PHILLIPS COUNTY

Colorado

 

 

 Nadene Douglas Colver was born on June 8, 1920, in Highfill, Arkansas, to Elijah Nicholas Douglas and Maude Fair Douglas. She joined three older sisters, Glendora Lorraine, Phadona Hatten and Dortha Mae. Her younger sister, Margaret Faye, was born ten years later.

 

Times were difficult and in the late 20’s Nick Douglas and his brother moved their families to California in search of a brighter future. But the move was short lived as Nick suffered with tuberculosis. As his condition worsened, the doctor advised Maude to return to Arkansas to be near Nick’s extended family. They returned to Highfill and Nick died in September of 1930 when Nadene was ten years old. Nadene’s Mother was left with five daughters ranging in age from a few months to teenagers. Seeking ways to hold her family together, Maude moved back to Colorado to be near her brother, sisters and mother. She soon recognized that she would have to move to Denver to find gainful employment, so she left her daughters in the care of her Mother, Alice Fair. The five girls lived with their grandmother in the basement of their Aunt’s home. Lorraine, Phadona and Dortha all graduated from high school in Holyoke and then gradually joined their Mother in Denver and found work there. The three older sisters helped their Mother save enough money to make a down payment on a home and during the Summer of 1935, Nadene and Margaret Faye moved to Denver and the family was re-united.

 

With all of that moving around, the story of how Nadene and Bud met is an interesting one. They met while both were attending Phillips County High School in Holyoke and their first date was to the all-school picnic at Olive Lake east of Wray, CO, in the Spring of 1935. Bud had just finished his Junior year and Nadene her Freshman year at PCHS. Following that date, their friendship became long distance due to Nadene’s move to Denver. Nadene completed her high school years in Denver and graduated from East High in 1938. Meanwhile, Bud had graduated from PCHS and enrolled at Colorado University in Boulder where he remained for four years until his graduation with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1940. During those years, Bud was able to see Nadene in Denver and their friendship continued to blossom and grow. After Bud’s graduation from CU, they were married at the home of Nadene’s Mother in Denver on April 14, 1940. They were always proud that Dr. Joshua Gravatt, long-time pastor at their church home in Denver, Galilee Baptist Church, officiated at their wedding.

 

After their marriage, Bud and Nadene moved to Long Beach, CA, where Bud worked for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corporation. Shortly after that, they moved to Seattle, WA, where Bud worked on the B-17 Bomber at Boeing. Nadene was a secretary at Boeing and she often recalled the day when FDR drove through the hangars in an open car. Everyone was dedicated to the “war effort” and it was an inspiring time although they were far from home. Later, the US Air Force offered Bud an inspectors job following the B-17 Bombers and they moved back to Long Beach, CA . In 1944, Bud entered active duty in the Air Force and Nadene and Pam moved to Holyoke to live with Bud’s parents. Just when it looked like he would be joining the war effort abroad, the war ended and Bud took a job in Denver with the Temple Buell firm where he had the opportunity to work on the designs for the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, a brand new concept at that time.

 

In 1947 the health of Bud’s Father was failing and the mortuary business was sold. Bud and Nadene moved back to Holyoke to assist with Colver Brothers Hardware store and both worked in the store until 1957 when it was sold and Bud became the local State Farm Insurance agent. Nadene and Bud worked together in that business for more than 37 years until Bud retired in 1995.

 

Bud and Nadene enjoyed almost sixty-four years of married life until Bud’s death in 2004. They treasured family, church and community involvement and demonstrated over and over that “giving your all” is the most important aspect, as the outcome is not always in one’s control. Nadene was active in First Baptist Church, Eastern Star, the American Legion Auxiliary, Agenda Club and in the Holyoke PEO Chapter for over sixty years. Their children all have different memories like Agenda’s work on the March of Dimes, the ladies quartet/quintet singing “Mr. Sandman”, the PEO meetings when we all had to help get ready, placing American flags on graves at the Holyoke Cemetery for Memorial Day, the years our parents delivered Meals on Wheels and many more.

 

In 1964 Bud and Nadene built a new house adjacent to the Holyoke Golf Course and that house became the center of family and social activities for the years that followed. They loved the location and Bud was able to operate his State Farm Agency from there. They were also active and dedicated golfers for years playing almost daily in good weather, even if it was only a few holes. But a house is just a house until someone makes it a home and Nadene did just that – she was a wonderful homemaker, a gracious hostess and a loving Mother. She used that house to provide a home for Bud and for her children and to serve friends and family. She truly demonstrated the gift of hospitality.

 

Nadene was a long time member of First Baptist Church of Holyoke having been baptized in that church as a child. Nadene served in a variety of capacities from teaching Sunday School to singing in the choir, working as a youth sponsor, working in the AWANA program, the ladies programs and helping fill any other needs that arose. During two Summers in the 1960’s Bud and Nadene traveled to Second Mesa, Arizona with the youth group to teach Bible School and work on various projects at the Baptist Mission to the Hopi Indians. Last September, three of the girls who participated in those mission trips visited Nadene at Marian’s house and in a note sent later, one said: “Your parents had a profound effect on my life, and I am truly grateful. They modeled how Christian’s should live.”

 

Bud and Nadene were blessed with four children: Pamela Sue; Debra Joanne; David Oliver and Cynthia Margaret. Debra died as a result of heart problems at the age of two months in 1947. Nadene is survived by Pam and her husband Verdis Vieselmeyer; Dave and his wife Adria; Cindy and her husband Tim Price; three grandchildren, Erik Vieselmeyer and his wife, Michelle; Elisa Vieselmeyer Bodnar and her husband Bill; Alyson Colver Brinkema and her husband Ross; by eight great grandchildren: Erin, Megan and Kristin Vieselmeyer; Emily, Erika and Eve Bodnar; and Ridley and Alexander Brinkema; as well as many relatives and friends.

 

The Funeral Service was held on Monday February 1, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Holyoke, Colorado with Pastor Jeremiah Krieger officiating.  The Burial will be in the Holyoke Cemetery.  Baucke Funeral Home directed the service.

 

Nadene (Douglas) Colver

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Last updated December 2018