Dorothy Kuntz

Dorothy Irene Kuntz passed away Feb. 28, 2021 at her home in Loveland at the age of 101.

Dorothy was born and raised in Pleasanton, Neb. on Aug. 30, 1919 to Rudolf and Isadore Kirschner. They lived on the Kirschner homestead land until 1932 when they moved to Otis. It took them two days to travel to Colorado from Nebraska. Dorothy attended school in Otis. Her parents later moved to Haxtun. Dorothy remained in Otis until she finished 10th grade. She graduated in 1938 from Haxtun High School. After graduation she worked for several families doing housework and milking cows. Her cousin and her husband, who lived in Otis, wanted her to come and live with them until their baby was born. It was then that she met Michael Kuntz.

Dorothy worked in Wray until she married Mike on a cold and blizzard day on Feb. 17, 1942. They spent that night at her parents' home in Haxtun and the next day moved back to Otis. With very little money, they purchased a stove, kitchen table and a dresser for $15 at a second-hand store. Sometimes their lunch meal was a jar of peaches that Dorothy had canned. They did custom threshing to make a living and later did some swathing for a farmer in Clarksville. The binder had to be pulled by a tractor that she drove while Mike worked the binder. She was pregnant at that time with her first born, Robert. Mike helped her dad with the harvest in Haxtun a lot. It was at that time, they found a farm to purchase in Haxtun. Even though it was a struggle to purchase at that time, they paid $15,000 for the house and land. They were told by the locals in Otis, they wouldn't live long enough to pay for it.

In 1952, they built a new house where they raised their five children, Robert, Edwin, Donna, Beverly and Denise. They raised cattle, hogs and chickens and sold the eggs and cream to a local hatchery. They survived the dust storms of the 1930s.

Dorothy enjoyed sewing and making the girls all their dresses and the boys' pants from old jeans. She was part of a sewing group in Haxtun and later attended Northeastern Junior College to take up sewing. Her work showed her perfection in everything she did from, sewing, cooking, knitting, crocheting, canning and gardening. She played on a bowling league in Haxtun where she came home with several awards. She was an active member of Christ the King Catholic Church where she helped clean the church, washing the altar linens, singing in the choir, was a member of the Altar and Rosary Society, teaching Catechism, helping with all the church functions and gathering flowers from her garden for the mass.

She played on a softball team in Highland Center which was her favorite sport. She loved the Colorado Rockies and was so excited when they announced her 100th birthday at one of the Rockies games.

After her husband, Mike got sick with leukemia, they had three auctions at different times to later move to Loveland in 2003 and purchased their new home in 2004. Their farm in Haxtun was always their love and they continued to miss it until Mike passed away in May 2005. Dorothy filled her time going to exercise class twice a week, eating out and driving to church every Sunday for 7 a.m. mass. She kept busy in the summer, mowing, raking and taking care of her flowers. She said she truly believed that working hard on the farm was what kept her healthy for so long.

Dorothy is survived by her sons Robert and wife Cynthia, Fort Collins, and Ed Kuntz and wife Patty, Loveland; daughters Donna and husband John, Platteville, and Beverly and husband George, Greeley; 13 grandkids; 35 great-grandkids and one great-great grandchild with one great-great grandchild on the way.

Dorothy is preceded in death by her husband Mike after 63 years of marriage; her daughter Denise; daughter in-law Judy Kuntz; grandchildren Michelle, Cary, Rod and Aaron; and great-grandson Conrad Kuntz.

Dorothy was laid to rest on March 5 at the Haxtun Cemetery.