Elva Florence Dugan

Elva was born on December 24, 1926, to Howard and Stella (Scott) Newbold at Garnett, KS., the eldest of four daughters. The family moved to a farm east of Oberlin, KS and when the Great Depression of 1929 and the Dust Bowl Days came, everything was gone. The family moved back to a farm east of Garnett. Later, her father’s health meant a move to Colorado, when Elva was in the 6th grade, where the family settled on a farm east of Deer Trail, CO. She graduated from Deer Trail High School in 1945.

On December 27, 1947, Elva married John J. Dugan, Jr. They lived in Deer Trail, Sterling, and moved to Greeley in 1961. She taught country school in the Pines, CO area for 2 years (all eight grades), taught confirmation classes at St Mary Catholic Church, was a teacher’s aide at Scott Elementary. Elva worked at the Placement/Career Services Center at the University of Northern Colorado for 24 years. Her family was a host family to Fausta Vigolinio of Milano Italy in 1968-69 through American Field Service.

She was a member of St Mary Catholic Church, was on the St Mary Social Committee, was a Board Member of St Mary Housing, (known as the Immaculata Plaza), and a long-time a member of the St Mary/St Peters Round Robin Pinochle group. She enjoyed being a member of the Greeley Caledonian Society, Retired Teachers Association, and the Greeley Senior Center. She was a member of the Happy Harpers, a local harmonica band, and the Evans Kitchen Band. She was an accomplished artist and enjoyed gifting paintings to family and friends. She loved to read, play cards, and enjoyed traveling, especially to Ireland, England, Scotland, as well as many US states plus Canada and Mexico. The first big adventure was when she and Johnny took the family of ten, including their two 2-year-old grandsons, for a two-week tour of Ireland, staying at B&Bs along the way.

She is survived by a son, Michael Dugan (Amy) of Greeley and a daughter, Kathleen Dugan Marten (Dan) of Aurora, NE, her daughter-in-law Colleen Dugan, of Fort Collins, and her exchange student, Fausta Vigolinia of Milano, Italy. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Joe Dugan (Sandra), of Arvada, Tom Dugan (Katie) of Fort Collins, Jeff Dugan (Lachelle) of Fort Collins, Laura Dugan Sarnicola (Ryan) of Fort Collins, Mick Dugan (Melissa) of Windsor, Jon Marten of Defuniak Springs, FL, and Miranda Marten Hohm (Ryan) of Aurora, NE. She is survived by nine great granddaughters, Korah, Sophia, Ava, Olivia, and Emma Marten, Kaelin and Jamie Dugan, Emery Cordova, Aly Weber, Molly Dugan, Emmersen Hohm, and seven great grandsons, Layton and Karsten Hohm, Cooper Dugan, Jack and Carter Sarnicola, and McKade and Mason Dugan. She is also survived by her sister, Fern Newbold Hayward of St Anthony, ID and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John, her son, James, her parents, and her sisters, Irene Newbold Light and Lavonne Newbold.

Services will be on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 10:30 with the Rosary at 10:30am and the Service at 11:00am at St Mary Catholic Church, 2222 23rd Ave, Greeley CO 80634. Burial will be on Friday, March 14, 2025 at 10:00am at the Evergreen Cemetery in Deer Trail, CO.