Obituary: Alice Kelley-Wolf

September 18, 1936 – November 15, 2025

She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, exceptional cook, fastidious housekeeper, sometime nurse, devout Catholic, rodeo enthusiast, lover of most things genuinely country and western, dabbler in Brit dramas, cooking shows, and NCIS whodunits.
Alice Marie Kelley-Wolf of Elizabeth, Colorado, passed away the evening of November 15, 2025 in her home on Running Creek Ranch, after a series of serious medical setbacks that made her comfort increasingly difficult. She faced these challenges with characteristic courage, and faith, aided by loving family and friends, and trusted healthcare providers.
Alice Marie Hedeman was born in Denver, Colorado to Anton Samuel and Rose Marie (Nunn) Hedeman, and was the younger sister of Harry Francis “Red” Hedeman. They lived on a horse farm in Brighton, Colorado until her father’s death in 1951. She spent the remainder of her girlhood in Denver. 
Accompanying her horse trainer father to local racing venues early on helped lay the groundwork for becoming a skilled horsewoman. It was also where she met Ira Edward Kelley, a talented horse trainer from Eads, Colorado. Following Ira’s service as a Marine in Korea, the two were wed in 1955, and welcomed their first child the next year. The next decade and a half involved numerous changes in employment and location, all in support of their fast-growing family. They eventually settled in the Elizabeth area in 1968.
Early in 1972, when Ira lost his life in a construction accident, with the help of family, close friends, and the Church, Alice persevered in keeping her family together. For almost 20 years, through a variety of jobs in the community, Alice was able to provide a secure and comfortable home for herself and her children. Thanks to these efforts, all her children graduated from high school, and went on to some form of secondary education.
In 1990 Alice met and married Norman Wolf, a military veteran and retired airline pilot with a small ranch north of Kiowa, CO. Alice joined Norm in his home, and they enjoyed a few years together. Sadly, in 1993, Norman contracted cancer, and died a short time later. Alice nursed him at home throughout.
In 2000, Alice was invited to join her daughter Colleen, and sons Pat and Casey not far away on Joe Freund’s Running Creek Ranch. There she proudly contributed to typical ranch activities by becoming the unofficial ranch cook. Years of feeding a family of eight turned out to be quite advantageous to this newfound role! Alice was a vital part of ranch work life, and in the day-to-day lives of her family. All were blessed to have Mom/Grammy close at hand.
Alice is survived by her children: Clancy (Christine) Kelley, Paddy (Terri) Kelley, Casey Kelley, Michael Kelley, Shannon (Robert) Kuykendall, Colleen (Joseph) Freund, and Ryan (Horst) Loeblich; her cherished grandchildren: Landis & Logan; John & Amy; Grace, Ethan, & Soren; Brandon, Lance, Kemp & Jacie; and great-grandchildren: Nolan & Brady; Emma, Audrey & Gavin; Lyra; Kolby, Holly & Emmett; Kace; Westyn.
A Mass of the Resurrection honoring Alice will take place Friday, December 19, 11:00am at Ave Maria Catholic Church, 9056 East Parker Road, Parker, CO. The service will be preceded by a recitation of the rosary at 10:30am.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the St. Labre Indian School of Ashland, Montana (https://www.stlabre.org/).