Cleora Fix

Cleora Louvetta Fix, the oldest child of James Theodore Albert Welp and Alice Maude (Hanshaw) Welp, was born October 17, 1931, at the Wray Hospital. In 1933, she welcomed her brother, Dallas Albert Welp, into the world. Albert & Alice rented the "Parker Place", a farm in the same section as where Albert grew up, a couple miles north of Vernon. Between the ages of four and five, Cleora moved to the "Pyle Place", 2 miles southeast. She started school at the age of 5 at Glendale School. Cleora remembered Albert carrying water from the cistern to the house and using a gas-powered washing machine to do their laundry. A happier moment in the household came when they bought a butane-powered refrigerator with an ice chest. There was no electricity then, but the refrigerator was "uptown" compared to what they had been using. In 1943, Albert & Alice purchased the Orville Crouse Place (2 miles north and 1 mile east of Vernon). Their farm was typical, raising wheat, corn, sorghum, cattle, hogs, chickens, and a few turkeys. Cleora was in 6th grade about that time, and attended Radnor School, a small country school located a couple miles from their home. Cleora and Dallas rode horses or walked to school much of the time.
Cleora attended St. John's Lutheran Church in Vernon where she was a baptized and confirmed member. Alice was one of the organists for St. John's, and Cleora grew up with a pump organ as St. John's had no electricity.
Not being in the Vernon school district, Alice insisted the kids go to Wray to high school. In Cleora's freshman year, she stayed in town with a lady who boarded students. During the rest of her high school years Cleora rode to town with a neighbor until she and Dallas were old enough to drive. She graduated from Wray High School in 1949.
4-H was a big part of Cleora's childhood. Both her parents were 4-H leaders. Cleora and Dallas took projects that won honors and trips to the Colorado State Fair. Music was always very important to her family, and her mom made many sacrifices for Cleora to take piano lessons.
After high school, Cleora got a job at the First National Bank of Wray. She worked in the bookkeeping room, and later as a teller. This was the start of Cleora's long business career, and she was so grateful for the opportunity.
On September 3, 1950, Cleora married Richard Witte at Calvary Lutheran Church in Wray. Dick and Cleora had much in common both growing up in the Vernon community, attending the same church, and graduating from Wray High School in 1949. When they were first married, they lived in Vernon and Dick farmed with his dad. In July 1952, Dixie Lynnette was born. In 1953, they purchased a farm southeast of Eckley. What a trial that was!! 1953 -1957 were the dust bowl years all over again. The dry weather and lack of moisture made it nearly impossible to raise anything. One saving grace was finding gravel on their property which was used to construct the new Highway 34. Dick worked on the highway project and later got a job installing the Arapahoe natural gas pipeline. James Albert was born in September 1953 and Nancy Elaine was born in April 1955. In February 1957, tragedy struck. Dick was working on tractor parts in the basement of their house due to the cold weather when an explosion occurred. He was badly burned from the flames created from the explosion and died that evening at the Wray hospital. Cleora was pregnant at the time and had a difficult time on the farm, and family members and friends helped Cleora with the farm duties. In September 1957, Janette Lynn was born. Cleora and the children moved to Wray and Cleora returned to work at the bank. She moved the farmhouse to town in 1958 on a lot adjacent to Calvary Lutheran Church, and after extensive remodeling, Cleora and her four children moved into the house in 1959.
On New Years Eve 1958, George Fix and Cleora were invited to a party by mutual friends. George was County Treasurer at the time, and they got to know each other through work and coffee. George, a widower after his wife Betty Reed died in 1957, had four children, Vikki Lorraine, Douglas Lane, Margaret Grace, and Amy Colleen. After a short courtship, George and Cleora married in June 1959 at Calvary Lutheran Church, and they made their home at Cleora's new house in Wray until 1963. To this union Curtis Dale was born in March 1960. In 1963, they bought a house at 1030 W 7th Street where they resided the remainder of their married life. In the early 1960s, George & Cleora also adopted each other's children. A
memorable time occurred in 1966-1967 when all nine Fix-Witte children were in school; Curt, the baby of the family, was a 1st grader, and Vikki, the oldest, was a senior.
Cleora was very proud of her Lutheran upbringing. George became a member after their marriage, and both were very active in the church. All nine children were confirmed at Calvary. Cleora served as a church organist from 1970 to 2013 when she retired. She also led the junior choir and was active in the adult choir and Miriam Guild. Cleora was also an active member of Las Viente women's organization since 1957. In the 1980s, Cleora joined Lions Club where George was an active member.
In 1968, George and Cleora bought half interest in Yuma County Abstract. They became sole owners in 1984 and enjoyed working with several of their children as well as many long-term dedicated employees.
Cleora's mother Alice suffered a severe stroke in 1969, which required significant care from Albert and others. Alice died in 1975 and that same year Cleora lost her brother, Dallas, who passed away due to an accident injury at the young age of 42. Tragedy struck Cleora's family again in October 1990 when daughter Amy, and granddaughters April Dawn Baucke and Precious Jeneé Baucke, were killed in a car accident. Cleora's father, Albert, died in 2003, having lived for 96 years. Goerge & Cleora celebrated their 50th wedding Anniversary in June 2009.
Cleora's passion was her flowers and working in the yard. She daily tended to her flower beds in spring and summer and raked leaves or removed snow during the colder months. In her later years, friends working at the hospital would capture a picture on their phone showing Cleora raking leaves or moving snow and ice while sitting on her walker.
Cleora's husband George passed away in February 2014 and she remained in her home while still working at the office. In 2016, Cleora, at the age of 85, retired from Yuma County Abstract and enjoyed yard work and gardening at home. Due to declining health in May 2022, Cleora moved to Hillcrest Care Center and lived there until her death. Cleora died peacefully on January 20, 2025, at the age of 93 with several family members by her side.
The Fix-Witte family became quite large during their 50+ years of marriage, and most arrived to celebrate the amazing life of Cleora including 8 surviving children and all 21 surviving grandchildren. Cleora was preceded in death by her parents Albert & Alice, husbands Dick Witte and George Fix, brother Dallas, daughter Amy, granddaughters April & Jeneé, sons-in-law Doug Anderson, David Seboldt and Richard Frihauf, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Ramona (Welp) Crownover, Wayne & June Witte, Clarence & Shirley Witte, Harley & Peggy Witte, Dean & Barbara Witte, Beverly & Max Schafer, Glenn Reed, Theo Reed, Phyllis (Reed) Johnson. She is survived by children Vikki Fix (Dean Spader), Douglas Fix (Charlotte Lo), Dixie Anderson, Margaret Fix Seboldt, Jim Witte, Nancy (Alan) White, Jan (Dan) Baucke; and Curt (Julie) Fix, 21 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren, brother-in-law Benny Johnson, and numerous other family members and friends.
The family expresses special thanks to Charlotte Myer for being such a good friend and confidant, and to Home Health Care staff, and Hillcrest Care Facility staff for the wonderful care they provided to our mother over the years. Your friendship and loving care for our mother is greatly appreciated.
Family and friends are invited to gather for a receiving at Schmidt-Jones Funeral Home on January 27, 2025, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Funeral services will be held at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Wray, Colorado, on January 28, 2025, at 1:00pm.
Service will be available for viewing by clicking the link below: https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTczNzc2NzA4NDE1MzM5NDEmb25lcm9vbS1hZG1pbiZjb3B5X2xpbms=