Obituary of William Frank Stolz

View Video Tribute Lifelong Kit Carson County resident William Frank “Budâ€? Stolz, 80, died Sunday February 25, 2007 at the Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital, Burlington, Colorado. Bud was born June 12, 1926 in Stratton, Colorado, the son of Bernice (Brown) and Frank H. Stolz. He was drafted by the U.S. Army when he was a junior in high school and was honorably discharged in August 1946. When he returned to high school for his senior year, he graduated from Bethune High School in the spring of 1947. On March 23, 1952, Bud married Gladys Ziegler at the Immanuel Lutheran Church north of Bethune, Colorado. They had three children: Darwin, Bridget, and Sidney. Bud was employed by Kit Carson County running a bulldozer for several years and then worked for the U.S. Post Office for 31 years. All during this time he continued to farm the home place on nights and weekends, sharpening one-ways and discs, shocking feed and umpiring softball games. After retiring from the post office, he started Bud’s Kirby where he repaired and sold Kirby vacuums and accessories, together with most other brands (Bud’s Kirby was a repair shop for almost everything over the years, including a honey bee extractor). Bud wheeled and dealed in refrigerators, stoves, washers, and dryers in his spare time, and there was rarely an auction he missed. Bud was a gregarious man who never met a stranger, and he enjoyed talking with anyone and everyone. Even on his final day on earth, he hung his flag at the house and fed many of the wild cats on the East end of Burlington. Those preceding Bud in death are his parents and one sister, Blanche Beckstrom. Those left to cherish his memory are his wife for 54 years, Gladys, of their home in Burlington, CO; two sons, Darwin Stolz and his wife Katherine and their children Bryan and Justin of Burlington, CO, and Sid Stolz of Washington, DC, & Miami Beach, Florida; and one daughter, Bridget Patrick and her husband Tim and their children, Christopher (and his wife and children in California), Brandi and Makenzie of Aurora, CO. Also surviving are one brother, Henry Stolz of Lee’s Summit, Missouri and one sister, Esther Schlichenmayer of Wray, CO. Bud is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and very special friends. Funeral services for Bud will be Thursday March 1, 2007 at 10:30 AM at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bethune, CO with Pastor Roger Milheim officiating. Friends may share their respects on Wednesday, February 28, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Love Funeral Home in Burlington. Memorials may be made to the William F. Stolz Memorial Fund and may be mailed to the First National Bank, 107 S. 14th, Burlington, CO 80807 or to Love Funeral Home, 377 15th Street, Burlington, CO 80807.