Book of Edith

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Suckla Farms is sad to announce the passing of the family matriarch Edith Suckla.  She had a long eventful life, and will be missed!  She died April 11, 2013, and the funeral was held April 16 1pm at the Methodist Church in Fort Lupton with a reception afterward at the Fort Lupton museum.

Edith Caroline (Anderson) Suckla, born Nov. 10, 1916, died peacefully at home on her farm on April 11, surrounded by her immediate family.  She was 96, and was sweet yet scrappy till the end.
She lived in Fort Lupton all of her 96 years, within several miles of where she had lived, worked and played her entire lifetime.  She was a bowling champion beginning with Fort Lupton Lanes; a longtime active ember of the Thursday Afternoon Club, headed up Camp Fire Girls, owned and operated first  laundromat and dry cleaner in Greeley, then Platte Valley Equipment (the John Deere store) on Denver Avenue, was an expert marksman, and much more.
Edith was born to Maude Bryant Anderson and George Anderson Jr, whose parents moved to Fort Lupton from Sweden.  Along with five siblings he graduated from Fort Lupton High School in 1934 and married Frederick resident Frank J. Suckla the same year.
There are many fun true stories, including these: at about age 8, tomboy Edith decided she wanted to cut her hair short.  She was the first girl in town to have her hair cut by the barber, and after she did, many other girls wanted to too!  In the 40’s she became a bit of a sharpshooter, and as a member of the Fort Lupton Gun Club outshot all the men in a big tournament in Greeley.  This made the men on the team really mad, she said, but she proudly showed off her trophy.
Active in the Fort Lupton community for decades, this remarkable woman, a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, saw a multitude of events throughout nearly a century of life.  She and devoted husband of 68 years, Frank Suckla, lived through the depression years and a life of small dairy farming and selling eggs in town, to farming wheat and corn using methods acclaimed in the Fort Lupton Press and national farming magazines.  She loved Gene Autry and John Wayne movies, ice cream, the Rockies and Broncos, Dr. Phil and David Letterman, traveling with her family and friends, and her beloved dog Brownie.
Their lives are the subject of a new display at the Fort Lupton City Museum, up through at least June 1.  She wanted donations made to Hospice of Northern Colorado in Greeley, and to the Fort Lupton Museum, a community resource highlighting the settlers and citizens of her dear Fort Lupton.
Edith is survived by her daughter Carolyn, three grandchildren, Kara (and spouse Jon), Michael (and spouse Dondee) and Linda, three great-grandchildren, Olivia, Sophia and Nadia, and her dear dog, Brownie.

The funeral service is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16 at 1pm, at the Methodist Church in Fort Lupton (all can arrive at 12:30) at 3rd and Park Ave, about 1/2 mile from Hwy 85.  The Fort Lupton Fire Department will escort us all to Hillside Cemetery after 2pm.  An open house reception will be held at the Fort Lupton City Museum from 2:30 till 4:30, at 453 1st Street (857.1634), celebrating Edith’s life with some of her favorite snacks and live music from classical guitarist Bradford Brown.

Obituary written by her loving grand daughter, Kara.

Check out more of Edith in the photo gallery, and leave your comments in our guestbook.