Douglas County Announcements

Cindy and Fritz Hesse of Lone Tree have announced the birth of a daughter Allison Ann, born July 21 at Columbia Rose Medical Center. The baby weighed 8 pounds, 5 1/2 ounces. Grandparents are John and Judy Guldan of Danville, Calif., and Betty Hesse of Palm Desert, Calif. Allison joins an older sister Courtney Elizabeth at home.

Jerry and Terri Yanke of Castle Rock have announced the birth of a second daughter Anna Rae, born July 30 weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces. She was 19 3/4 inches long at birth. The baby joins sister Emily, 19 months.

Funeral services were Friday in Fort Collins for Genevieve Arlene Knox of Castle Rock who died on Aug. 26. She was 79. Burial was in Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins.

Mrs. Knox was born Jan. 6, 1918, in Sterling, the daughter of James E. and Gertrude (Smith) Jackson. She attended the Laporte schools. She married Raymond A. Knox on Aug. 14, 1936, in Brush and moved to Fort Collins in 1936 and then to Castle Rock in 1991.

Mrs. Knox was a homemaker who loved to garden, sew, cook and bake. She attended the Assembly of God church.

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Sharon Smith and is survived by her husband, another daughter Beverly Jones of Clayton, Calif.; a son, Duane Knox of Castle Rock; a sister, Velma Acierno of Arvada; and seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made in her name to a charity of choice in care of the Warren-Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 1212 Riverside Avenue, Fort Collins 80524.

Funeral arrangements were made by Warren-Bohlender Fuenral Chapel.

Harold T. Spence, 79, of Franktown died Aug. 25 at PorterCare Hospice. Services were Friday and interment was at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

Mr. Spence was born on Jan. 29, 1918, at Bailey, the son of Harry T. and Wilma (Wilson) Spence. He spent most of he early years in and around Fort Morgan, where he graduated from high school in 1936. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941 and served with the 74th and 1467th Engineer Companies, working on bridge construction for the Alcan Highway and seeing action in Europe. He was discharged in 1945.

Mr. Spence married Iris Ely in February of 1946. He initially farmed and ranched in the Fort Morgan area but moved in 1947 to Franktown, where he also farmed and ranched for many years. Ranching and farming were always dear to his heart. He enjoyed working with livestock and in his younger years participated in rodeos around the country.

Mr. Spence for many years (in addition to farming) worked as a diesel mechanic and heavy equipment operator, in part for Douglas County. He later worked for the Post Office becoming the Franktown Postmaster in 1968, a position he held until his retirement in 1981.

He was a member of the Franktown Chapter of the VFW, serving as Commander for three years. He was also active with the Franktown Volunteer Fire Department for many years.

He is survived by his wife; a daughter, Gerry Buckner and her husband Bill of Littleton; a son Richard Spence and his wife Donna of Tracy, Calif,; a sister Gail Hickok of Anaheim, Calif.; three grandchildren, Mark Spence, Kelly Foos and Jason Spence) and two great-grandchildren (Katie and Michael Spence all of California.

Donations may be made in his name to the Franktown Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 53, Franktown 80116.

Drinkwine Mortuary of Castle Rock was in charge of arrangements.

Former Douglas County resident Robert Norwood Hier, 88, died Monday at his home in Marcus, Iowa, where he had lived since 1981. Services are to be 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Philips-in-the-Field Episcopal Church in Sedalia, only a few hundred yards from where he was born on July 31, 1909. Burial will be in Bear Canon Cemetery.

Hier's mother, Flora was an pioneer of the county. He attended Oakland School for eight years after which he attended Douglas County High School and graduated as valedictorian in 1927.

After four years at the University of Colorado, Hier graduated Magna Cum Laud and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Following graduate work at the University of Kansas, he taught Latin and Spanish at Greenbrier Military Academy in West Virginia.

During World War II, Hier, who spoke seven languages, worked as a translator for the military. He was stationed in the Aleutian Islands for the duration of the war.

Returning to Douglas County, he was engaged in the dairy business just south of Castle Rock after which he began teaching languages at Douglas County High School during the late 1950s and early '60s.

In 1980, he married Nancy Hissem, a local teacher, and the couple moved to Marcus in 1981 where they lived until his death. Hier was preceded in death by his sister, Geneva, and first wife, Bernice.

Hier is survived by his widow; a brother, Carroll, and a sister Marion McCaw as well as seven nieces and nephews, including Edward and Robert Hier of Castle Rock.