, singing, telling stories and laughing. She loved to hear and tell jokes and was known for her cheerful personality and large laugh.
Norma was preceded in death by her parents and husband.
She is survived by her daughter and husband of Buena Vista; brother and wife of Davis, Calif.; granddaughter of Colorado Springs and grandson of Buena Vista.
Viewing is Feb. 17, 6-8 p.m. at Runyan Mortuary. Service will be Thursday, Feb. 18, at ClearView Community Church, at 1 p.m.
Arrangements by Runyan Mortuary with online condolences at RunyanMortuary.com.
(Used with permission from Chaffee County Times with living names removed)
Norma was born at Round Up Lodge (Frontier Ranch) on Dec. 21, 1933 to Alfred and Grace Acree.
She really enjoyed her childhood there riding, roping and doing things like the boys at the camp in the summer. She had fond memories of the smell of the saddle room, filling the feed bags with oats for the 100 horses her father was in charge of and taking visitors on guided tours of all the buildings at the camp when she was just 8 or 9. She loved how reveille each morning and taps each night would echo off the mountainside.
When the camp was done for the season she and her brother Jack had the place to themselves. They were the only two in the school at the camp until she was in the fifth grade then they went to the Nathrop school.
Her family moved to the Dewitt place (Kelly ranch) when she was 12 and at 16 they moved to the ranch north of Buena Vista at Riverside where she lived most of her life.
She attended 7-12 grade in the courthouse building and was valedictorian of her class.
Norma had decided in the fifth grade that she wanted to be a teacher and so she went to college in Greeley. She attended school for 2 years then ran out of money. There was a teacher shortage at the time and she was offered a position teaching second grade so she started her career at 20.
She had a side job on weekends singing with the Sechrist family band. They played in bars and meeting halls in Jefferson, Fairplay, Hartsel, Antero Junction and Leadville. She also got to know her future husband Mike Sandoval while she was touring with the band because he always seemed to show up to give her a ride home.
They eloped the day after school was out and were married by a justice of the peace in Raton, N.M. They came back to Buena Vista and rented a room above the Lariat.
Then they went to Fry Canyon, Utah where Mike drove a truck at a uranium mine. Mike was drafted and they moved to Falls Church, Va. where he drove at the Pentagon and she worked at the Drug Fair store.
Mike was discharged and they got to come home to Buena Vista after 2 years.
Norma was called to teach again in November not long after they got back because a teacher had been fired and there was an opening again. She took the sixth-grade position and stayed for the rest of her 34-year career with the middle school age kids. She finally got her teaching degree after many night classes and summer school terms from Western State College.
She taught in the courthouse building until McGinnis Middle School was built. She loved her seventh-graders. Her favorite class to teach was one she created herself called Know Your Mountains. She loved teaching about the history and the outdoors of this area and Colorado.
Norma sponsored many school activities over the years and Pep Club was one of her favorites. She also loved to attend school plays, music programs and sporting events.
She ran the Frenchman’s Creek campground for many years.
Norma loved fishing, jeeping, snowmobiling, watching the Broncos, playing cards, eating out, calling friends, singing, telling stories and laughing. She loved to hear and tell jokes and was known for her cheerful personality and large laugh.
Norma was preceded in death by her parents and husband.
She is survived by her daughter and husband of Buena Vista; brother and wife of Davis, Calif.; granddaughter of Colorado Springs and grandson of Buena Vista.
Viewing is Feb. 17, 6-8 p.m. at Runyan Mortuary. Service will be Thursday, Feb. 18, at ClearView Community Church, at 1 p.m.
Arrangements by Runyan Mortuary with online condolences at RunyanMortuary.com.
(Used with permission from Chaffee County Times with living names removed)
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