Rhea Wolf Lehmkuhl

Rhea Wolf Lehmkuhl peacefully died on Dec. 29, 2014 at Centre Ave Health and Rehab in Fort Collins, Colorado. She was 97 years old. She will be sadly missed by her friends and family. She was a dedicated and devoted mother and grandmother. She will be remembered for her lively spirit, her sense of humor and her strong love of animals, especially cats. She leaves behind memories filled with laughter, compassion and love.

Rhea was born on Dec. 17, 1917 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Alexander and Edna Wolf. She attended Coe College for two years. It was in Cedar Rapids that she met and married Robert (Bob) Hanson and gave birth to their daughter, Dede. After Bob’s service in the navy during WWII they moved to Chicago, then Glen Ellyn, Illinois and finally Estes Park, Colorado. Her life during those years was full of time with friends and family. She loved bridge, gardening, golf, hiking in the Colorado mountains and creating a lovely home with a view of Long’s Peak. A highlight of their travels was a trip to Yugoslavia with Rhea’s brother, Jack and his wife Milly. After a long struggle with lung cancer, Bob died in 1981.

Through a mutual friend in Estes Park, Rhea met and married Walter (Walt) Lehmkuhl in 1983. While living in Estes, Walt and Rhea loved to entertain friends and family and travel together. They enjoyed trips to Europe, Hawaii and spent time by the ocean in La Jolla, California until Walt’s unforeseen death in 1986.

During a winter visit with friends in Mesa, Arizona in 1988 Rhea met Anton Beenackers. He was in Arizona for the winter with his Canadian golf group. Rhea and Anton became constant companions from that point on. They would travel to Saskatchewan each summer, to Estes Park in fall and spring and back to Arizona for golf in the winters. Rhea golfed until she turned 85. In 2012 Anton died and Rhea moved to Centre Ave Skilled Health and Rehab where she lived for three years.

Rhea was preceded in death by her parents, Alexander and Edna Wolf and her brother, Jack S. Wolf. She is survived by her daughter, Deana (Dede) Histand, her son-in-law, Michael Histand of Fort Collins, Colorado; and her grandchildren, Kaia Nesbitt (husband, Grant) of Denver, Colorado and Miles Histand (wife, Wendy) of Portland, Oregon; and three great grandchildren (Connor, Lauren, and Luke.)

A special thanks to the staff of Centre Ave Health and Rehab for their wonderful care and friendship over these past three years.

A small family gathering will be at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make memorial contributions are encouraged to contribute to the Humane Society of the United States or any other organization dedicated to protecting animal welfare (in care of Allnutt Funeral Service, 650 Drake Road, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526.)