Anna Mae Massar

Anna Mae (Anne) was born in Coolidge, Kansas on October 6, 1935, to Benjamin Lee Jones and Nora Bell McCabe. Mom was the youngest of four and she and her siblings were born at the home of her Grandma and Grandpa McCabe. Grandma McCabe was a typical midwife of the era and of the area. Mom’s Sister, Jackie, wrote in a document she composed entitled …A Veil of Memories… that after Mom was born her Dad immediately fainted. When being teased about it, he stated, “Oh Hell, anyone with four kids would faint!”

Mom was the youngest of four; Benjamin Edward Jones, Jr., Jacqueline (Jones) Roth, and James Oliver Jones. After graduating from High School at the age of 16, my Grandpa Jones gave Mom a bus ticket to Denver to attend Business College. She lived in Westminster with Aunt Jackie and Uncle Tony while attending College helping her with her two young daughters. Mom finished Business College in one year and immediately went to work with Great Western Sugar Company in Denver. Dad followed Mom to Denver and they were married on June 20, 1953.

There were four of us kids, Sheron (Massar) Jarrad, Julie (Massar) Alford, David Massar and Robert (Bobby) Massar. Mom was a homemaker, chief cook, bottle washer, expert seamstress, decorator, organizer, chauffeur, finance officer, etc., all the years we were growing up. Dad worked at Gates Rubber Company for several years and then began installing carpeting on the side for extra money. Dad established his own carpet business called Jerry’s Carpet Service and Mom took care of all the business aspects, paying bills and processing paychecks for Dad’s employees. Since they were not busy enough with all that, they began buying well-used houses in the Denver area and then restoring them and flipping them even before that became the fad of today.

Mom sewed almost every piece of clothing we kids wore, made Julie’s and my wedding gowns and bride’s-maid dresses. She also enjoyed sewing for grandkids and great grandkids.

Finally, when all us kids were grown, Mom went to work for the Federal Government. She worked with the Department of Interior and her and Dad retired in 1994. At that time, they sold their home, they purchased a brand new pickup (Dad’s prized possession) and a brand new fifth-wheel trailer and began traveling the country. Their favorite trip was the one in which they followed the Mississippi River from top to bottom camping along the way.

Mom was an expert at all kinds of needlework. She mastered the art of Hardanger embroidery, wool applique, cross-stitch, ribbon embroidery, etc. Shortly after retiring, Mom and I(Sheron) began quilting and took several classes together. Mom quickly mastered that art, as well, and far surpassed my skills and abilities. She produced numerous hand and machine pieced quilts that were both hand and machine quilted. She loved making quilts for her family and always had gorgeous quilts on her beds.

After traveling for several years, Mom and Dad landed in Yuma, Arizona and lived as snowbirds traveling to Yuma for the winter months and staying on Jarrad Mountain during the summer months. The friendships that they formed for all the 25 years they were in Yuma are too numerous to mention and were all very precious to both Mom and Dad.

Approximately 3 years ago, Mom began showing signs of dementia and two years ago they made the decision to stay full-time in Yuma. Dad took over and provided everything Mom needed until six months ago when we brought them both back to Colorado. Mom passed away peacefully on June 16, exactly six months to the day after we left Yuma to go be with David and Bobby in Heaven. She is preceded in death by her parents and siblings, sons Bobby (1998) and David (June 8, 2022), and Great Granddaughter Reece Jarrad (2010). She is survived by her husband (Jerry), Julie & Randy, Sheron & Steve, six grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. She is loved very much and will be greatly missed!

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.allnuttloveland.com for the Massar family.