Charles Lapham Roth

Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado.

Mr. Roth was owner and operator of Blue Mesa Service.

Survivors include one son, Charles I. of Mesa, Arizona; one daughter, Natalie Britton of Grand Junction; two brothers, Rollie and Jack, both of Colorado; two sisters, Su Dodge and Judy Sunderlin, both of Colorado; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions to Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 2121 North Ave., Grand Junction 81501.

Charles Lapham Roth

June 14, 1922 – August 11, 2015

Charles Roth, a lifetime Colorado resident, passed away August 11, 2015, in the Grand Junction Veterans Community Living Center in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Charles was born in Grand Junction on June 14, 1922, to Mathias and Natalie Roth. He grew up in Broomfield, Colorado, on the family dairy farm.

Charles joined the Army Air Corp and was a radio operator of the B-17 named “Beats Me!?”. His plane was brought down near Pluvinger, France, and Chuck was the last man out. He was soon captured and spent 27 months as a POW in Germany.

Charles married Donna M. Beasley on August 7, 1949. Donna preceded Charles in death on February 10, 2014. Charles’ brother, Mathias Roth, preceded him in death on October 2, 2014.

Charles and Donna had two children, Charles I. (Linda) Roth and Natalie R. (David) Britton. Charles is survived by two brothers, Rollie Roth and Jack Roth; two sisters, Su Dodge and Judy Sunderlin of Colorado; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Charles, Donna, and his brother, Mathias, moved to Sapinero, CO, in 1949 and built Blue Mesa Service on Highway 50 along the Gunnison River. Interestingly, the business was located on part of the ranch that their grandfather, Charlie Lapham, had homesteaded. Blue Mesa Service included a gas station, garage, and restaurant, serving many of the area’s travelers and truck drivers. When the Blue mesa Dam was built in 1963, Blue Mesa Service moved up on the hillside overlooking Blue Mesa Reservoir. Chuck and Donna sold the business in 1969 and permanently moved to Grand Junction, where they owned a number of rental properties.

Charles will have military funeral honors at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery at 1:00 on August 25, 2015. A Celebration of Life will be held at Long’s Park at the Grand Mesa shelter at 2:30 following the service.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Veterans Affairs of Grand Junction, CO.