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Western Slope Obituaries 8-6-12

Gary Marshall Crouse

Robert Crabb

Robert “Bob” Crabb, 73, of Fruita, Colo., passed away July 26, 2012 at Family Health West in Fruita, Colo.

He was born June 10, 1939 in Boulder, Colo., to W. Ray and Hazel Crabb.



He graduated Wheatridge High School, and attended Colorado Sate University. Drawn to the beauty of the Western Slope, he spent youthful summers working at the Diamond J and Cap K ranches on the Frying Pan River, where he was celebrated as having a great gift with horses.

Bob spend much of his adult life in Olathe, Colo., and Grand Junction, Colo. Most recently, he was the owner of GJ Landscape Maintenance Company. His career paths always kept him in the great outdoors.`



He dearly loved Jan, his wife of 18 years, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He loved to golf with his wife and found fulfillment and friendship through AA.

He is survived by his wife, Jan of Fruita, Colo.; children, Brett Crabb (DeAnna) of Loma, Colo., Leigh Lock of Rifle, Colo., and Kelley Stumph of Smithville, Mo.; his sister, Sharon Richardson of Golden, Colo.; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Memorial services were held August 1, 2012 at Victory Life Church in Fruita, Colo. ❖

Milton Bruder

Milton Charles Bruder, 84, of Pagosa Springs, Colo. passed away July 18, 2012, at Four Corners Health Care Center in Durango, Colo.

Known as “Milt,” he was born to Edward and Agatha Bruder on February 25, 1928, in Rogers City, Mich.

During World War II, he dropped out of high school and got his parents’ permission to enlist in the Navy. He was an air traffic controller stationed at Port Lyautey in French Morocco, where he received a medal for preventing a collision between two airplanes.

After he completed his military service, he returned to Midland, Mich., where he graduated from high school and went on to attend two years at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich.

On June 11, 1949, he married Jane DeWese in Midland, Mich.

Milt worked as a shipping and receiving clerk for Dow Corning Corp. for 36.5 years.

He attended Emanuel Baptist Church in Midland, Mich., and was the pastor of Sanford First Baptist Church in Sanford, Mich.

“He ministered to the sick in nursing homes and in their own homes and to the troubled in jails and prisons,” his family said.

Milt was an avid outdoors man. He enjoyed camping with his family, particularly at Otsego Lake State Park in Gaylord, Mich. He enjoyed swimming, hiking and hunting with children and grandchildren, and he enjoyed teaching them all outdoor skills. He also enjoyed reading a good book, his family said.

When he and his wife moved to Pagosa Springs, Colo., in 1998, he continued to hunt for elk and deer with his sons.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Jane Bruder of Pagosa Springs, Colo.; sons David Bruder, Steven Bruder and Thomas Bruder, all of Pagosa Springs, Colo., Russell Bruder of Olympia, Wash., and James Bruder of Bay City, Mich.; daughter, Cynthia Isaacs, of East Lansing, Mich.; 10 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. ❖

Gary Marshall Crouse

Gary Marshall Crouse, 66, of Cortez, Colo., passed away July 24, 2012, in Cortez, Colo., where he lived his whole life.

He was born June 2, 1946 to Fred and Colleen (Maxey) Crouse. He graduated from Montezuma Cortez High School in 1965 where he was involved in sports and excelled in basketball.

Gary served in the National Guard for 10 years.

He married Sandy Belt in 1968, and they had two daughters, Marcella (Marci) Lorraine and Ginger Renee.

Gary worked for Belt Salvage for 26 years. Gary loved to spend time with his family and friends. He was actively involved in softball; both playing and coaching, yard selling, weekly visits to the sale barn as well as shooting pool. Gary was also always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need.

He is survived by his companion, Nora Bozeman; his daughters, Marci (Morgan) Clark of Aztec, N.M., and Ginger (Steven) Freeman of Cortez, Colo.; grandchildren, Dillon Clark, Shelby Clark, Dayton Davies, Alison Freeman, Tyler Barnett, Toni Freeman, and Tasha Freeman; one great-grandchild, Kelsie-Ann Montoya; sisters, Carolyn Lard, and Judy Johnson; one stepbrother, Leroy Tucker; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Fred Crouse; his mother, Colleen Crouse; and his step-mother, Myrtle Crouse.

Memorial services were held August 3, 2012 at the 1st United Methodist Church of Cortez.

Burial followed at the Cortez Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to First National Bank in his name. These donations will go towards the multiple organizations that helped during this difficult time. ❖

Nancy Juanita Morrison

Nancy Juanita Wells Morrison, 91, of Grand Junction, Colo., passed away July 19 2012, at the La Villa Grande Care Center in Grand Junction, Colo.

She was born September 1, 1920, in Palisade, Colo., to William Newman “Gabby” Wells and Kitty Elnora Begg Wells. She grew up on the family farm with her five siblings in Collbran, Colo., where she developed a great love for the outdoors, farm life and animals, especially horses. The Wells family eventually moved to a farm in Loma, Colo., in 1935.

Nancy graduated from Fruita Union High School and attended Mesa College where she received her Teaching Certificate. This started her teaching career at only 20 years of age at the Old Loma Schoolhouse teaching and loving a group of eighth graders. The young Miss Wells was jokingly but affectionately referred to as “Old Lady Wells.”

Nancy later continued her education, receiving a Bachelors Degree in Education from Western State College in Gunnison, Colo. She enjoyed teaching, especially the subject of English at many schools in the Grand Valley area including Palisade, Colo., and Orchard Mesa Junior High, spanning the early 1940’s through the mid 1970’s. She was part of The Greatest Generation. During WWII, Nancy worked her summer breaks for The War Department at Pando, Colo., a depot associated with the training of the men of The 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale.

While there she met and dated a Ski Trooper, Ted Gregory Morrison from Long Beach, Calif. They married in 1945, and raised their four children in the Grand Valley. Nancy was very involved in teaching and raising of her seven grandchildren and then her great-grandchildren.

The family would like to express a sincere thank you to the staff at La Ville Grande Care Center for the loving care she received while a resident there and to the staff of Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado.

Nancy was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

She is survived by her daughter, Nancy K. Morrison, M.D. of Palisade, Colo.; her sons, Larry Morrison and Randy Morrison both of St, George, Utah; her sisters, Katherine Keswick of San Jose, Calif., and Myrtle Tompkins of Fruita, Colo., and brother, Roscoe Wells of North Carolina.

She was preceded in death by Ted G. Morrison, her son Ted G. Morrison, Jr., and two of her brothers, William and Harold Wells.

Memorial contributions may be made to continue her legacy in the education of children and young adults by making donations to The Perpetual Education Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or to an education scholarship fund of your choice.

Memorial services were held August 3, 2012 at the LDS 5th Ward Chapel in Grand Junction, Colo.

Interment followed at the Orchard Mesa Cemetery. ❖


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