Lillian Margaret Boyer

Lillian Margaret Creed Boyer was born to George and Ella (Sawyer) Creed May 4, 1926 in rural Ararat County, NC. She was the fourth of six children, five girls and one boy. Her father was a tobacco farmer and storekeeper. Her mother grew a large garden, kept chickens, raised hogs and made clothing for the family in addition to all the necessary chores required to raise a large family. Lillian only completed the seventh grade in school because the children were needed to work in the fields. She loved school and excelled at her studies. Even though her formal schooling was brief, she won a local spelling bee and had perfect attendance.

When she was 17 years old she moved to the nearby town of Mt. Airy, NC to work at the Hanes Mill, sending home some of her paycheck each week to help her widowed mother. One of her girlfriends from the mill asked her to go on a blind date with two servicemen who were on leave. Her girlfriend's date decided he liked Lillian and asked her for a date. That man turned out to be her future husband, Franklin Boyer. They kept in touch by letter during the remainder of WWII. He paid her train fare to Denver and they were married February 15, 1946.

Shortly after their marriage they moved to Tacoma, Washington where Frank found work in a logging mill. While living in Washington, they had two children, a daughter Cherie Ann Boyer Roberton and a son Charles Wesley Boyer. They returned to the Denver area early in 1950.

Lillian was a homemaker until the mid 1950's when she went to work part-time for a fish hatchery and aquarium that supplied exotic fish, lizards, etc. to many of the pet stores in the Denver area. This lead to a job in the pet department of the Woolworth's store in the new Cherry Creek Shopping Center. She worked for Woolworth until the late 1960's. After leaving Woolworth, she became a homemaker again. She raised a large garden for several years using the canning skills she'd learned as a child to preserve some the produce she didn't give away. She was an excellent cook and loved feeding family and friends. She began making Christmas cookies when Cherie and Charles were children and continued to share this tradition with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved making the sugar cookie dough then watching as family and even friends of her grandchildren, cut and decorated dozens of cookies each year. She didn't like eating the cookies, but made them so others could enjoy them.

Lillian had a strong and enduring faith which she shared with her family and others. She was active in the church, teaching Sunday school, participating in bible studies and regularly volunteering her time and energy. She was an active member of Prince of Peace Lutheran church up until her death.

Lillian had an easy manner and laughed often. Everyone who knew her loved her lighthearted, wicked sense of humor. She made friends everywhere she went and her door was always open. She loved spending time in the mountains and was especially fond of Estes Park and the area around Salida. She reminisced often about the special times she spent with Frank and her family. She had a great affection for wildlife of every kind and like Snow White, she had a flock of feathered and furry friends surrounding her in her garden every day.

She loved life, family, friends and her Savior. A strong, honest, humble, warm, funny, generous, and affectionate woman, Lillian will be greatly missed by all those who were fortunate enough to know and love her.

Lillian is survived by one of her younger sisters, Irene Hague of Richmond, VA and her children Cherie Boyer Roberton of Loveland, CO and Charles Boyer (wife Beverly) of Salida, CO. Her grandchildren: Geno Roberton (wife Rochelle) of Loveland, CO; Cheri Roberton Lowe (husband Duncan) of Kirklington, UK; Tracy Feit of Greeley, CO; Terra Mendoza of Denver, CO; and Brandy Vahle (husband Rob) of Greeley, CO. Her great-grandchildren: Randal (partner Maria), Ryan, Landon and Karlee Roberton; Callum and Grace Lowe; Michael and Hunter Mendoza; and Beatrix Vahle. And her great-great grandchildren: Cooper and Ciera Roberton.