Fran Burr

Frances Burr (Milenski) was born in Swink, Colorado to Eleanor and Frank Milenski on September 21, 1939. She was the second of the four children that grew up on the family farm near Rocky Ford, along with her brothers, Joe and Bill, and her sister Bridget. As a child, Fran was studious, but also outdoorsy. She showed 4-H cattle, rode horses, played the flute, piano and drums, and famously drove her first car off the road into Timpas Creek near her home, a fact her siblings never let her live down.

Fran was Swink High School’s class Valedictorian in 1957. After high school she attended the University of Colorado in Boulder graduating with a BS in nursing in 1961. She meet her husband, Bob Burr, a rancher, on a dinner date at a meeting of the Colorado Water Conservation Board that was set up by their fathers, who were good friends and CWCB board members. The politics of Colorado water would forever be a part of Fran’s life from that moment forward as Bob also served many years on the CWCB and her daughter, Carolyn, became a water law attorney. Fran and Bob married in La Junta, Colorado on June 30, 1964 and moved to Walden, Colorado to begin ranch life on the JB Ranch.

As an Eastern Colorado farm girl, Fran grew up with cantaloups, corn and watermelons. She quickly learned about cattle ranching, sheep shearing, hired help, harsh winters, the Burr family business and cooking for a crew of men and her extended family 3 times a day. Shortly after moving to the ranch, she told a story of a particular day in August. "Within a half an hour this morning, there was a period of rain, hail, sleet and snow. The snow covered the windows until I couldn't see out. We had a snowball fight." She and Bob were blessed with two daughters, Theresa and Carolyn. Fran spent the next several decades working on the ranch, raising her family, being a 4-H mom, driving all over the state for sporting events, gardening and cooking.

Fran also volunteered a tremendous amount of time to her community through her work at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, the North Park Cattlewomen’s Association, and many years of dedicated service on the North Park School Board. Fran strongly believed in the value of public education and always had a teacher mentality. She notably handed Theresa and Carolyn their high school diplomas while serving as the school board president.

Once her kids left for college, Fran returned to nursing, which allowed her to continue to serve her community as the Jackson County nurse. Since Walden did not have a doctor at the time, Fran was the primary medical professional in North Park for a number of years. For her efforts Fran was recognized by her peers and the State of Colorado when she received the Florence Award in 2001. Even after retiring from nursing, care for others remained her life-long passion. She notoriously even attended to her “patients” in the memory care center where she lived her last years.

In 2008, JB Ranch was sold and Fran and Bob moved from Walden to Windsor, Colorado. She spent her years in Windsor enjoying her neighbors, her gardens and her great porch view of the front range mountains.

Fran loved North Park and the enduring friendships she made there. She especially loved the laughter and squeals of small children, classical music, dogs, Western art, hummingbirds, sheep, wildflowers, picnics, and the Christmas season. She embodied hard work and kindness and was known for her compassion, empathy, strong will, determination, and her innate sense of fairness and justice. She had a beautiful smile and twinkling blue eyes which flashed when she showed her humor. She played a fierce game of Scrabble, made incredible banana cookies, and spoiled her dogs with treats at the table. But above all, Fran’s life revolved around service to her family, friends and community. She died December 5, 2025 after battling dementia for many years.

Preceding her in death are her parents, Frank and Eleanor; her husband Robert Burr; her brother, Joe Milenski; her nephew, Frank Milenski, Jr.; and her son-in-law, Jim Stuhlman. Survivors include Bridget (Jim) Crisp of Forest Grove, OR; Bill (Diane) Milenski of Swink, CO; Bill (Linda) Burr of Windsor, CO; her children, Theresa Stuhlman of Philadelphia, PA and Carolyn Burr (Allen Miller) of Denver, CO; her three grandchildren Eli and Renee Miller and Elaina Stuhlman, and her nieces, Beth Burns, Lisa Ramsey, Becky Chase, Alison Milenski and Kaylin Milenski and their families.

A Funeral Mass in honor of Fran will be held at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, located at 448 LaFever St, Walden, CO, 80480, on December 11, 2025, beginning at 12:00 pm. Following the service, a Graveside Service will take place at Jackson County Cemetery on County Road 44, Walden, CO, 80480.

Family and friends are invited to gather for a Reception at the Jerelin Wattenberg Center on December 11, 2025, to celebrate Fran's life and share memories following the Graveside Service.