Cheryl Ann Whiteman

Cheryl Ann Chytry was born February 16th 1938 to Eugene Henry and Dorothy Jean Oldland Chytry in St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, CO. Dr. E.O. Munroe who was a friend of the family delivered Cheryl. Jean was working at St. Mary's Hospital at the time as a lab. technician and Eugene worked for C.D. Smith, a medical supply firm in Grand Junction, CO. Eugene and Jean met at the Minnesota Institute of Technology as Gene was studying pharmacy and Jean lab technology. Eugene was from Detroit, Michigan where his mother Helen Cwik was a doctor and his sister, Blanche Smith, an interior decorator.

After Cheryl was born the Chytry family operated a drug store in Colbran, CO. which was owned by Dr. Ziegel. The drugstore building had two apartments, one of which the Ziegels occupied and the other the Chytrys. The building remains in Colbran on the East side of the main street just before crossing Plateau Creek.

The drugstore was not a successful business and Eugene wanted to move to Detroit. Eugene and Dorothy Jean were divorced when Cheryl was two. Jean and Cheryl moved to the Oldland Brother's VT ranch on Piceance Creek. They lived with Jean's parents, Eva and Gerald Oldland. Walter (Gerald's brother) and Josephine Oldland also lived on the ranch which had been homesteaded by their father, Rube Oldland Sr.,and where Dorothy Jean and her brother, Reuben had been raised.

Dorothy Jean obtained a job as the teacher at the one room Stewart School which was two miles down the road from the ranch. Cheryl's grandparents, Eva and Gerald, known as MaMa Vee and Daddy Bruce to Cheryl became second parents to her.

The Oldland Brothers ranch had hired a good looking cowboy by the name of Jim Findlay to be the cattle foreman. Jean and Jim started dating and were married in Rifle. Jim was a gentle, kind man and Cheryl became his sidekick. Jim, Jean, and Cheryl would move to the summer cow camp to oversee the cattle. Many miles were covered horseback and Jim taught Cheryl the names of plants, animals and all things created by Mother Nature as he had been a cowboy working in remote areas of the Western Slope of CO all of his life. Jim had two sisters and three brothers so Cheryl inherited many cousins in the Meeker area, but going to Meeker was a 35 mile trip so did not see them often. One of Jim's sisters, Mary Eliason, and her husband had 15 children. Jim, Jean, and Cheryl lived with Ma Ma Vee and Daddy Bruce in the winter as the available houses on the ranch were occupied by families hired by the ranch. Cheryl started school at the Stewart school with Jean as her teacher. We only had about 6-9 students in the school and one other boy in Cheryl's grade. We were a close knit bunch of kids and Cheryl enjoyed the chance to actually get to play with other children, but was terribly bashful. Jean and Cheryl rode their horses to school most of the time as road was not good and gas expensive during World War II.

Both Cheryl's Grandmother and Mother had attended Cotty College, a PEO sponsored girls school, in Nevada, Missouri so were able to teach Cheryl some of the finer things in life. Ma Ma Vee majored in music at Cotty College and was a talented musician. She sang and played the piano. I have a DVD of her singing and playing the piano which is a treasure.

The Oldland Brother Ranch, also known as the VT ranch, was always short of hay so a hay ranch 6 miles west of Meeker on the White River was purchased and Jim was asked to manage the ranch. The hay was put up in the summer, the yearling cattle were driven from Piceance in the fall to be fed, then driven back to Piceance in the spring. This was prior to being able to truck them. This drive took two days. We all missed going to the cow camp very much, but this arrangement was more economically feasible for the family plus Cheryl was about to enter Junior High School. There was no school bus at that time from Piceance Creek so Cheryl would have had to board with someone or an apartment would have to be rented by Jean or MaMa Vee during school year. Another factor that entered into the decision to move to Meeker was that Jean's brother, Reuben, had just come back to the ranch from serving in World War II so he assumed to cattle supervisors job for the ranch.

Cheryl attended school at the Powell Park country school West of Meeker until high school at such time she started attending Rio Blanco County High School in Meeker. Cheryl was an active member of the RBCHS Pep Club, Band and Chorus. Upon graduation in 1955 she obtained a scholarship to attend CSU in Fort Collins, CO. She began her Freshman year at CSU majoring in Occupational Therapy. One of the girls dorms was Green Hall where Cheryl met many new friends. Two of her best friends from Denver

owned and showed horses so encouraged Cheryl to pursue showing horses. Cheryl showed horses in Little National Western Stockshow held on campus, became a member of the all girls mounted quadrille team who performed at National Western Stockshow in Denver, CSU's Livestock and Rodeo Club. Cheryl competed in Goat tying and traveled to many other college rodeos and placed third in the Western Region her senior year. Cheryl joined Delta Zeta Sorority as a freshman. The sorority provided opportunities to serve on CSU' Legislator, Home Ec Council, and leadership conferences. While attending

CSU, Cheryl met her future husband, Larry C. Whiteman. They only dated one time during college, but were both active in many of the same organizations plus Larry managed the college rodeo, and Little National Western Stockshow.

