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Service Planned for Myrtle Frances (Littrell) Schulze

Obituary

Myrtle Frances (Littrell) Schulze

Myrtle Frances (Littrell) Schulze, 97 years old, died on December 6,2025 at Brookdale Skyline Memory Care center in Colorado Springs, CO. She was born on July 22, 1928 to Goldie and Herb Littrell in a small coal mining town of Dawson, NM. She was the second of eight children.

The Littrell’s lived near various small towns in northern New Mexico, Myrtle recalled going to a different school every year. Her father Herb worked for the railroad until he was able to buy a ranch where many of her sisters were born. The family moved to Westcliffe, CO in 1946. Myrtle stayed behind to finish her senior year and graduated from Springer High School in Springer, NM. After graduation Myrtle came to Colorado with her family and that is where she met her husband, Leslie Schulze. They were set up on a blind date and married on April 18, 1948.

Myrtle and Leslie bought a ranch, south of Rosita where they raised their family. Together they had 6 children. She was known to her family as Mom or Granny and we all have memories of Dad calling her “Mert”. They lost their first child Larry shortly after he was born. Myrtle is survived by her children, Claricy Ann (Randy) Rusk, Leslie “Bill” William (Dody) Schulze, Cindy Lou (Clint) Seiling, Thomas “Tom” Owen (Pat) and Connie Frances (Trevor) Peterson. Myrtle had 12 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Additionally, she is survived by her sisters, Mary (Jim) Patterson, Nancy (Wayne) Hanssen and sisters in law Deanne Littrell and Doris Ask. Myrtle was preceded in death by her husband, Leslie Frank, May 19, 1997. She was also preceded in death by her granddaughter, Trudi Jo Seiling-Moore; and great- granddaughter, Sara Conrad Long.

The Schulze’s left the Wet Mountain Valley in 1987 due to health issues. They lived in Truth or Consequences, NM, and Sun City, AZ. After Les passed, Myrtle returned to Westcliffe where she lived independently. Recently she lived at Capella Pueblo West Assisted Living and Brookdale Skyline memory care center in Colorado Springs, CO.

Myrtle was all about family, her best times were with family. She loved to get everyone together and orchestrated several family reunions. In addition to anything family, she loved to travel and was able to see much of the world. She loved to dance and she and Les enjoyed square dancing. Myrtle enjoyed playing golf, bowling, learning new crafts and going to Cripple Creek or anywhere that she could win a big pot of money. During her slower years she could be found working puzzles, playing cards and tending to her poppies, holly hocks and lilacs. We all have fond memories of her famous beans and likely have a jar of Chokecherry jelly she made, she loved to cook! Myrtle was involved with the Cattlewomen and promoted ranch life and beef. She loved animals and always had a dog at her side. She was a member of Hope Lutheran church of Westcliffe, CO.

Funeral service for Myrtle Schulze will be on December 11, 2025
at 1 p.m. at Hope Lutheran Church, Westcliffe, CO. Visitation one hour prior. Interment following the services will be at the Lutheran Cemetery, Westcliffe, CO. Reception to follow at Hope Lutheran Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Brighton Hospice, 6005 N Delmonico Drive, Suite 225, Colorado Springs, CO 80919. BrightonHospice.com 719-484-8282

 

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Obituary: Melody Renee Sprecher (Gleason)

Obituary

Melody Renee Sprecher (Gleason)

On September 29th, 2025, Melody Renee Sprecher (Gleason), a beloved wife, mother, and friend was peacefully called home to our Heavenly Father.   Melody lived a life filled with love and compassion for all those around her.

Melody was born on November 11th, 1954. Throughout Melody’s 70 years, she was blessed with a beautiful family of four children, and many grandchildren.

Melody was known for her caring heart and her devotion to her loved ones. She found joy in caring for others, always making sure those around her felt supported and loved. Her home was a place of warmth, laughter, and the delicious aroma of her cooking.  Melody and Dennis had almost 40 years of marriage filled with love and devotion where they truly believed in their vows until their last days.

Melody was preceded in death by her husband Dennis Sprecher. Melody is survived by  her three sons, Stanley Huff, Daniel Huff, and Christopher Sprecher, and stepdaughter Trina McCoon.

