Mary Lou Huerkamp December 5, 1934 - March 22, 2010.
The granddaughter of Austin/Orchard City pioneers, Mary Lou (Hawker/Kehl) Huerkamp died at her home in Orchard City Monday, March 22nd after a lengthy illness. She was born at the family home on December 5, 1934, to Archie B. Hawker and Winnie (Kehl). Her grandfather, Henry Hawker arrived in the Austin area in 1895 with her father and family from West Virginia. He planted some of the early orchards on the bench above Austin. Her mother's family arrived in 1900 and this year marks the 100th anniversary of the building her grandfather, Phillip Kehl, built on Austin's Main Street that now houses Faye's CafŽ.
Mary Lou attended grade school at the Fairview School and graduated with honors from Delta High in 1952. She attended Western State College and that year turned down an invitation to join the FBI. In 1954 she married Waldo Vowell and moved to Lodi, California, where she was employed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. That marriage ended in divorce a few years later. However, she remained in Lodi and for several years was employed at the personnel department of General Mills.
In 1965 she returned to Austin to care for her father. On August 31, 1967 she married Thomas H. Huerkamp in Delta. At the time she was the secretary for the late attorney, Roderick Stewart and he was news editor of the Delta County Independent. It was not long before they embarked on a journey of founding and operating successful businesses in Delta County.
In November of 1968 they started a newspaper, The Sentry, in Cedaredge and won several Colorado Press Assn. awards. In 1970 they launched a companion business of office supplies, machines and furniture. The newspaper was sold in 1972 to concentrate on their new venture. With headquarters at 50 Heinz St. in Delta and a large showroom at 634 Main in Grand Junction, that firm, Office Furniture & Design Centers, is celebrating its 40th anniversary under their ownership.
Over the years, as a team they were involved in the startup of two successful equipment leasing companies, a mini storage and are still partners of H/S Properties, a real estate investment firm with commercial and agricultural holdings in Delta and Montrose Counties. In all of these ventures she was the accountant and financial overseer.
A 45-year member of Epsilon Sigma Alpha Sorority, she joined the Delta Chapter in 1965 and four years later helped found the Zeta Omicron Chapter in Cedaredge, where over the years she served in all offices including President four times. She was active in the Western Colorado group and helped host two State Conventions, one in Grand Junction and one in Delta.
She was the driving force in creation of the Edge of the Cedars Art Festival that organization has hosted for 37 years. Mary Lou was co-chair of the Cedaredge Centennial/Bi-Centennial celebration in 1976 and was part of the effort in founding of the Surface Creek Historical Society of which she and husband were made honorary life-time members.
She served many years as a volunteer at the Pioneer Town Museum and made many contributions to equipping the facility. She was also a life member of the Delta Historical Society.
She was an active hunter, both small and big game, loved fishing and was active in supporting Ducks Unlimited in Delta and Montrose, the Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation and Trout Unlimited. She served 26 years on the Board of Directors of the Cory Cemetery District as secretary-treasurer.
Mary Lou was a rabid sports fan and attended many games of the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies and Colorado Avalanche including a Super Bowl. She was one of the original players and for most of the time the only woman player in a local Fantasy Football League for 26 years. In 1970 Mary Lou and her husband "adopted" the Cedaredge High School boys track team and for three years provided transportation in their business van to all track meets in western Colorado and to the State Meet.
Mary Lou engaged in many local civic and philanthropic efforts and strongly supported the Delta County Hospital Foundation and the Delta County Ambulance District. She was one of the partners of H/S Properties that donated the 2.5 acre site to the District where the ambulance headquarters are in Delta.
She served for several years as a Girl Scout leader and was a member of the committee that obtained the Certificate of Need that led to the construction of the first Delta County Hospital on Stafford Lane. She served on the first Governor's Task Force for Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
In 2005 she donated all of the furniture for the new Town of Orchard City community and meeting rooms.
She is survived by her husband, Thomas; a sister, Catherine Marsh, of Sacramento, California; a brother, Herbert Wayne Hawker, of Casa Grande, Arizona; and a host of nephews and nieces.
She was preceded in death by her parents, four sisters and four brothers.
Services will be held at the Taylor Funeral Home Chapel in Delta on Saturday, April 3rd at 10:00 a.m. with burial to follow at the Cory Cemetery. Following the interment family and friends will celebrate her life and her love of the "grape" in the Community Room at the Orchard City Town Hall. Memorials in her memory are requested to Hospice and Palliative Care, P.O. Box 24, Delta, CO 81416.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory. View the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at taylorfuneralservice.com.