The Occupational Therapy program required 9 months of internship prior to taking the National Board Test to become an OTR. Cheryl and another OT student completed their 1st 3 month internship between Junior & Senior year in Boise, Idaho. Cheryl graduated from CSU in 1959 with a BS Degree in

Occupational Therapy & Biological Science. The fall of 1959 and spring of 1960 Cheryl completed her remaining internships at American Medical Center, National Jewish Hospital (both in Denver) and Emory John Brady Hospital in CO Springs. Cheryl passed the Nat. Board Test for OT in spring of 1960 and became an OTR.

Larry Whiteman and Cheryl started dating seriously while Cheryl was interning. Larry had graduated one year prior to Cheryl, had completed his Army ROTC commitment and had joined his parents on the Whiteman Hereford Ranch between Hayden and Craig, CO. Larry and Cheryl were married September 4, 1960 in St. James Episcopal church in Meeker. Larry and Cheryl lived on the Whiteman Hereford ranch

located between Craig and Hayden CO.along the Yampa River. Larry taught Cheryl how to groom and show registered Hereford cattle. They showed their cattle during Routt Co fair, Stockshow in Denver and State Fair in Pueblo.

The Whiteman ranch was sold in 1981. Larry, Cheryl and family moved to Co Rd 11 North of Craig and then purchased 300 acres located on Freeman Reservoir Rd further N. of Craig and built a new passive solar home. We had hay meadows and pastures where we raised cattle, sheep and horses plus a Lama given to Brenda by a neighbor. Lamas help guard livestock. Larry started Professional Agri Service in 1988 doing farm and ranch appraisals plus was Real Estate Broker. I drove the 7 Miles to Craig and worked for the Moffat Co Extension Service plus managed a plant nursery which included a large greenhouse and outside plantings. Instead of wages I selected trees, bushes and flowers to landscape new home.

Larry and Cheryl were blessed with two adopted children, Shawn & Brenda. Upon graduation from high school, Shawn located in Phoenix, AZ . He married Maggie Jorquez and they have a son, Sean Clayton. They later divorced and Shawn married Piper and have made their home near Wickenburg, Az .Brenda graduated from CSU in Fort Collins, CO, married Todd Bergstom and have made their home in Golden, CO. They have two children, Erika and Jake. Larry & Cheryl sold their property North of Craig and moved to Grand Junction, CO. in 1990. Larry continued his Pro Ag business. The office was in Craig so Larry rented an apartment in Craig and commuted from Fruita to Craig. Larry continued doing Farm & Ranch Appraisals and ranch brokering until his death from cancer in 2006. Cheryl worked part time as an

Occupational Therapist plus part time as Ag research assistant for CSU’s Western Slope Ag Research Farm located in Fruita, CO.

Larry & Cheryl sold original two acres in Grand Junction in 2006 and moved to Village at Country Creek located in Fruita. VCC is a 55+ community where we own our own patio homes. The HOA dues pay for lawn watering,mowing, snow removal plus some outside maintenance of homes so is a lock and leave

type home. Larry passed away shortly after moving to this location. VCC includes a club house where we gather once a week for coffee plus many nice social events such as pot luck dinners, birthday parties etc.

2022

Cheryl is now working four mornings a week at CSU Fruita Research Center (WCRC) which is only a mile from home so very convenient. I am in charge of the landscaping around office which includes mowing a large lawn, planting & maintaining several flower beds plus help crew out in the test plots as needed. I work in both indoor & outdoor labs. analyzing and recording data from crops grown in test plots. May 2022 after working for CSU for 35 years, I retired from working at WCRC When possible, I travel to Piceance Creek where my cousins, Jerry and Stephanie Oldland and Chris and Tim Uphoff, live on the family ranch. Jerry and Steph. Live on the original Gerald Oldland ranch and Tim and Chris live on the original Walter Oldland ranch. Gerald and Walter were brothers is why the ranch is referred to as the Oldland Brother Ranch. Both of the horses Larry & I had are down there so have a wonderful home plus I can ride them to help with cattle.

Cheryl has enjoyed several international and local trips offered by The Museum of Western CO here in Grand Junction. They do all of the arrangements and I have made some interesting new friends. All of us live in Western CO which is nice compared to trips planned by a travel agency. I can either drive or fly to AZ and Golden to see my children and grandchildren. Erika has graduated from CSU and is working as a PA for doctors around Knoxville Tenn., Jake has graduated from high school and is working for his dad, Sean Clayton has graduated from Chapman University in CA and is now writing scripts for movies plus does some location settings for movies and commercials.

A memorial service will be held at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary, Grand Junction, CO on Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 1:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in honor of Cheryl to the CSU Fruita Research Center.