Alta Marie Cates

Alta Marie Cates, 99, of Loveland, CO passed away Sunday, December 29, 2019. A Celebration of Life for Alta will be held at 3pm on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at Park Regency in Loveland. A graveside service will be held at a later date in Hastings, NE.

Born in Brush, CO, she was a daughter of the late Gus and Fleda (Matteson) Ohlsson. They were vegetable farmers and leaders of the local Presbyterian Church. Alta graduated from Brush High School and Beth-El College of Nursing in Colorado Springs.

Alta worked as a Nurse in the Nursery at Mary Lanning Hospital in Hastings, NE for 15 years. She met and married her late husband, Millard Cates, in Hastings. They were married for 50 wonderful years. Millard was the chairman of the music department at Hastings College and passed away in 1998. During her lifetime she also lived in Ann Arbor, MI and various cities in Colorado.

Alta loved being with family, gardening, driving through the mountains, flowers, sewing and chocolate. One of her fondest pastimes was sewing little outfits for preemie babies at the hospital where she worked. She loved music and played the cello during her high school years. Alta was extremely caring and thoughtful, and everyone who knew her loved her. She will be remembered as poised, soft spoken, having a great sense of humor, loving to laugh, and enjoying spending time with her grandchildren.

Surviving are her children Nancy Hunnicutt of Loveland, CO, and Robert (Brenda) Cates of Hansen, NE; 6 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother, Gordon, and her sisters Adah and Allene.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Pathways Hospice at www.pathways-care.org