Billie Marie Ward

Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Saguache Methodist Church in Saguache. Inurnment will follow at Saguache Cemetery.

Ms. Ward was a court clerk.

She is survived by one son, Frank Jr. of Saguache; two daughters, Sandra Schultz of Grand Junction and Keitha Martellaro of Fairbanks, Alaska; one sister, Georgia Wiseman of Alta Loma, California; seven grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions to HopeWest and Hospice Care Center, 3090B N. 12th St., Grand Junction, 81506.

Billie Marie Ward passed away peacefully at her home in Grand Junction, Colorado on January 4, 2015.

Billie was born on January 23, 1936 in Monte Vista, Colorado to Roy and Jesilee Alexander. She grew up on the family ranch in Saguache and graduated from high school in 1954. After attending Western State College she moved to Denver to work for Mountain Bell Telephone Company.

In 1958, Billie moved back to Saguache to marry her sweetheart Frank Ward on August 23rd. They were blessed with 3 children: Frank, Sandra and Keitha.

Billie worked in the Saguache County Courthouse in various positions. She worked for the selective service until the Vietnam War ended and then began her career as the Saguache County court clerk.

In 1992, Billie retired and pursued her dream of spending her days hunting rocks in the mountains that she loved.

She was very creative and spent many hours making jewelry and other items out of the rocks, crystals and gems that she found. You couldn’t leave her house until you visited her rock trailer. There you were shown her special rocks and she couldn’t understand why some of her rocks didn’t give you goosebumps when you held them.

Billie enjoyed beautiful sunsets, star gazing and watching the Northern Lights in Alaska. She loved animals and reminisced about riding her horse MaryLegs as a young girl. She was passionate about caring for stray animals and was comforted until the end by her kitty Bitty and her daughter’s golden Boone.

Billie’s greatest treasures were her family. She was most happy when she was surrounded by her children and their families, and her family felt blessed for every minute they got to spend with her.

Saguache was Billie’s home until she became ill and moved to Gunnison and later Grand Junction to be close to her daughter Sandra.

Billie is survived by her son Frank Ward of Saguache, and his children Melanie, Frankie and Alex, daughter Sandra (Curtis) Schultz (Scott) of Grand Junction and her children Cori and Clay, and her daughter Keitha Martellaro (Brent) of Fairbanks, Alaska and her children Jessi and Jozey. She is also survived by 13 great grandchildren, sister Georgia Wiseman of Alta Loma, California, her sisters in law Donna Alexander and Sharon Abeyta, brother in law Eugene Ward, numerous nieces and nephews, lifelong friend LauraLee Conley and her wonderful hospice volunteer Marisa Fay.

She was preceded in death by her husband Frank Ward, brother Joe Alexander and parents Roy and Jesilee Alexander.

Services will be held at 2 pm on Saturday January 10 at Saguache Methodist Church with internment at Hillside Cemetery, followed by reception at Methodist Fellowship Hall.

Memorial contributions to HopeWest and Hospice Care Center, 3090B N. 12th St., Grand Junction, 81506.