Betty Lu (Stoklasa) Kudrna, age 85, of Broomfield, Colorado, passed away peacefully in her sleep on September 21, 2018, at the Balfour Skilled Nursing Facility in Louisville, Colorado. She had a massive stroke 3 weeks earlier.
Betty was born on March 12, 1933, to Joseph and Libbie Stoklasa in Clarkson, Nebraska. She grew up on a farm west of Clarkson, attending a country school from First through Eighth grade. Betty belonged to Purel Youth Club for several years, and was chosen to be the very first Pancake Queen in Clarkson and was later chosen to be Princess Howells in Howells, Nebraska.
Betty taught school for four years in Colfax and Stanton Counties in rural Nebraska. In the summers she attended Wayne State Teachers’ College in Nebraska to further her own education.
Kenneth (Ken) Kudrna and Betty dated on and off during high school & the early 1950’s, and decided to make it official, exchanging wedding vows on June 29, 1954, in Clarkson.
Ken and Betty moved to Valparaiso, Indiana in 1954 where they welcomed their first son, Keith "Butch" Kudrna on March 24, 1956. She worked for a local utility company as a clerk while Ken went to school. Later in 1956 they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where they welcomed another son, Kevin Kudrna born on May 23, 1958. While in Albuquerque She managed an atomic energy commission credit union on Sandia Base. In 1960 they moved to Boulder, Colorado where they put down some heavy roots.
There, they welcomed two more sons, Kurt Kudrna, born September 19, 1961, Kendall Kudrna, born October 5, 1962 and finally a daughter, Kristen Kudrna (Freiboth) born November 27, 1965.
Betty worked as a Teacher’s Aide in the Boulder Valley School District for several years and loved the children that she worked with and later at the BVSD office.
Betty and Ken loved to camp and travel in their motorhome. They belonged to various RV Clubs and traveled to many different rendezvous throughout the mid-west. They also loved to travel abroad, visiting several European countries like Prague, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Hawaii, Costa Rica and Alaska. In the later years, they spent their winters in Mesa, Arizona.
Betty had a very strong Catholic Faith and many very, very close friends in Colorado, Nebraska and Arizona.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Libbie and her son, Keith "Butch".
Betty is survived by her husband, Ken, sons, Kevin, Kurt, and Kendall; and daughter, Kristen, her grandchildren, Kiley Kudrna, Jordan (Kudrna) Golter, Austin Kudrna, Conner Freiboth and Kierya Freiboth; great granddaughter, Avery Golter; and a sister Doris Schaeffer.
Services for Betty will be on Wednesday, September 26 at Sacred Heart of Mary, 6739 S. Boulder Rd., Boulder, CO. A Rosary will be said at 9:30 am with the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am. Burial will follow immediately in the church’s cemetery.
Donations may be made in Betty's honor to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601, alz.org.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cristmortuary.com for the Kudrna family.