Memorial to be held at their home in Westcliffe  on November 8th  at 12 p.m.

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Sentinel Supporters

Dear Sentinel Supporters,

Several weeks ago, I was presented a unique opportunity to help keep The Sangre De Cristo Sentinel up and running.  It was an opportunity that I was humbled and thankful to receive, and my family and I threw ourselves at the tasks ahead.  I am proud of the way the team here at The Sentinel came together, in an emotional time, to keep the newspaper running.  I am very, very proud of the editions we have put out over the past few weeks.  As humble a goal as it may seem, I believe that we’ve been Accurate, Timely, and Relevant and I couldn’t be more pleased with the paper’s direction and trajectory.

Unfortunately, the conditions have changed.  In light of challenges that were as unexpected as they were unfortunate, last Friday’s edition of The Sentinel you received will be this paper’s final edition.

The Sentinel team, my family, and I are so incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we received over the past few weeks.  Words of encouragement came in from all corners and it felt as if the majority of our neighbors agreed with the direction we were heading.

In this experiment we call America, that’s how it goes.  Sometimes things work out exactly as you’d hoped, sometimes they don’t.  This is a case of the latter.  And, though it is disheartening and disappointing to have to shut down the Sentinel, our goals and values have not changed.  We remain committed to being as positive and uplifting an impact on this great community of ours as possible.  We will continue to find the good out there and lift up our neighbors whenever possible.

To everyone who has stood by us and supported our vision, you have my eternal thanks.

Wishing all of you the very best.

– Michael Foster

 

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October 7 CCDS BOE Mtg

submitted by
a Meeting Attendee

October 7th CCSD Monthly BOE Meeting

The Custer County C-1 School Board met Tuesday evening, in the school library. All remaining board members were present, although president Reggie Foster attended remotely and was visible on a giant screen broadcasting from Colorado State University due to a work conference.
As reported last week, the Board declared the vacancy of Director
Jennifer Kriegh. Board member John Tillotson agreed to take over her position as secretary/treasurer of the board, stipulating that board members cannot participate fully while trying to take minutes, so the board agreed to hire someone to take minutes.
The board will replace Kriegh through the appropriate process. The deadline for applying for the board vacancy is November 19th. Interviews of eligible candidates will be December 2nd at 5:30 p.m. in the school library. (See school announcement on page 11 of this issue.)
The school plans to go all out for Veteran’s Day this year due to the efforts led by Social Studies/English/HS Careers faculty member Kirsten Schubert. The students will assemble in the east gym, where ten or more veterans have agreed to attend to tell their stories. The students will be encouraged to dress in red, white and blue clothing. The Kids’ Choir will perform and the students will raise money for veterans programs in the county.
Following on from the September meeting, the board mused about the future of the school’s geothermal heating system. The board appropriated the money for Trane Co. to repair the control system. This may or may not fix the problem, but unless the controls are fixed, there is no way to further diagnose and repair the system.
As Future Farmers of America rep, Foster reminded the board that the annual fruit sale is upon us. FFA members will have order sheets by the end of October to order fruit for the giving season. The FFA’s most important fundraiser of the year is the annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry. This year the dinner will be Saturday, November 15th at 5 p.m. in the west gym of the school. Tickets are sold at the door.
Acting school superintendent Kyle Hebberd presented a letter from
Commissioner Epp and Barry Keene from the workforce housing committee. Keene reached out to the Superintendent because he wanted to mention in their letter for the Request for Proposal (RFP) that the school has vacant lots in Silver Cliff that could
possibly be developed. The board confirmed more than once that they were making no commitment of any kind to the housing committee, potential investors, or developers. As the information is public record, the board took no real issue with the lots being
mentioned in the RFP letter.
In his staff report, Superintendent Hebberd talked about the continued need to hire a third grade teacher, paras and custodial staff. He is looking for guidelines for coaches administering over the counter drugs such as Tylenol to students. There will be a Healthy Kids Survey in November. Permission slips will go home with students.
The Colorado Ballet will perform at the school. Fun for Halloween, on October 30th, is a chili cookoff in the multi-purpose gym at 6:30 and a carnival at 7:30 p.m.
When it came to “Actions Items” they lived up to their name. They were listed on the agenda as A – N, but “I” had eight items to vote on, “J” had seven, “K” had 23 items up for votes, “L” had eleven action items, “M” three. “N” stood alone.
“A” through “H” were regular housekeeping items, such as acting on the copier lease, the door lock proposal and the Johnson Control Fire Alarm, but when they got to the CASB items,
following along became trickier. CASB stands for Colorado
Association of School Boards. One purpose of the organization is to offer policy development assistance to help boards create effective educational policies. In the evening’s lineup, there were motions to authorize the adoption of CASB Model Policies with no local amendments, first and second readings, and CASB Model Policies WITH local amendments with first and second readings.
This part of the meeting went quite quickly, with 100% unanimous votes. The board is approaching the end of the 18 months long process of updating and properly formatting nearly 400 policies.
A very interesting observation about the school board meeting was that there were no parents or other concerned citizens at the meeting, and this is apparently how it is very often.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Custer County C-1 School Board will be Tuesday, November 11 at 4:30 p.m. in the school library. There are no special meetings or workshops on the schedule at this time.

