Obituary of Dora Mae Vassios

Dora Mae (Walters) Vassios passed away at the age of 99 at the Lincoln Community Hospital & Care Center on October 15 ,2018.

Dora Mae was born September 4, 1919, to John Albert and Elizabeth Virgilia (Rickeberg) Walters. She had a sister Alice Davis who preceded her in death.

She grew up on her family homestead 4 miles west of Boyero, Colorado.  Dora Mae married George T. Vassios when she was a sophomore, on May 14, 1936, and graduated from Boyero High School as Salutatorian of her class.  They moved to Denver where she attended Barnes Business College and worked at Kay Jewelers.  They returned to Boyero where George went to work for the Union Pacific Railroad in 1941.

They resided in Boyero where they raised their 4 children.  Dora Mae always grew a big garden and provided most of the food for her family.  She was a 4-H leader and taught Sunday school.  They moved to Hugo in 1961. George and Dora Mae continued to raise cattle on her parents homestead and assist in the running of her parents operation.

In 1968 she became the Hugo Town Librarian where she served the community for 42 years until her macular degeneration caused her to retire at the age of 90.

When her daughter and husband, John and Jan Bandy, purchased and operated Mr. B’s Lumber & Hardware for 23 years (1983-2006) she was the accounts receivables bookkeeper in the mornings and even embraced the computer age when it arrived.  She also went to Boyero daily from 1997 to 2008 to do chores on her parents homestead and care for the cattle. She loved all her daily jobs.  She was active in the care of the livestock until she was 89.  This was one of her many joys.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Alice Davis, and her husband, George, and her son-in-law John Bandy.  She is survived by her children Tom Vassios, Janet (Jan) Bandy, John Vassios of Hugo, and Jeff Vassios of Ft. Morgan; grandchildren Terri Vassios, Littleton, CO; Scott (Deena) Bandy, Colby, KS; and Joe (Kathleen) Vassios, Rocklin, CA.  She is also survived by 6 grandchildren Shyann, Autumn (Levi Carrillo) and Ireland Steinback; Kyle (Keegan), Kirsten and Keira Bandy; and 4 great-grandchildren Donte Carillo, and Kalyssa, Alexi, and Koehn Bandy.