Delbert Wayne Kraich

1938 - 2023

Delbert Wayne Kraich passed away on Monday, February 13, 2023, in the comfort of his own home, surrounded by family, following a lengthy battle with lung cancer.

Born September 8, 1938, in Akron, Colorado, Delbert was the sixth son and ninth child of Christopher and Ilah Kraich.

Delbert was a loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend.

Delbert was proud to be a Colorado native and lived his entire life on the eastern plains of Colorado. He attended school through the eighth grade in a one-room rural schoolhouse close to the family farm.

On March 9, 1957, he married Ellen Bowland of Akron, Colorado. To this union, there would be three children, Dwight, Ginger and Becky. Delbert and Ellen were only twenty-four days short of their sixty-sixth wedding anniversary at the time of his passing.

Delbert was a hard worker and dedicated family man. He began as a farm hand for Fred Koch, and then became a ranch hand for the Bar 20 Sparks Ranch in Fleming, Colorado and later the Lasater Ranch in Matheson, Colorado.

In 1967, Delbert became the ranch foreman at the Ververs Ranch in Ellicott, Colorado where he spent the next twenty-six years. While ranching, he took up the hobby of repairing boots and hand tooling leather products. Upon his retirement from ranching, he decided to pursue this craft full-time. Over the following years, he became a highly respected boot repairman and bootmaker. At the age of 82, he had to finally retire from the business.

Delbert was preceded in death by his father and mother, Christopher and Ilah Kraich; brothers, Joseph, Bob (Phyllis), De (Darlene) and Ed; sisters, Joyce (Roland) Krier and Dorothy (Duane) Wagner; father and mother-in-law, Walter and Phebe Bowland; and in-laws, Tex (Elsie) Bowland, Jay Cannady, Lloyd (Margaret) Bowland, Ken (Joann) Bowland, Norman Bowland and Vernon Stone.

Delbert is survived by his wife, Ellen; children, Dwight (Laura) Kraich, Ginger (Greg) Hall, and Becky Kraich,; bonus son, David Prosser and family; seven grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren; Joseph Carey and wife, Autumn and their kids, Ryan and Lola, bonus grandsons, Julien and Jayce; Heather Szymanski and husband Scott and their kids, Owen and Audrey; Luke Hall and wife Kiley and their kids Masen and Harley; Tony Carey and wife Connie and their kids, EmmaLynn, MacKenzie and James; Kayla Kraich Moura and husband Pedro and their daughter Luna; Amanda Roderick and husband Gregg and their kids, Waylon and Brantley; Dan Carey and his wife Jenni and daughter Presley. Also surviving are his sisters, Lois Florian, Carolyn Wagner and husband, Delbert; brothers, Ronald Kraich Sr., Gordon Kraich and wife Cheryl; sisters-in-law, Jan Kraich, Marie Cannady, Margie Stone, and Betty Bowland; many nieces and nephews; and a host of friends.

Delbert requested no flowers. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to Open Door Church, 2055 North Log Road, Calhan, Colorado 80808.

Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, 2023, at The Springs Funeral Services, 3115 East Platte Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909. A reception for family and friends will follow until 3:00 p.m.