Doris Laverne Cross

January 6, 1931 - October 18, 2013

Doris McMillan Cross was born in Lynn County, Texas and raised on a cotton farm by her parents, Pete and Jewell. Her love of animals started with her favorite dog on the farm.

She graduated from O'Donnell, Texas High School and married Olton R. ""Bud"" Cross shortly after. They had four children, Vicki, Richard, Suzanne and Debra. They lived in southern Colorado, Kansas City, Denver and Florida before becoming ranchers in Ignacio, where Doris was able to fully enjoy all animals.

She worked as a vet assistant for Dr. Doug Melcher in Durango and, later, for Montezuma Vet Clinic in Cortez.

When her marriage ended, she moved to Grand Junction and worked with her other love-children- on the Pediatric Ward of St. Mary's Hospital.

Her pets, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the center of her world and she cared for them as well as other children, well past her retirement.

She also provided loving care to her son-in-law, Carl Cortez, until his death in 2006.

She was preceded in death by her brother, L.E. and her first granddaughter, Tammy Martin, in 2008.

She is survived by her four children; ten grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.

Doris passed away in the loving support of her daughters, Vicki and Suzanne and the staff of Palisade Living Center and Hospice of Western Colorado.

Please join family and friends to fulfill Doris' request of celebration of planting of a tree in Hawthorn Park on Mother's Day May 11th from 3 - 4:00 p.m.

She requested contributions, in lieu of flowers, to Roice Hurst Humane Society.

Published in The Daily Sentinel on May 8, 2014