Shirley Jean Backlund

Shirley Jean Backlund, age 89, of Centennial, Colorado passed away on Sunday, December 12, 2021. Shirley Jean Backlund was the youngest of five daughters born to Fred and Ruby Green on February 27, 1932 in Bennett, Colorado.

Shirley attended 1st through 8th grades in what she referred to as “a small school” in Franktown, Colorado, and then attended all four years of high school in Castle Rock, Colorado. She graduated from Douglas County High School in 1950. Shirley loved High School. She often shared, and even noted in a personal biography, that “High School was one of the most fun times in my life.” She simply loved being with her Friends and engaging in as many social activities as possible with them.

Following High School, Shirley married the love of her life, Varner A. “Buzz” Backlund, Jr., on June 18, 1950. The two began their lives together in Kiowa, Colorado, and to this union came four children: Kurt, Vera Kim, Kandis and Varner A. “Kipper,” III.

Shirley was a Dear Friend, Sister, Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, and Great-Great Grandmother. Professionally, from 1950 to 1968, she worked outside the home as a telephone operator at Mountain Bell, and a Bank Teller, Machine Operator and Typist at the Kiowa State Bank. From 1969 to 1974, she worked as the Deputy District Court Clerk for the Elbert County Court, leaving that position to give more time to her Family. Two years later, Shirley returned to the workforce. She worked at the Kiowa Superette for a short time before becoming a Title Insurance Clerk at the Elbert County Abstract & Title Company from 1976 to August of 1981, at which time Buzz, Shirley and Kipper moved to Byers, Colorado. They resided in Byers until the Summer of 1982, when Kipper graduated from High School. They returned to their hometown of Kiowa, where they lived Southeast of Kiowa at the Family Cabin they’d built many years before. Shirley lived at the Family Cabin, even after Buzz’s passing in 1986, until 2001, when she moved north of Elizabeth into rural Parker. In 2018, she moved into an Assisted Living Community in Parker where she lived until the early Summer of 2021; thereafter, making her final move to an Assisted Living Home in Centennial. Shirley died peacefully on Sunday, December 12, 2021, with family at her side.

Shirley loved spending time with Family and Friends, and cited “fishing in the mountains with her husband and friends” as her idea of fun. When not fishing, camping and snowmobiling, Shirley loved entertaining, going out to dinner with Friends and Family, preparing amazing meals together at Home, and playing countless hours of cards and games. She was quite the competitor and always loved to win. She would quiet that competitive nature only long enough to patiently teach and mentor her grandchildren and great grandchildren in the game... taking each of them from novice to fierce competitor! And then, it was on! Weekend-long competitions would soon give birth to the “Grandma” rules. Yes, she loved to win, at any cost! Hours spent playing cards and games remain among her grandchildren and great grandchildren’s favorite memories of her!

Above all... Shirley was PRESENT in her Family’s lives. She loved school functions, athletic competitions, life events, Holidays and even the most-simple occasions to gather together with Friends and Family. She gave life to every room she entered, and joy to all who knew her. Elaborating on Shirley’s presence in all of our lives would take pages. Summarizing our many memories into a few simple words and phrases, can only serve in reducing the pages, but never could they minimize the impact Shirley had on the lives of those who shared them: Canning, cooking, candy-making, cards, Barbies, her laughter, lipstick, “Oh Kipper!”, hummingbirds, coloring, crafting, Bingo, garage sales, shopping, homemade salad dressing and sauces, gravy making, wine, People magazines, mail-order catalogs, 8-track “Ring of Fire” dancing, Mountain Man candy (notably Yogalos!), homemade play dough, beloved blue spruce, sledding, snowmobiling down the dams, the red wedge pillow!, spotlighting porcupines, horseshoes, picnics, listening to the bug zapper, Christmas music, songs sung by Engelbert Humperdinck and Jim Reeves, parties of all kinds, dancing, creating beautiful flowerbeds... and always providing her shoulder to cry on. A life well lived, indeed!

Shirley is survived by her children Kurt Backlund of Kiowa, CO, Vera Kim (Randy) Fleming of Parker, CO, Kandis Backlund of Cottonwood, CA, and Varner A. “Kipper” (Mary) Backlund, III of Aurora, CO; seven grandchildren, Kelly Backlund (Jesse Watson) of Parker, CO, Kendra (Scott) Forney of Boulder City, NV, Keri (Silvan) Bell of Kiowa, CO, Matt (Katy) Fleming of Scottsbluff, NE, Melissa (Christopher) Lombardo of Thornton, CO, Kayla (Robert) Schneider of Parker, CO, and Breanna (Brian) Moon of Westminster, CO; 23 great grandchildren, Connor Watson, Sydney Backlund, Sierra Watson, Bennet Forney, Brennan Forney, Riley Bell, Brinley Watts, Kendree Bell, Kaycee Fleming, Nicole Fleming, Morgan Fleming, Logan Fleming, Mariah Lombardo (Marcos Valverde), Nathan Lombardo, Addison Lombardo, Jemma Lombardo, Mason Schneider, Brekken Schneider, Kennedy Schneider, expectant fraternal-twin granddaughters Schneider due in March 2022, Kace Moon, and Charlye Moon; two great-great identical-twin grandsons Massiah Valverde and Maceo Valverde; Sister Phyllis Mikelson of Castle Rock, CO; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Shirley was preceded in death by her Parents Fred and Ruby Green; Sisters Mildred Childs, Maxine Foos, and Eileen Secord; Beloved Husband Varner A. “Buzz,” Jr.; and Granddaughter Jessica Fleming.

Shirley will be greatly missed. As a Family, we look forward to continued rainbows following our storms and random hummingbird visits, both bringing with them the assurance of Shirley’s continued Presence in our lives. We love You, Mom/Grandma. May you Rest in Peace, yet Live Vivaciously, among your many dear Friends and Family who have gone before you. Until we meet again...