Margaret Kraker

Margaret Kraker, 83, passed away on Fri, May 11th at the University of Vermont Medical Center, after a battle with pulmonary issues. Born in Middlesex, England, she married Lt. Robert L. Kraker, Sr, an officer in the US Air Force. She subsequently applied for and received her American citizenship, an accomplishment she was incredibly proud of. One of the highlights of her life was spending the next 20 years as a military wife. Nearing her husband’s retirement, they decided on Colorado Springs as the place they would settle and she remained there for 45 years, until her move to Shelburne, Vermont in 2013 so that she could be closer to her granddaughters. Colorado, however, became her true home and her favorite place on Earth.

Margaret was a devout Catholic and she and her husband were extremely active in the church, helping out in a myriad of ways, including as members of their parish’s Little Parish program, where they were able to grow in their faith and develop life-long friendships with the people involved. Upon moving to Vermont, she even started up a rosary group at the Independent Living Facility where she lived, that started out with 4 members and quickly grew to over a dozen members.

She enjoyed traveling, sewing, crafts, playing Bridge and board games, and finding great bargains. She took both of her children on trips to Europe to meet family and expose them to other cultures. She was also a member of a local Red Hats group.

She loved the years she spent working as a Teacher’s Aide with mentally handicapped children and participating in Special Olympics with them.

Margaret was known for her kindness, gentleness, good sense of humor and as someone whose friends and family were the most important things in her life. In the last few years of her life, she joined her daughter and family on several family vacations and reunions and always looked forward to going to various craft fairs, events, expositions and celebrations with them, especially the band, chorus and theater productions her granddaughters were involved in.

She is predeceased by her husband, Robert L Kraker, Sr, her brother, Tom Sylvester and her sister, Dorothy (Sylvester) Smitheman.

She is survived by her two children, Robert “Lee” Kraker, Jr., and wife Vikki, of Colorado Springs, CO; Suzanne (Kraker) Dunbar and husband Michael, of Essex Junction, VT; 4 grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visiting services will be on Sun, June 3rd from 3-5pm at Swan-Law Funeral Home, 501 North Cascade Ave, Colorado Springs, CO, with a rosary service following at 5:00. Funeral services will be held at 9:30am on Mon, June 4th at Divine Redeemer Catholic Church, 901 North Logan Ave, Colorado Springs, CO, with interment to follow at 1:30pm at Fort Logan National Cemetery, 4400 West Kenyon Ave, Denver, CO. Margaret always wanted her funeral to be a celebration of her life, so attendants are encouraged to wear bright, happy colors. Her favorite color was yellow.