Published in The Daily Sentinel on March 28, 2010
The granddaughter of Austin/Orchard City pioneers, Mary Lou (Hawker/Kehl) Huerkamp died at her home in Orchard City Monday, March 22nd after a lengthy illness. She was born at the family home on December 5, 1934, to Archie B. Hawker and Winnie (Kehl). Her grandfather, Henry Hawker arrived in the Austin area in 1895 with her father and family from West Virginia. He planted some of the early orchards on the bench above Austin. Her mother's family arrived in 1900 and this year marks the 100th anniversary of the building her grandfather, Phillip Kehl, built on Austin's Main Street that now houses Faye's CafŽ.
Mary Lou attended grade school at the Fairview School and graduated with honors from Delta High in 1952. She attended Western State College and that year turned down an invitation to join the FBI. In 1954 she married Waldo Vowell and moved to Lodi, California, where she was employed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. That marriage ended in divorce a few years later. However, she remained in Lodi and for several years was employed at the personnel department of General Mills.
In 1965 she returned to Austin to care for her father. On August 31, 1967 she married Thomas H. Huerkamp in Delta. At the time she was the secretary for the late attorney, Roderick Stewart and he was news editor of the Delta County Independent. It was not long before they embarked on a journey of founding and operating successful businesses in Delta County.
In November of 1968 they started a newspaper, The Sentry, in Cedaredge and won several Colorado Press Assn. awards. In 1970 they launched a companion business of office supplies, machines and furniture. The newspaper was sold in 1972 to concentrate on their new venture. With headquarters at 50 Heinz St. in Delta and a large showroom at 634 Main in Grand Junction, that firm, Office Furniture & Design Centers, is celebrating its 40th anniversary under their ownership.
Over the years, as a team they were involved in the startup of two successful equipment leasing companies, a mini storage and are still partners of H/S Properties, a real estate investment firm with commercial and agricultural holdings in Delta and Montrose Counties. In all of these ventures she was the accountant and financial overseer.
A 45-year member of Epsilon Sigma Alpha Sorority, she joined the Delta Chapter in 1965 and four years later helped found the Zeta Omicron Chapter in Cedaredge, where over the years she served in all offices including President four times. She was active in the Western Colorado group and helped host two State Conventions, one in Grand Junction and one in Delta.
She was the driving force in creation of the Edge of the Cedars Art Festival that organization has hosted for 37 years. Mary Lou was co-chair of the Cedaredge Centennial/Bi-Centennial celebration in 1976 and was part of the effort in founding of the Surface Creek Historical Society of which she and husband were made honorary life-time members.
She served many years as a volunteer at the Pioneer Town Museum and made many contributions to equipping the facility. She was also a life member of the Delta Historical Society.
She was an active hunter, both small and big game, loved fishing and was active in supporting Ducks Unlimited in Delta and Montrose, the Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation and Trout Unlimited. She served 26 years on the Board of Directors of the Cory Cemetery District as secretary-treasurer.
Mary Lou was a rabid sports fan and attended many games of the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies and Colorado Avalanche including a Super Bowl. She was one of the original players and for most of the time the only woman player in a local Fantasy Football League for 26 years. In 1970 Mary Lou and her husband "adopted" the Cedaredge High School boys track team and for three years provided transportation in their business van to all track meets in western Colorado and to the State Meet.
Mary Lou engaged in many local civic and philanthropic efforts and strongly supported the Delta County Hospital Foundation and the Delta County Ambulance District. She was one of the partners of H/S Properties that donated the 2.5 acre site to the District where the ambulance headquarters are in Delta.
She served for several years as a Girl Scout leader and was a member of the committee that obtained the Certificate of Need that led to the construction of the first Delta County Hospital on Stafford Lane. She served on the first Governor's Task Force for Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
In 2005 she donated all of the furniture for the new Town of Orchard City community and meeting rooms.
She is survived by her husband, Thomas; a sister, Catherine Marsh, of Sacramento, California; a brother, Herbert Wayne Hawker, of Casa Grande, Arizona; and a host of nephews and nieces.
She was preceded in death by her parents, four sisters and four brothers.
Services will be held at the Taylor Funeral Home Chapel in Delta on Saturday, April 3rd at 10:00 a.m. with burial to follow at the Cory Cemetery. Following the interment family and friends will celebrate her life and her love of the "grape" in the Community Room at the Orchard City Town Hall. Memorials in her memory are requested to Hospice and Palliative Care, P.O. Box 24, Delta, CO 81416.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory. View the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at taylorfuneralservice.com.
Published in The Daily Sentinel on March 28, 2010
Mary Lou Huerkamp December 5, 1934 - March 22, 2010.
