Features, Rangely

A picture of service

Bill and Martha Mitchem have been married for 60 years and have spent 56 of them in Rangely. Both are retired teachers, who now enjoy volunteering, traveling and outdoor photography. The Mitchems have five children and nine grandchildren spread across the United States from Washington to Maine, Pennsylvania and Colorado.
RANGELY I Educators make such a significant impact on a community, their influence extending far beyond the classroom. Small, rural communities are fortunate when one exceptional teacher moves in and intends to remain for the duration of their career. The benefits are simply immeasurable when that person is married to another teacher, as is the case with long-time Rangely educators, Bill and Martha Mitchem.
The two met in spring 1948 in a psychology class while attending Colorado Teacher’s College in Greeley (now UNC). They both graduated from college in 1951 and married that fall. They moved to a ranch on the eastern slope of Colorado, but as fate would have it, drought and low cattle prices led to an opportunity for Martha, then for Bill, to fill in teaching until the school could find another teacher. They liked teaching and the students liked them and they were both employed for the next two years in Bill’s hometown of Agate, Colo.
Following this teaching stint, Bill and Martha went searching for their next destination. They checked out Sydney, Neb., Moab, Utah, and Rangely. Rangely’s new high school building and higher salaries made the choice an easy one and they moved to town in August 1956. Housing was not easy to find at the time and they settled in the Leech Apartments. After receiving their contract for the next year, they purchased the Pan American Camp House on Stanolind Avenue. They intended to stay three to five years and then “look for greener pastures.”
“… But the roots went down as we became involved in church and the community,” they said, as they discovered Rangely truly is “a great place to live.”
Bill and Martha have five children: daughter Patti (Fred) of South Berwick, Maine and her daughters Johanna and Maggie (currently pursuing graduate work from MIT); their son Jim (Linda) of Milner, Colo., and their daughter Mira (Bill) of Pennsylvania and daughter Ashlyn; their son Brian (Sherry) of Paonia, Colo., and his daughter Kelli (Dennis) of Colorado Springs is expecting her first child in July. Their son Alex re-enlisted in the Air Force, will be married in September and also lives in Colorado Springs. Their son Jeff (Randi) of Broomfield, Colo., have four children: Joe (who will attend the University of Colorado this fall on a track scholarship), son Jake, and twins Emily and Katie. The Mitchem’s son John (Tracie) of Whidbey Island, Wash., where he is a design engineer for Boeing.
The Mitchem’s children “have been and continue to be the joy of our lives.”
Bill and Martha retired from teaching in 1988. They have truly enjoyed outdoor photography and joined a camera club in Grand Junction in 1986. Bill has been very active hiking and taking phenomenal pictures of the beautiful scenery he has encountered. They have traveled to California, through the national parks in Utah and Colorado, and taken incredible pictures near Price, Utah.
The First Baptist Church (The Community Church) has been an important part of their lives since they first moved to Rangely and they have donated countless hours to the church and community. They have always enjoyed volunteering. They began volunteering with the Colorado Welcome Center in Dinosaur when it opened in 1990. Martha has logged nearly 5,000 hours and Bill has more than 4,000. Bill currently spends a great deal of his time at the Bed Rock Depot, “The place to stop in Dinosaur, Colo.” He and Martha help their friends Robert and Leona Hemmerich with the business they opened in 2004. They make ice cream, coffee, espresso drinks, deli sandwiches and even added a gift line in 2005. They want to become the “place to stop between ski areas in Colorado and Utah.”
Martha has also been an active member of Epsilon Sigma Alpha Sorority (social and philanthropic) for approximately 50 years. Bill has served on the Library Board, the College District Committee and the WRBM Recreation District Board, tutored with the adult literacy program, spent time with the boy scouts, and served approximately 30 years on the Rio Blanco Schools Federal Credit Union Board. The two enjoy the home they built 50 years ago “at the interface of town and the desert.” They garden, putter, and collect various items.
The Mitchems have shared 60 years of marriage, with 56 of those in Rangely. They have loved this community and have given endlessly to it and the students they taught. Seldom is a community so fortunate to get two individuals like this who’ve had such a positive impact.

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It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line.  The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale.
Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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4 days ago
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A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
5 days ago
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Black Sulphur Tavern held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new business at 364 Seventh St. The space has been renovated with several TVs and games and provides a fun, friendly atmosphere to watch your favorite sports team and enjoy a burger and wings. Owners Frank Maestas and Pat Maestas are pictured with their new staff and Chamber of Commerce representatives Stephanie Hanson, Trudy Burri and Margie Joy. Follow Black Sulphur Tavern on Facebook. Their hours are Wednesday and Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday 11-1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
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Cowboy Carson Klinzmann on the mound for Meeker at Suplizio Field in Grand Junction last Saturday. Meeker took on the 4A Rifle Bears, losing 11-1, and the Basalt Longhorns, losing 7-3. Read the recap online at ht1885.com.
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