Ramona Lucy Tesch Short

Ramona was born at home on the ranch in the sand hills hear Amelia, Nebraska. Her only remaining sibling is Dale (Donna) Doolittle, who owns the family ranch. Her two sisters, Cleone (Robert) Adair, and Dolores (Ray) Gartner, and her parents, Arthur C. Doolittle and Luella G. Kennedy, preceded her in death. Ramona graduated from Atkinson High School in 1947, during a time when you lived in an apartment with relatives or friends in town and returned to the ranch on weekends.

Ramona married Gerald V. Tesch on February 3, 1948. They enjoyed 51 years together, and lived in several places in Nebraska while Gerald was with the Nebraska State Patrol. They also lived in Holton, Kansas for three years, then moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1966, and then finally moved to Longmont, Colorado, as he was still employed with law enforcement. After Gerald’s passing in June of 1999, Ramona married Oleah E. Short, of Valley Mills, Texas, on August 9, 2006. They remained in Longmont until 2012. They lived in Texas for the winters, and Colorado for the summers. In 2013, they moved to Parachute, Colorado. Oleah Short passed away on February 24, 2014.

Ramona wanted to be a nurse, instead she was a homemaker. She raised two daughters, Sandra (George) Jackson of Olathe, Colorado, who had twin daughters, Carolyn (Seth) Felix, and Laura (Mitch) Ryan; and Linda (Mike) Walck of Rifle, Colorado, who had three children, David Walck, Dan Walck, and Jennifer (Chad) Eaton. Ramona also leaves behind nine great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Ramona loved country music, sewing, camping/fishing, square dancing, riding horses, traveling, and shopping. As a youngster, she enjoyed looking at the goldfish in her father’s cattle livestock tank operated by the windmill. Some highlights of her later years included a trip to Ireland in 2008, and a trip to Lenexa, Kansas, in January 2017. During this trip, she got to visit with her favorite cousin, Bernadine Slaymaker, who Ramona grew up with. Bernadine is from Albion, Nebraska, but resides in Lenexa in a care center to be near her family, Lloyd (Mel) Slaymaker.

Just a few weeks ago, Ramona stated, “I have had a good life!” God bless her. Her ashes will be combined with Gerald’s and spread over the Colorado Mountains they both loved.

Contributions in Ramona's memory may be made to HopeWest Hospice, 3090 N. 12th Street, Unit B, Grand Junction, Colorado 81506, www.hopewestco.org.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MartinMortuary.com for the Tesch Short family.