Helen Marie Spehar

Helen Marie Spehar, 95, Grand Junction, died Feb. 20, 2016, at HopeWest and Hospice Care Center. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary, followed by a rosary at 7 p.m. Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Burial will be at Orchard Mesa Cemetery.

Ms. Spehar was a registered nurse.

She is survived by three sons, Jim and Tom of Grand Junction, and Gerry of Lubbock, Texas; one daughter, Marianne Spehar Mercado of Grand Junction; one brother, Monsignor Marvin Kapushion of Pueblo; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions to HopeWest, 3090B N. 12th St., Grand Junction 81506; or Catholic Outreach, 245 S. First St., Grand Junction, Colorado 81501.

Her family, her faith and her profession were the driving forces in the life of Helen Marie Spehar.

Helen died Saturday, February 20, at the Hospice Care Center of Hope West in Grand Junction. She was born on December 19, 1920, in Crested Butte, CO, the first of three children of George Kapushion and Anna Matkovich. She grew up in Crested Butte and was valedictorian of the Class of 1938 at Crested Butte High School.

Yearning to be a nurse, she first had to negotiate with her father, who wanted her to be a teacher. Their compromise was that she would get a college degree in nursing. Fulfilling a coal miner’s desire that his children be well educated. She was the last surviving member of her nursing class, graduating in 1943 from the University Of Colorado School Of Nursing. She finally decided about a year ago not to renew her nursing license.

After receiving a special dispensation from the school to wed prior to graduation, two pioneer Crested Butte families were united when she married Jacob George Spehar at Crested Butte in June, 1942. They began married life in Denver and moved to Grand Junction shortly after her graduation.

Helen walked to work at the old St. Mary’s Hospital from their first residence in the Riverside neighborhood, later shortening her route when they moved to a downtown apartment and then into their first and only home a few blocks east, the historic Main Street house she proudly maintained until her death.

In addition to St. Mary’s, she worked in the offices of local doctors and as a public health nurse. After Jake’s death in 1961, she returned to C.U. to be certified as a school nurse. She then worked at Central High School and Grand Junction High School until she was recruited to run the student health center at what is now Colorado Mesa University. She retired reluctantly to care for her ailing mother and later was one of the first hospice nurses in Mesa County.

Helen is survived by her brother, Rev. Monsignor Marvin Kapushion of Pueblo, sons Jim (Bonnie) and Tom, both of Grand Junction, Gerry (Sue) of Lubbock, TX, daughter Marianne Spehar Mercado, also of Grand Junction, eleven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and many nephews and nieces, all of whom thought they were her favorite. Preceding her death, in addition to her parents, were her husband, Jake, sons George (Susan) and Time (Margie) and her brother William (Irma) Kapushion.