Obituary of Thelma Weaver

Thelma M Weaver, wife of the late Lawrence E Weaver, passed away Sunday, April 25, at The Good Samaritan Center in Simla, Colorado. Thelma was born July 5, 1921 to Vance and Vivian Blackwood in the sod house on the family farm about seven miles south of Simla. She grew up on the farm where she came to love working with farm animals, gardening, sewing, cooking, canning and all other skills needed to be a successful and dedicated wife and mother. As a young girl helping her mother with meals for the harvest workers on the farm, Thelma met the not yet teenage boy, Lawrence Weaver, that would later become the love of her life. Thelma and Lawrence were married on February 6, 1938 and lived in several places in the Limon area, finally establishing the family’s South Limon home in April of 1946. By then, there were 2 daughters and 2 sons. With the subsequent addition of 2 more sons, Thelma settled into the task of raising her family, working at home and later working at the school lunchroom until 1962. As each of her 6 children worked their way successfully through the Limon schools, Thelma, many times accompanied by Lawrence, attended every music program, class play, football game and basketball game in which her children participated. With most of her children graduated from high school she then worked at several local retail stores, as cook at the Dairy King restaurant and raising livestock. As if that were not enough to keep an average person busy, Thelma began the earnest pursuit of several hobbies. Her green thumb proved an asset in growing many hundreds of African Violets as a member of the local African Violet Club. Since the perfect African Violet proved an elusive target, she began painting them and a multitude of other flowers on Porcelain China. Thelma became a prolific china painter, producing hundreds of beautifully painted items from plates, cups and saucers to soup tureens, pitchers, lamps and light fixture globes. Most of these items became treasured gifts given to family members. Many of her projects were done in sets of six or seven so each of her children could have their own personalized copy. Thelma’s sewing, knitting and crocheting skills produced many of her children’s cloths from their early ages clear through her daughters’ teenage piano recital dresses. Quilts and afghans were produced by the dozens along with many sweaters that found their way into Christmas and birthday gifts to her children and grand children.In the 70s, Thelma convinced her husband, Lawrence to take oil painting lessons along with her. Again, she found a hobby at which she could excel as she and Lawrence produced dozens of paintings on canvas. Many of these became gifts to her children or adorned her own walls at home. Some of the paintings which brought her the most pride and satisfaction were those done by Lawrence. Thelma was also very proud of each of her children’s successes and accomplishments. She enjoyed her grand children, and they all looked forward to visiting Grandma. She was adept at feeding ‘an army’ and could turn out a holiday feast for 30 with seemingly little effort. Thelma was preceded in death by her parents, her younger brother Don Blackwood, her sister Eileen Felch, and her husband of nearly 60 years, Lawrence. She is survived by her 6 children; Barbara J. Johnson and husband Tom of Franktown, Colorado, Charlotte A. Mitchem and husband John of Ft. Worth, Texas, Larry E. Weaver and wife Kay of Aurora, Colorado, James O. Weaver and wife Kathy of Rapid City, South Dakota, Richard A. Weaver and wife Jane of Newport Beach, California, Keith E. Weaver and wife Berni of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, 17 grand children, 26 great-grand children, and 10 great-great-grand children with another on the way. Thelma has now found her place alongside her beloved husband, Lawrence.