Evelyn Vrbka was born on March 22, 1924, in Rising City, Nebraska, to Joseph Vrbka and Tillie Sedlak Vrbka. She was the oldest child and had 6 younger brothers. Evelyn married Bert Patterson on April 12, 1947, and served as a dedicated Air Force Officer’s wife until Bert’s death in 2005. Evelyn and Bert are survived by their two daughters, Patricia (Gary) Nickle of Lenexa, Kansas, and Diane (David) Gustafson of Fort Collins, Colorado. Evelyn is also survived by five beloved grandchildren - Kristi Nickle Smith of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; Kara Nickle Compton of Temple, Texas; Colin Gustafson of Loveland, Colorado; Kyle Gustafson of Fort Collins, Colorado; and Logan Gustafson of Studio City, California. Evelyn leaves behind nine Great Grandchildren - Owen Smith, Ava Smith, Colby Compton, Andrew Compton, Hunter Compton, Kenna Gustafson, Levi Gustafson, Noah Gustafson, and Dawson Gustafson. Evelyn was so proud to welcome Great, Great Granddaughter Ayla Compton into the world. Evelyn was preceded in death by brothers Ray, Leonard, Donald and LaVerne, and cherished her surviving brothers Bob (Dottie) Vrbka and Gary (Candy) Vrbka.
Evelyn was fortunate to travel extensively as a military wife. She lived and thrived in locations ranging from Nome, Alaska, to Biloxi, Mississippi, to Andrews Air Force Base, New York, to Wiesbaden, Germany. Evelyn also lived a life of service to others. She sewed hundreds of school dresses for the children of low-income families in Colorado Springs and logged over 4,000 volunteer hours knitting caps for newborns at Poudre Valley Hospital and Medical Center of the Rockies. Evelyn also knitted countless warm caps for our soldiers to wear under their helmets while serving in Iraq. She was a talented bridge player and enjoyed competing in bowling tournaments. She skied with her family and loved fishing/camping and spending time with Bert at their beloved mountain cabin near Lake George, Colorado. Evelyn was an avid golfer and enjoyed countless sunny days on the courses with Bert. She was a devoted Broncos and Rockies fan and loved cheering them on while watching games on TV. No holiday was complete without a robust game of Chicken Foot dominoes with her great grandchildren. Rumor had it that she cheated, but she was sly enough to never be caught red-handed. She had a delightful sense of humor and touched the lives of way more people than she could ever have imagined. She was thrilled to celebrate her 100th birthday in March and enjoyed hosting over 60 relatives and friends from all over the country. She will be sorely missed and has left a vast void in so many lives. Her ashes will be placed next to Bert’s in Colorado Springs in a small private service.
The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the nursing and medical staff of Poudre Valley Hospital where she was treated with the utmost respect and professionalism. Special thanks to Dr. Dickens for his compassion and gentle care as he worked closely with the family to maintain mom’s dignity and to carry out her wishes. Thank you, too, to PVH Champlain Rick who facilitated locating Father Simone from St. Joseph’s parish to administer the sacraments of Communion and the Last Rites.
The family was humbled by the amazing care and compassion given to us all at Pathways Hospice Care Center. Their sincerity and attention to our every need was truly above and beyond. Thank you – you made a tremendous difference as you guided us through an excruciating loss. Family and friends are encouraged to make contributions in Evelyn’s name to Pathways Hospice, 317 Carpenter Road, Fort Collins, CO 80525, to support their outstanding services and programs. Treasured memories of Evelyn and words of condolence for her family are welcome at resthavencolorado.com.
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