Iva Marie Ward was born on January 28th, 1928 in Minniqua Hospital in Pueblo, Colorado. She was a member of the "greatest generation" and survived the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl years, and World War II. She lived a very difficult life, starting with the loss of her mother when she was seven years old. Her Aunt Dolly Walker of Vilas, Colorado became her de facto mother and raised her for the next nine years.
As a teen, she met a man named Edwin Dean Thomas from Walsh, Colorado and after some time dating, they eloped to New Mexico. Marie and Edwin's first son was Gene Thomas. By the time Marie was 21, she had three children: Gene, J.B., and Leona. Unfortunately, Edwin was killed in a truck accident in 1951, and Marie was responsible for raising three children under the age of six.
Marie next married John Edwin "Steve" Stephens of Rush, Colorado and that union produced two children; Mary and Teresa. Steve was a trucker, and this meant the family moved around. They went from coast to coast, living in unbelievable circumstances and was at many times migrant workers in the potato fields in Idaho, hops fields in Oregon, and citrus fields in California. Many times Marie and the children were homeless, living in the family car. At one point they lived in the city dump in an abandoned school bus. The oldest child had attended 16 different schools by the time he was in Junior High. Eventually the family moved to Draper, Utah, where she helped run the local scales, coal yard, and junk yard. After about six years, they moved to Rush, Colorado where she and the children lived in a converted chicken house.
Soon Marie and the family moved to Springfield, Colorado where they spent the next several years. It was during this period of time that she and Steve divorced. She then married Victor Walker. After a divorce from Vic, she married Jeff Cottom, she finally moved to Canon City, Colorado, where she lived until her death.
Throughout Marie's life she was a hard working, diligent, brave, resourceful, and a determined woman, modeling these same qualities to her children and grandchildren. In order to keep her family together, she worked at whatever job she could. Unafraid of new situations, Marie adapted quickly to the changes in her tumultuous life.
Marie survived cancer and heart disease, and jokingly stated she had survived 4 husbands. She was a volunteer with the Canon City Visitor's Center, she taught English to the illiterate, and excelled in her arts and crafts to the end. Her greatest accomplishment was related to her family. As a young woman, she kept her family together by working several jobs at a time. In her later years, she was the family matriarch, still unfailingly resourceful, feisty, and fiercely independent. She was a solid Christian who never tired of telling people about Jesus.
Marie went home to be with the Lord and members of her family that preceded her on March 29, 2012 after surgery on her shoulder, dying in the same hospital in which she was born. She is survived by five children; 12 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and a host of friends who love and sorely miss her.
Iva Marie Ward was born on January 28th, 1928 in Minniqua Hospital in Pueblo, Colorado. She was a member of the "greatest generation" and survived the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl years, and World War II. She lived a very difficult life, starting with the loss of her mother when she was seven years old. Her Aunt Dolly Walker of Vilas, Colorado became her de facto mother and raised her for the next nine years.
As a teen, she met a man named Edwin Dean Thomas from Walsh, Colorado and after some time dating, they eloped to New Mexico. Marie and Edwin's first son was Gene Thomas. By the time Marie was 21, she had three children: Gene, J.B., and Leona. Unfortunately, Edwin was killed in a truck accident in 1951, and Marie was responsible for raising three children under the age of six.
Marie next married John Edwin "Steve" Stephens of Rush, Colorado and that union produced two children; Mary and Teresa. Steve was a trucker, and this meant the family moved around. They went from coast to coast, living in unbelievable circumstances and was at many times migrant workers in the potato fields in Idaho, hops fields in Oregon, and citrus fields in California. Many times Marie and the children were homeless, living in the family car. At one point they lived in the city dump in an abandoned school bus. The oldest child had attended 16 different schools by the time he was in Junior High. Eventually the family moved to Draper, Utah, where she helped run the local scales, coal yard, and junk yard. After about six years, they moved to Rush, Colorado where she and the children lived in a converted chicken house.
Soon Marie and the family moved to Springfield, Colorado where they spent the next several years. It was during this period of time that she and Steve divorced. She then married Victor Walker. After a divorce from Vic, she married Jeff Cottom, she finally moved to Canon City, Colorado, where she lived until her death.
Throughout Marie's life she was a hard working, diligent, brave, resourceful, and a determined woman, modeling these same qualities to her children and grandchildren. In order to keep her family together, she worked at whatever job she could. Unafraid of new situations, Marie adapted quickly to the changes in her tumultuous life.
Marie survived cancer and heart disease, and jokingly stated she had survived 4 husbands. She was a volunteer with the Canon City Visitor's Center, she taught English to the illiterate, and excelled in her arts and crafts to the end. Her greatest accomplishment was related to her family. As a young woman, she kept her family together by working several jobs at a time. In her later years, she was the family matriarch, still unfailingly resourceful, feisty, and fiercely independent. She was a solid Christian who never tired of telling people about Jesus.
Marie went home to be with the Lord and members of her family that preceded her on March 29, 2012 after surgery on her shoulder, dying in the same hospital in which she was born. She is survived by five children; 12 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and a host of friends who love and sorely miss her.
