Erna Nolte Mentzer

She was born in Omro, Wisconsin on October 7, 1917 to Percy and Louise (Stiller) King.

Erna graduated from Omro High School in 1935. On November 25, 1936 she married Alvin Nolte in Oshkosh, WI. Alvin passed away February 2, 1961. Left on her own to raise her daughter Louise, Erna started working at Kimberly Clark Corporation as a quality control manager retiring in 1979.

Upon retiring, Erna picked up and moved to Colorado. She enjoyed many hobbies including sewing, being a volunteer at McKee Hospital, and the Valentine stamping and remailing program. Erna was awarded the Volunteer of the Year at McKee Hospital for the year 2008.

She had a great love for music. At any given moment, she would either start humming or sing a song that just happened to pop into her head. While walking past the Pulliman Building in downtown Loveland in 1983, she heard someone playing a piano. A new friend and friendship was forged that day. Erna, along with her new friend David Boyd and acquaintances Mae & Dee Flood started a musical sing group called The Loveland Rhythm Singers, a group that still exists today.

Besides music, Erna was a woman of many talents, one of which she was a seamstress. Two of the men’s retail clothing shops she worked for back in Wisconsin were Richmond Brothers and Continental. It is told, she could look at a clothing item in a window and go home and sew it!

In her later years, Erna met a gentleman by the name of Neil Mentzer. Like Erna, he too had a great love for music. This love for music and each other turned to marriage at the young age of 80. Erna married Neil on June 19, 1999 in Loveland, CO. They had thirteen wonderful years together until Neil’s passing on January 18, 2012.

Erna is survived by her daughter, Louise (Ray) Buchholtz of Waupaca, WI; stepchildren, Jarold (Jane) Mentzer of Milliken, CO; and Jeannie Young of West Chazy, NY; 5 step grandchildren and 12 step great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Alvin Nolte and Neil Mentzer; parents, Percy and Louise King; brothers, Clair Francis King and Charles P. King and their respective wives, Ann and Margaret.

A celebration of Erna’s life will be at 11 a.m., Friday March 20, 2015, at Resthaven Funeral Home, 8426 South Highway 287, Fort Collins, CO 80525

Inurnment will take place on May 23, 2015 in Oshkosh, WI.

Memorial contributions may be made to an organization of the donor’s choice.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.allnutt.com.