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Custer County Business Close Up: CF&E

Custer County Business Close Up

Colorado Forestry and Earthworks

Custer County’s businesses and business owners are the foundation of our County and our County’s future! Please join the Sentinel team on our journey to celebrate and pay tribute to the amazing people that make Custer County what it is today.

Courtesy copy of CF&E company Logo

Being an entrepreneur in a small town can be tough. But the Gaide family has figured out the formula for success with Colorado
Forestry and Earthworks, LLC (also known as CF&E). Their success is not only doing great things for their customers, they are also employing about 15 of our neighbors! Their website best describes what they do: “For All Your Earthly Needs”. So if you need help with fire mitigation, land clearing, site preparation, erosion control, foundations, landscaping, road/driveway building, septic installation or gravel, they are definitely worth a call to get an estimate for your latest project!


The founder, Shawn Gaide, and his brother Mike grew up in our community after their grandparents moved here from Pueblo in the 60’s. Shawn finished school in the Custer County High School so he knows our community well. In fact, Shawn went off to College at Western Colorado University and returned to teach in the Custer County School for four years. Brenda Gaide married Shawn in 2006, and joined the business last year where she now serves as the President of CF&E. All their kids have either graduated in our school system or are attending now.

photo courtesy of the Gaide’s

Shawn’s expertise is in excavation and everything that involves dirt. In fact, their website states: “When it comes to dirt, we’re the pro’s.” Before starting CF&E, Shawn worked for several other companies gaining valuable experience in excavation, tree-cutting, and clearing land. He knows it all and loves working in our community. You will likely see the CF&E fleet and equipment all over the County. Again, check out the website (COforearth.com) for details on all
their services!

Driveway perfection

When you see their logo all over town, you won’t see all the other things they’ve done for the community. The Gaide family’s
involvement started with their grandparents role in the Rotary Club and getting the Rotary Van program started. Today, they are still serving the community in many other ways—especially at the school. For example, Brenda served on the School Board for four years. Most recently, they joined their Director of Operations, Warren Gold, in working on “Operation Fresh Start” by building a home for a local Veteran and his wife with many other local companies donating materials along with +$7,000 that’s been raised in cash from our community. It’s a very exciting project!
If you’d like some help for your “Earthly Needs”, CF&E can be contacted at (719) 285-9992 or “info@coforearth.com”.
⁕⁕⁕
On a much more personal note from the authors, we have been students of America’s founding and our Founding Fathers by attending countless educational conferences, classes and reading a LOT of books. After learning more about CF&E, we can’t think of a better example of our Founding Father’s vision of what the possibilities are with a little grit, hard work and rugged individualism!
Judy and Rick Meckstroth

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Oct 8 BOCC: DOLA Childcare Grant Strategies and SO Vehicles

Oct 8 BOCC: DOLA Childcare Grant Strategies and SO Vehicles

by Reggie Foster
October 8, 2025
BOCC Mtg. Report

Commissioner Epp spent a day with the CCI legislative group which is made up of many county commissioners. Their discussion this past week centered around items that will impact counties in 2026. Continue reading Oct 8 BOCC: DOLA Childcare Grant Strategies and SO Vehicles →

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Post It Notes for Progress: WMVO and Custer County’s Residents

