Elizabeth Jane (Parkes) Dunham was born May 23, 1921, to George E. and Nellie W. Parkes. She passed away at the Walbridge Memorial Nursing Home July 18, 2011, at the age of 90. She attended the Meeker schools and was graduated from Rio Blanco County High School in 1940. She met her future husband, Hermie, while working at Sizemore’s Twin Springs Resort. She was cleaning cabins and he was a horse wrangler and guide. Together they developed one of the best dryland farms in the valley. To this union four children were born: JoAnne, Bill, Gary and Patricia. She took great pride in their children’s activities and accomplishments. She was a great cook and homemaker. Her fried chicken was next to none. She was active in Meeker Home and Garden Club, helping with a booth at the county fair with sheaves of grain, home canned fruits and vegetables. She was particularly proud of her blue ribbon jar of pears which was never eaten. She and Hermie also raised 50 to 100 turkeys which she dressed and readied for the Thanksgiving and Christmas tables. She was a firm believer in shopping in Meeker and very seldom ever ventured out of town. She leaves to mourn her passing her four children and their spouses, JoAnne (Melvin) Barley, Bill (Diane) Dunham, Gary (Becky) Dunham of Meeker and Patricia (Robert) Hurst of Sun City West, Ariz.; her 10 grandchildren: Lisa Cook, Steve Barley, Danny Barley, Rebecca Gullion, Rodney Dunham, Julie Sturman, Jason Dunham, Chris Dunham, Marcus Hurst and Holly Hurst; 15 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren; her sisters Dorothy Bloomfield and Norma Oldland of Meeker and Margaret (Bill) Crawford of Greeley; sisters-in-law Dotty Lundberg, Pina Porter, Naomi Parkes and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her life partner Hermie, her parents, brother Tom Parkes and sister Mary Parkes.Graveside services were held July 25, 2011, at Highland Cemetery in Meeker under the direction of Grant Mortuary in Craig, Colo. Memorial contributions may be made to the Walbridge Memorial Nursing Home.
