Keenesburg, Co.

Keenesburg, Colorado is a farming community north and east of Denver. In 1987, it was a farming community and if you know anything about farmers and their families, they are plain good people. It was a good place to work and live.

The hospital in Greeley sponsored the clinic there as an outreach to the hospital. It was North Colorado Hospital Center at that time. The doctors trained young doctors in a 3 year program to be Board Certified in Family Practice. On Wed. afternoon, I would go to class with the young doctors and listen to lectures by Physicians on various subjects. I would also pick up supplies for the clinic. It was a good place to learn! The rest of the week, I would see people about their various problems, A doctor would come to see patients one afternoon a week.

Before I took this job, Leon and I discussed the pros and cons, It was 150 miles or so from Cotopaxi, and he liked it so well in Cotopaxi, That we rented an apartment for us in Keenesburg and we went back and forth on the weekends. It was not an easy solution but we made it work out.

In 1988 to 1994 , my mother from Indiana came to live in an apartment next to ours. Her greatest regret was missing her cousin that she had lived around all her life, and other friends and not driving a car! Leon would always come and take her to doctor appointments. He was very good to her and with her. She grew legally blind which was very difficult for her . In her last 6 months we had respite care come 24 hours a day. I had told her that I would not put her in a nursing home. My great friend Carol Herold was a great help with mother, and she is still a great friend.

Before my mother died, Leon was having heart problems again . He decided on having some experimental surgery at University Hospital in Denver. He lived 6 weeks. When I told my mother that he was not going to make it. She said ," Oh no, I will die before him" But he made it first.

Six months later, Leon's mother died, and about 8 months later, my mother died. The 3 deaths left such a hole in my heart. Yes, you who have expierenced it, know what I mean. At the end of 8 years in Keenesburg, I retired from 46 years of nursing and bought a little house in Cotopaxi. Home again