Obituary
Eva Joyce Rathbun Colgate

Eva Joyce Adams Rathbun Colgate, the second of three girls, was born on July 9,1929 in the Rocky Ford Hospital in Rocky Ford, Otero County, Colorado to Lea and Celesta Adams. She lived there until 1931-1932 when her parents moved their family to Custer County. A few years later the Adams bought the Willow Glen Dairy. She went to the one room Willows School House from 1-8 grades and then attended and graduated from Custer County High School in 1947. She attended Colorado A and M College and graduated with a B.S in Vocational Home Economics in 1952
She met William (Bill) B. Rathbun and they were married in Madison, Wisconsin in 1954. She gave birth to a daughter, Joan, in 1955. They moved to Lauderdale, Minnesota, a suburb of St Paul, for Bill to complete his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. In 1961 they adopted a toddler, Kirk.
After many decades of marriage, they divorced. Eva moved back to Custer County and reconnected with and married George T. Colgate. They lived for years on the Colgate family ranch near Hillside, Colorado. Health concerns moved them to lower altitude in Canon City. Later as a widow, she continued to live independently in Canon City.
Throughout her life she was an exceptional seamstress, homemaker, teacher, school bus driver, entrepreneur, award winning quilter, and dedicated community volunteer.
She died on January 31 at the age of 95. She is survived by her daughter, Joan and her 2 grandchildren Gillian and Travis and extended family throughout the area.
A private immediate family only interment is planned.
If it’s true that everyone leaves behind a legacy, then Joan Marie Kelly Barnett’s legacy is Love. Born May 16, 1938, in Miller’s Crossing, Newfoundland, Canada, Joan passed away peacefully on February 6, 2025, in Cotopaxi, Colorado. In her final days, she was surrounded by loving family members and caregivers, all of whom adored her.
Cosme Daniel “Danny” Hernandez left us February 8, 2025. Danny was born in Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba, in 1927, and from a very young age learned to be resourceful and quite the entrepreneur. His careers in Cuba included serving as a police officer, the Cuban Navy/Coast Guardsman which they call a Marine and he worked at an American electric company. It was the day he was handed a communist newspaper and told this is what he now was to read that he tore it into two pieces and knew it was time to go to the United States. Unfortunately, his family stayed behind in Cuba. He landed in New Jersey and once again his entrepreneurial spirit prevailed working multiple jobs, one of which was selling quality women’s dresses and jewelry. This would be his most important job as he met the love of his life when he sold several dresses to Hildalisa Chavez.
Lanny David (LD) Walker died peacefully in the hospital in Colorado Springs, CO, on December 13, 2024. He was
Randolph “Randy” Leroy Knight passed away peacefully at his home in Westcliffe, CO, on October 2, 2024. His wife, daughter and two dogs were close by. He was 76 years old. He was born in Cortez, CO on February 23, 1948. He grew up in the Southwest corner of Colorado and attended schools there. Randy graduated from Durango High School in 1966. He attended Fort Lewis College in Durango and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a minor in history and Spanish. He married Sandy Potthoff on August 2, 1969 in Westcliffe, CO.
Mary Jo “Jodi” King passed away peacefully on Monday, June 10th, at Vali Assisted Living in Westcliffe, Colorado. Mary Jo,
Lindsey Ann Duncan, “Scooter”, passed on to her eternal reward on 29 July 2023 at age 38 from complications due to Covid. She was a resident of rural Custer County, Colorado south of Westcliffe.
,Andrea (Andy) Theresa (Anderson) Nichols was born on February 21, 1958, on a ranch near Gregory, South Dakota, to John Cato Anderson and Alice Lucille (Bailey) Anderson. She was the sixth of seven children. Her parents raised Hereford cattle on a
March 25, 1954 – October 27, 2021
Don Crow, 78, of Wray, Colorado, died Friday, October 15, 2021, at his home following a hard-fought battle with cancer.