Vila Ann Yates

Our beloved Mother, Vila Ann (Twetti) Yates, went to join our Father and our Sister in Heaven on March 2, 2016 after fighting a 2 year battle of cancer.

Twetti was born on September 11, 1950 in Taos, New Mexico to John and Fay Owen. She spent her first 2 years in NM before moving to Creede, CO in 1952. In 1955, the family moved to Naturita where her father went to work at Sam Kramer’s Trucking Company. Twetti attended school in the Nucla/Naturita area starting in 1955, graduating from Nucla High School in 1968. In 1971, Twetti met her soul-mate, Robert Yates in Ridgway and they were married March 12, 1972. To this union, 3 children were born, Racquel Dean, Robert Brower and Rodney Wayne.

Twetti was a devoted wife and mother and spent many years at home raising the kids and helping out with any school or sports activities she could. After the death of her husband in 1990, Twetti found work where she could to support her kids. She worked at the Ray Motel, Petal Pusher flower shop, West End Public Schools, Camel’s Garden in Telluride, Nucla Merc and the Family Market but her favorite job was the one she had from April 2002 until December 2011 as a Dispatcher for the Montrose County Sheriff’s Department. Twetti was a member of the Montrose County Sheriff Posse and the Cedar Ridge Cemetery in Nucla.

Twetti is survived by her sons, Robert of Grand Junction and Rodney and wife Abby of St. Francis, Kansas; her sisters, Dot Doll (Allan Todd) of Naturita, Judy Falk of Rifle, and Debbie Kaye of Nucla; Grandchildren, Porter, Aubrey and Ronan Yates of St. Francis, Kansas and Macee and Eli Brady of Grand Junction; and her Aunt Lila Arnold of Nucla as well as many nieces and nephews. Twetti is preceded in death by her husband Robert, daughter, Racquel Brady, her parents, John and Faye Owen, brother, Lonnie Eugene Owen, Uncle, Don Arnold, grandparents, Vila and Walter Arnold and a great nephew, Wyatt Preston Owen.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made at the Citizen’s State Bank in Naturita, care of Vila Yates, to help the family with medical and funeral expenses.