Alan Francis Velder -- November 22, 1936 to April 24, 2019
Alan Francis Velder was born in the winter of 1936 in Spencer, Nebraska.
Growing up on a farm, he learned to appreciate fixing what was broken. He played football and ran track, which was useful when he once ran across the rooftops of downtown buildings after throwing summer apples at passersby below.
As a young man, he served in the U.S. Army (1955-1957) out of Fort Leonard Wood, MO, where he first heard the memorable tones of a guy named Elvis.
In November of 1957, he married Eldora Baker of Philip, South Dakota. Alan hustled Dorie off to the top of the world in Leadville, CO, where they started their lifetime journey to four children (Darlene, Garrett, Kelly and Angela), and a wild ride across multiple careers and much of the beautiful and rugged western United States.
In his exploration of life, Alan worked as a hard-rock miner, a student earning a BA in business, an insurance agent, and a music distributor. By his late forties, though, he found his passion -- as a seeker, repairer, and seller of forgotten treasures, sparkling gemstones, and stories of the Wild West.
Alan's dry humor and zest for exploration will be deeply missed by his lifetime companion Dorie, their children and grandchildren; as well as his sisters Dorothy, Jean, and Ann, and his nieces and nephews. May he rest in peace with our loving gratitude.
In Lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Hopewest Hospice in Alan's honor at this website. https://www.hopewestco.org/
Monday, April 29, 2019
Starts at 11:00 am (Mountain time)
St. Joseph's Catholic Church
Visits: 3
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