Shirley Opatril, 75

May 22, 1945 – April 12, 2020

Platteville, Colo.

Shirley Opatril went to be with her Lord on April 12, 2020.

She was born May 22, 1945, to James and Margaret Moon. She was raised in Broomfield, Colo., with her five siblings.

She married Alfred Opatril on Aug. 4, 1962. They had four children – Carrie (Bryan) Pope, Bart (Rosemary) Opatril, Brian (Rebekah) Opatril, and Teresa “Cricket” Suntken.

Shirley and Alfred resided on the Opatril farm until 1964 when they moved to Carbondale and worked on the Arbany Ranch. In 1968, the family moved to Boulder and started a dairy farm. In 1970, they moved to the Platteville farm and continued dairy farming until 2004. Shirley was proud of her milk certificates and awards. She was a true farm wife; milking cows, feeding the calves and cows, driving trucks and tractors, irrigating the crops and in general doing anything that was needed while raising four kids. The center of Shirley’s world was always family. She learned how to cook the Opatril bohemian foods and taught her children and grandchildren how to make them to keep the tradition alive. Shirley loved to be around her grandchildren and enjoyed traveling to see her siblings and their families. She recently traveled to see the Redwoods in California and the ocean, lifelong wishes of hers.

Shirley is survived by her children; 10 grandchildren – Kimber Swayzee, Ben Opatril, Matthew Suntken, Kaylee Suntken, Cole Opatril, Ruth Opatril, Zachariah Opatril, Chloe Opatril, Moriah Opatril, and Ezra Opatril; great-grandchild, Nora Swayzee; and siblings Larry (Janet) Moon, Gary (Jean) Moon, Peggy (Daryl) Ryckert, Robert Moon, Johnny (Chris) Moon and many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and -nephews.

A celebration of Shirley’s life will be held later in the year at the Platteville United Methodist Church.