The granddaughter of Austin/Orchard City pioneers, Mary Lou (Hawker/Kehl) Huerkamp died at her home in Orchard City Monday, March 22nd after a lengthy illness. She was born at the family home on December 5, 1934, to Archie B. Hawker and Winnie (Kehl). Her grandfather, Henry Hawker arrived in the Austin area in 1895 with her father and family from West Virginia. He planted some of the early orchards on the bench above Austin. Her mother's family arrived in 1900 and this year marks the 100th anniversary of the building her grandfather, Phillip Kehl, built on Austin's Main Street that now houses Faye's CafŽ.
Mary Lou attended grade school at the Fairview School and graduated with honors from Delta High in 1952. She attended Western State College and that year turned down an invitation to join the FBI. In 1954 she married Waldo Vowell and moved to Lodi, California, where she was employed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. That marriage ended in divorce a few years later. However, she remained in Lodi and for several years was employed at the personnel department of General Mills.
In 1965 she returned to Austin to care for her father. On August 31, 1967 she married Thomas H. Huerkamp in Delta. At the time she was the secretary for the late attorney, Roderick Stewart and he was news editor of the Delta County Independent. It was not long before they embarked on a journey of founding and operating successful businesses in Delta County.
In November of 1968 they started a newspaper, The Sentry, in Cedaredge and won several Colorado Press Assn. awards. In 1970 they launched a companion business of office supplies, machines and furniture. The newspaper was sold in 1972 to concentrate on their new venture. With headquarters at 50 Heinz St. in Delta and a large showroom at 634 Main in Grand Junction, that firm, Office Furniture & Design Centers, is celebrating its 40th anniversary under their ownership.
Over the years, as a team they were involved in the startup of two successful equipment leasing companies, a mini storage and are still partners of H/S Properties, a real estate investment firm with commercial and agricultural holdings in Delta and Montrose Counties. In all of these ventures she was the accountant and financial overseer.
A 45-year member of Epsilon Sigma Alpha Sorority, she joined the Delta Chapter in 1965 and four years later helped found the Zeta Omicron Chapter in Cedaredge, where over the years she served in all offices including President four times. She was active in the Western Colorado group and helped host two State Conventions, one in Grand Junction and one in Delta.
She was the driving force in creation of the Edge of the Cedars Art Festival that organization has hosted for 37 years. Mary Lou was co-chair of the Cedaredge Centennial/Bi-Centennial celebration in 1976 and was part of the effort in founding of the Surface Creek Historical Society of which she and husband were made honorary life-time members.
She served many years as a volunteer at the Pioneer Town Museum and made many contributions to equipping the facility. She was also a life member of the Delta Historical Society.
She was an active hunter, both small and big game, loved fishing and was active in supporting Ducks Unlimited in Delta and Montrose, the Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation and Trout Unlimited. She served 26 years on the Board of Directors of the Cory Cemetery District as secretary-treasurer.
Mary Lou was a rabid sports fan and attended many games of the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies and Colorado Avalanche including a Super Bowl. She was one of the original players and for most of the time the only woman player in a local Fantasy Football League for 26 years. In 1970 Mary Lou and her husband "adopted" the Cedaredge High School boys track team and for three years provided transportation in their business van to all track meets in western Colorado and to the State Meet.
Mary Lou engaged in many local civic and philanthropic efforts and strongly supported the Delta County Hospital Foundation and the Delta County Ambulance District. She was one of the partners of H/S Properties that donated the 2.5 acre site to the District where the ambulance headquarters are in Delta.
She served for several years as a Girl Scout leader and was a member of the committee that obtained the Certificate of Need that led to the construction of the first Delta County Hospital on Stafford Lane. She served on the first Governor's Task Force for Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
In 2005 she donated all of the furniture for the new Town of Orchard City community and meeting rooms.
She is survived by her husband, Thomas; a sister, Catherine Marsh, of Sacramento, California; a brother, Herbert Wayne Hawker, of Casa Grande, Arizona; and a host of nephews and nieces.
She was preceded in death by her parents, four sisters and four brothers.
Services will be held at the Taylor Funeral Home Chapel in Delta on Saturday, April 3rd at 10:00 a.m. with burial to follow at the Cory Cemetery. Following the interment family and friends will celebrate her life and her love of the "grape" in the Community Room at the Orchard City Town Hall. Memorials in her memory are requested to Hospice and Palliative Care, P.O. Box 24, Delta, CO 81416.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory. View the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at taylorfuneralservice.com.
