Berdena Lee Dudden Sattler

Berdena Lee Dudden Sattler, 92, died peacefully on August 19, 2010. Berdena will be remembered by thousands who savored her home-made sourdough pancakes at the Rustic Resort, the family business she operated in the Poudre Canyon in the 1970s and 1980s. She satisfied her life's dream of having a small restaurant where she could cook to her heart's content. Before the Rustic opened, Berdena and Herb had great experiences while helping their eldest son run the Yukon King hotel in Fairbanks, Alaska. She delighted in her many bridge partners, political friends, and colleagues at CSU, particularly the students and staff at Pingree Park and the Lory Student Center where she worked in the1960s. She admired the Colorado State professors who originated the Peace Corps, and after the Rustic Resort sold, she joined the Peace Corps in 1983, serving in the Philippines and Jamaica. She was born November 28, 1917 in a sod house on a homestead in rural Sedgwick County, Colorado, to Barney and Christina Collins Dudden. She graduated from Venango High School, attended Kearney State Teachers College, and taught in a one-room school in the late 30s and early 50s. She married Herb Sattler November 29, 1939, and they farmed near Venango, Nebraska, for many years. In 1948, Berdena secured a parcel of land and a historic log cabin on the Poudre River from the U Bar U Ranch in the Poudre Canyon, which the family enjoyed every summer after wheat harvest. The Sattler's moved to Fort Collins in 1960, and became active in Newcomers. Berdena later served as president of that organization. Herb and Berdena moved to the Poudre Canyon permanently in 1967 and became deeply involved in the community. Her husband, Herb and her siblings, Garrett Dudden, Alis Bellairs, and Orville Dudden preceded her in death. She is survived by her sister, Christine Rosenbach; brother, Raymond Dudden; and four children, Ward Sattler, LeAnn Davis, Kristine Williams, and Sidney Sattler, as well as 16 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Berdena was a life member of the Order of Eastern Star and the American Legion Auxiliary, supported the Republican Party and various charities, participated in the Poudre Canyon Red Hat Society, and assisted the Poudre Canyon Fire Protection District. A memorial celebration will be held for family and friends on September 19, 2010 from 12:00 to 3 p.m. at the Tapestry House, 3212 North Overland Trail, Laporte, Colorado. Gifts in her memory may be sent to Poudre Canyon Fire Protection District, PO Box 364, Laporte, CO 80535.