Joan Kukuk

Joan Rita (Latimer) Kukuk passed away quietly on Friday April 24, 2020, with her daughter Kaye by her side. She was under hospice care at Mesa Manor Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. She was 88 years old.

Joan was born in Oak Park, Illinois on January 31, 1932 to John and Hazel (Hunter) Latimer. She spent her childhood and teen years growing up with her older brother Kenneth in PawPaw, Illinois and graduated from PawPaw High School in 1950. In June of 1950 she married Coleman Kukuk of Earlville, Illinois. The newlyweds started their married life on a farm two miles west of Earlville followed by a move to a farm five miles south of Earlville. In 1952 the first of their four children Ronald was born. Their other three children came in quick succession. Robert in 1953, Kaye in 1955, and Scott in 1956. In 1963 the family moved to a farm east of Earlville. They were very involved in the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Earlville.

Joan loved being a mom and farm wife, raising her children in a God-fearing home, helping Coleman on the farm, and putting up food stores for the winter. She also worked part-time to help make ends meet by working at the Dairy Dip Drive-In when the children were younger and later at Mason’s Department Store in Ottawa, Illinois. In 1981 Coleman and Joan sold their farm equipment, packed moving boxes and moved to Creede, Colorado where three of their four children were living. They moved in with their son Robert (Bob). Coleman started a trucking and excavating business and Joan started working at the Kentucky Belle Market. They loved Creede. They especially enjoyed jeeping in the mountains and the autumn trips to get firewood were special memories for them. They were active members in the small Lutheran congregation that met in Creede. In 1985 they moved into a home a few miles outside of Creede and finally in 2000 built their dream home.

After several years as a fixture at the Kentucky Belle Market, Joan started working at Wason Ranch. She enjoyed her time at the ranch and she and Coleman made many life-long friends during her time there. Until her failing eyesight made it difficult, Joan was a prolific cross-stitcher and blessed several family members with heirloom quality gifts. Joan was a huge year-round sports fan. She watched her beloved Cubs and Rockies in the spring and summer, rarely missed a Broncos game, and was an avid follower of the Nuggets.

In 2008 they made their final move to Grand Junction, Colorado to be closer to their daughter Kaye and have better access to medical services. They really enjoyed taking in an afternoon matinee, an evening concert, or a drive around town. Persistent health issues finally made it a necessity to move in with their daughter. In 2014, Coleman passed, taking a large piece of Joan’s heart with him. Life just wasn’t the same without him. Several months after Coleman’s passing, Joan moved into the Mesa Manor Center where she resided until her death.

Joan was preceded in death by her parents, Hazel and John Latimer, her brother and sister-in-law, Kenneth and Joyce Latimer, and her husband Coleman Kukuk.

She is survived by her four children, Ron (Joy) Kukuk of Grand Junction, Colorado, Robert (Janelle) Kukuk of Creede, Colorado, Kaye Fairchild of Grand Junction, Colorado, and Scott (Cindy) Kukuk of Winnemucca, Nevada. She is also survived by her seven grandchildren who she adored, Chad Fairchild, Aimee (Michael) Sorter, Margo (Bryan) Eubank, Kyle (Morgan) Fairchild, Janice (Brian) Lopeman, Michael Kukuk and Melanie (Andy) Dickey, eleven great-grandchildren and several nieces.

A memorial service will be held in the summer in Creede.

Joan had a soft spot for the animals at the Royce-Hurst Humane Society in Grand Junction: www.rhhumanesociety.org. Both Coleman and Joan were thoughtfully and compassionately cared for by Hope West Hospice Care in Grand Junction: www.hopewestco.org. Memorial contributions can be made to either organization.

Cards can be sent to the family in care of Kaye Fairchild, PO Box 188, Fruita, CO 81521.