Cleta Elizabeth Jasper

Cleta was born September 15, 1937, in Marienthal, Kansas, to William Michael and Anna Linda (Koetting) Betzen. She was the baby of the family, with thirteen older brothers and sisters. When she was six years old, the family moved from western Kansas, and Cleta cried when they left her snowsuit behind. She wouldn’t need it at their new farm near the town of Hereford in western Texas. Cleta graduated from Hereford High School in 1955 and then moved from home to tackle the big wide world. At different times, she lived in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico, often working as a bookkeeper. She was living in Amarillo, Texas when she met Herman Jasper at a Catholic Singles mixer at a bowling alley. While on the dance floor after hearing she was taking some college classes, the witty Herman asked if she was working on her MRS. The equally witty Cleta quickly responded yes and asked if he would like to marry her. Cleta recalls that Herman quickly danced her to the side of the room and politely took his leave. The short interaction seemed to bring any possible romantic relationship to a quick halt, but God’s will intervened. Cleta married Herman Jasper, a fellow child of Kansas, in 1963 when she was twenty-five years old.

During their life together, Cleta made homes for Herman and their children in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois. After Herman retired in 1992, they settled in Colorado Springs, where they prayed, played, and volunteered together until Herman’s death in 2018. Together, they had four children and six grandchildren. As devout Catholics, Cleta and Herman joined St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, where they attended daily Mass, weekly adoration, and served as Eucharistic Ministers. As Cleta’s dementia progressed, her faith never deserted her. She only stopped attending daily Mass when her mobility made it difficult to travel.

Cleta worked tirelessly for the most vulnerable among us, from the cradle to the grave, opening her home and providing her time, talent, and treasure for their benefit and care. She joined in the boycotts of Nestle, over its marketing of baby formula in Africa, and Campbell’s, over the exploitation of its farm workers. She also volunteered with organizations that provided parenting support. Cleta’s children are confident that they do not know the extent of the myriad organizations Cleta joined forces with over her lifetime. Her most important life’s work, though, was for the protection of the unborn. As Cleta’s own children grew older, Cleta increased her advocacy, ultimately becoming State Treasurer for Illinois Right to Life. Once in Colorado, she continued her work at the state level until dementia forced her to stop.

Cleta loved her children and grandchildren fiercely. As a devout Catholic, her life’s goal was to ensure that her children and grandchildren make it to heaven. She proudly attended her children’s and grandchildren’s many games, recitals, and concerts; she prepared delicious food for her family which the family ate together every night (even though her children later learned that she HATED cooking); and she taught her children about real life by playing numerous board games with them and warning them that “Mommy wins.” And while she might be a devout Catholic, if you hurt one of her children, you were never forgiven.

We have been missing Cleta for many years, and we will continue to miss her. We also know that Herman has been waiting for her. We praise God that her dementia is no more, and she is now home with Him.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Cleta will be held on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., at St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, 6455 Brook Park Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80918. A Rosary will be held prior to the Mass at 9:15 a.m., and a funeral luncheon, including a time for remembrances of Cleta, will follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Catholic Charities of Central Colorado – Hunt Family Housing (providing transitional housing, support, and programming for families), Pikes Peak Citizens for Life, and the Alzheimer’s Association.