Obituary of Alberta Wilson

Alberta Imogene Wilson of Limon, CO passed away January 30, 2006 at Prairie View Nursing Home. On March 14, 1923, on a small farm north of Vona, CO, Alberta Imogene Wilson was born to Roy & Cecil M. Johnson. Alberta was the eldest of five children. During her childhood, Alberta lived on several farms around Vona until all the children were born. However everything was lost due to very dry weather. The family then moved into the town of Seibert, CO. There they lived in a one-room house. They had no furniture and used nail kegs for chairs, slept on the floor and held their food in their hands. Alberta’s father opened a small garage in Seibert which he operated for about 3 years. This business allowed the family to get back on their feet. They then moved back onto a farm where they remained for only two years. Again the dry weather drove them away. Alberta was 14 years old when the family moved to Denver, CO where her father was employed on a turkey farm. The owners raised about 20,000 turkeys. She continued to help out on the farm and managed to complete school only through the 8th grade. In later years she worked for a Jewish family as a maid and serving girl. In 1941, she was married to George F. Sage, and then moved to Lakewood, CO. To this union, three children were born; Diana, Betty, and Royal. George passed away in his home after 36 years of marriage in September of 1972. Alberta remarried in December of 1974 to a friend she had known before George, Mr. Leo Wilson. There were no children born to this union. Alberta had a keen sense of humor and delighted in practical jokes, such as taking the nurse’s keys at the nursing home and hiding them under her pillow. She loved to tease and her laughter was almost always hidden behind her hand. She was also very fond of gardening and found a lot of pleasure in helping her daughter Betty in her garden in Genoa, and Diana and Ken’s garden in Hugo. Alberta enjoyed bowling and was bowler of the year one year. She loved to crochet, embroidery and quilt. She was preceded in death by her parents Roy and Cecil Johnson, her husbands, George F. Sage and Leo Wilson, and two brothers; Orthy Johnson and Milton Johnson. She is survived by her children; Diana Sterling and husband Kenneth of Hugo, CO, Betty Patton and husband Don of Genoa, CO, Royal Sage and wife Anita of Denver, CO, a brother Robert and wife Bonnie of Denver, CO and sister Elva Gardner of Hugo, CO. Plus ten grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren and three great great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors who will miss her greatly. Funeral services for Alberta were held Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at the Hugo United Methodist Church in Hugo, CO at 10:00 A.M. with burial immediately following at Evergreen Cemetery in Hugo, CO. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer’s Association 4567 East 9th Ave., Denver, CO 80220.