Published in The Daily Sentinel on March 28, 2010
The granddaughter of Austin/Orchard City pioneers, Mary Lou (Hawker/Kehl) Huerkamp died at her home in Orchard City Monday, March 22nd after a lengthy illness. She was born at the family home on December 5, 1934, to Archie B. Hawker and Winnie (Kehl). Her grandfather, Henry Hawker arrived in the Austin area in 1895 with her father and family from West Virginia. He planted some of the early orchards on the bench above Austin. Her mother's family arrived in 1900 and this year marks the 100th anniversary of the building her grandfather, Phillip Kehl, built on Austin's Main Street that now houses Faye's CafŽ.
Mary Lou attended grade school at the Fairview School and graduated with honors from Delta High in 1952. She attended Western State College and that year turned down an invitation to join the FBI. In 1954 she married Waldo Vowell and moved to Lodi, California, where she was employed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. That marriage ended in divorce a few years later. However, she remained in Lodi and for several years was employed at the personnel department of General Mills.
In 1965 she returned to Austin to care for her father. On August 31, 1967 she married Thomas H. Huerkamp in Delta. At the time she was the secretary for the late attorney, Roderick Stewart and he was news editor of the Delta County Independent. It was not long before they embarked on a journey of founding and operating successful businesses in Delta County.
In November of 1968 they started a newspaper, The Sentry, in Cedaredge and won several Colorado Press Assn. awards. In 1970 they launched a companion business of office supplies, machines and furniture. The newspaper was sold in 1972 to concentrate on their new venture. With headquarters at 50 Heinz St. in Delta and a large showroom at 634 Main in Grand Junction, that firm, Office Furniture & Design Centers, is celebrating its 40th anniversary under their ownership.
Over the years, as a team they were involved in the startup of two successful equipment leasing companies, a mini storage and are still partners of H/S Properties, a real estate investment firm with commercial and agricultural holdings in Delta and Montrose Counties. In all of these ventures she was the accountant and financial overseer.
A 45-year member of Epsilon Sigma Alpha Sorority, she joined the Delta Chapter in 1965 and four years later helped found the Zeta Omicron Chapter in Cedaredge, where over the years she served in all offices including President four times. She was active in the Western Colorado group and helped host two State Conventions, one in Grand Junction and one in Delta.
She was the driving force in creation of the Edge of the Cedars Art Festival that organization has hosted for 37 years. Mary Lou was co-chair of the Cedaredge Centennial/Bi-Centennial celebration in 1976 and was part of the effort in founding of the Surface Creek Historical Society of which she and husband were made honorary life-time members.
She served many years as a volunteer at the Pioneer Town Museum and made many contributions to equipping the facility. She was also a life member of the Delta Historical Society.
She was an active hunter, both small and big game, loved fishing and was active in supporting Ducks Unlimited in Delta and Montrose, the Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation and Trout Unlimited. She served 26 years on the Board of Directors of the Cory Cemetery District as secretary-treasurer.
Mary Lou was a rabid sports fan and attended many games of the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies and Colorado Avalanche including a Super Bowl. She was one of the original players and for most of the time the only woman player in a local Fantasy Football League for 26 years. In 1970 Mary Lou and her husband "adopted" the Cedaredge High School boys track team and for three years provided transportation in their business van to all track meets in western Colorado and to the State Meet.
Mary Lou engaged in many local civic and philanthropic efforts and strongly supported the Delta County Hospital Foundation and the Delta County Ambulance District. She was one of the partners of H/S Properties that donated the 2.5 acre site to the District where the ambulance headquarters are in Delta.
She served for several years as a Girl Scout leader and was a member of the committee that obtained the Certificate of Need that led to the construction of the first Delta County Hospital on Stafford Lane. She served on the first Governor's Task Force for Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
In 2005 she donated all of the furniture for the new Town of Orchard City community and meeting rooms.
She is survived by her husband, Thomas; a sister, Catherine Marsh, of Sacramento, California; a brother, Herbert Wayne Hawker, of Casa Grande, Arizona; and a host of nephews and nieces.
She was preceded in death by her parents, four sisters and four brothers.
Services will be held at the Taylor Funeral Home Chapel in Delta on Saturday, April 3rd at 10:00 a.m. with burial to follow at the Cory Cemetery. Following the interment family and friends will celebrate her life and her love of the "grape" in the Community Room at the Orchard City Town Hall. Memorials in her memory are requested to Hospice and Palliative Care, P.O. Box 24, Delta, CO 81416.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor Funeral Service and Crematory. View the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at taylorfuneralservice.com.
Published in The Daily Sentinel on March 28, 2010
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