Post It Notes for Progress:
WMVO and Custer County’s Residents

by Reggie Foster
Nearly 80 people attended the third Wet Mountain Valley Outdoors (WMVO) Community Network Meeting held on October 8th. The gathering marked another step in an effort to bring the community together to discuss how best to protect the rural heritage of Custer County and to also improve the things that may need improving. Continue reading Post It Notes for Progress: WMVO and Custer County’s Residents →

2025

Alisha Shy Nominated for CO CattleWomen Rookie of the Year

Alisha Shy Nominated for CO CattleWomen
Rookie of the Year

Cattlewoman Alisha Shy serving sloppy Joes at the fall 2025 Bobcat Homecoming football game. Photo by Teri Munson

  by Reggie Foster
L ocal Alisha Shy was recently nominated by Colorado CattleWomen for Rookie of the Year. How can someone with Alisha’s lifetime of experience in Ag to include ranching and owning a feed store be considered a rookie? Well, because this was Alisha’s first year as a member of the Custer County CattleWomen. She jumped in with both feet, attending every meeting and volunteering at every CattleWoman event, noticed by her fellow CattleWomen. Alisha also gives her time as Treasurer of the Custer County Fair Board and is the Club Leader for the Custer County Trailblazers. When asked why she gives so much of her time to so many community programs she said, “I do all of these things because I feel like volunteering is a good way to serve and give back to my community.” Custer County is proud to recognize Alisha Shy as our local CattleWomen Rookie of the Year.

2025

Sara Shields Colorado CattleWoman of the Year

Sara Shields Colorado CattleWoman of the Year

WESTCLIFFE, CO
Custer County CattleWomen are proud to announce that Sara Shields has been honored as the 2025 Colorado CattleWoman of the Year, recognizing her lifelong dedication to the beef industry, agricultural education, and land conservation.

Sara Shields
Photos courtesy of Custer County CattleWomen

A third-generation rancher, Sara carries forward the legacy of her family’s San Isabel Ranch, homesteaded in 1872 by her great-grandfather here in Westcliffe, Colorado. From a young age, she was horseback and active in every aspect of ranch life—from animal health and irrigation to haying and range management.
Sara is a graduate of Colorado State University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Equine Science and a Master’s in Beef Industry Leadership. Her professional journey began with the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association, where she lobbied on behalf of agricultural and rural communities at both state and federal levels.

For decades, Sara has played an active role in promoting beef
and supporting youth engagement in agriculture. She has worked tirelessly at the Colorado State Fair and National Western Stock Show since 1989, and continues to serve as a mentor and educator to young cattle producers. A former 4-H club leader, she remains involved in youth development through showmanship clinics and leadership training.
Most recently, Sara helped launch the Colorado CattleWomen’s Beef Ambassadors Program, which teaches youth vital communication and advocacy skills to promote the beef industry. She and fellow advocate Sudzy Benesch led the program’s inaugural workshop at the Colorado CattleWomen and Colorado Cattlemen’s Association joint convention in Steamboat Springs.
Beyond her work in the beef industry, Sara also serves her community as a pastor’s wife and continues her family’s conservation legacy. In 2003, the Shields family placed the San Isabel Ranch in a conservation easement, ensuring the preservation of Colorado’s natural resources and working landscapes for generations to come. Sara continues this stewardship today as a board member of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust.The Custer County CattleWomen extend heart-felt congratulations to Sara Shields for her exceptional leadership, advocacy, and lifelong commitment to Colorado agriculture. We are beyond proud to have her in our “herd”.
Sara has spent her life caring for this valley, its people and animals. She also served as the interim Custer County Extension Agent in 2017. Sara is loved by both young and old. Sara Shields sets the finest example in both agriculture and in loving kindness toward others. The Sentinel staff congratulates Sara on this recognition.

2025, Custer County Kids

FFA CREED CONTEST: I Believe in …

FFA CREED CONTEST: I Believe in …

by Sierra Foster,
Custer County FFA Chapter Reporter
High School’s FFA students recently took the stage in the school’s west gym to participate in the FFA Creed Contest. The contest showcases their confidence, knowledge of principles of agricultural leadership, and dedication to the Chapter. Continue reading FFA CREED CONTEST: I Believe in … →