Juanita Josephine Leatherman

Juanita Josephine Armstrong Leatherman born May 27, 1929 died June 11, 2010. Jo was the daughter of Juanita Winifred "Peg" Wilford Armstrong and Ross R. Armstrong. She was born in Laramie Wyoming and passed away in Fort Collins Colorado at the Golden Peaks Nursing Home. She was the wife of Delbert Roy Leatherman, deceased, and is survived by two sons, Loren Scott Leatherman of Cambridge Massachusetts and Darwin Bailey Leatherman of Fort Collins Colorado. She will be missed by loving relatives from the Leatherman, King, Wilford and Huffman families. Jo spent her childhood at the Big Creek Ranch in Cowdrey Colorado and the Wilford Ranch in Pearl Colorado. These were some of her happiest times and as she suffered from increasing Alzheimer's dementia memories of that time were most present to her. While at the Big Creek Ranch, she was taken under the wings of her aunties the Gephardt sisters who ultimately convinced her to attend the Catherine Gibbs School. The call of North Park was too great and she returned home to Walden Colorado to start her family. Jo worked for many years as an operator for Bell Telephone and was the last operator working when the phone system in North Park was converted to self-dial. In the early sixties she was struck with spinal meningitis and encephalitis simultaneously and was a patient at the Ivinson Memorial Hospital for many months. Jo survived and went on to work as the Clerk in the Jackson County Assessors Office for many years. While in Walden she belonged to the Business & Professional Women, the Jackson County Women's Club the Rebekah's and the North Park Pioneer Association. After moving to Fort Collins she returned to working as a telephone operator for Pat's Answering Service and was the favorite operator of many of the doctors in the city. Jo loved music and art and made a point of exposing her children to everything she could through her knitting, crocheting and macramé' and almost weekly trips outside of Walden to attend whatever event that might be taking place in Denver and Colorado Springs. It was through her effort that both of her children were chosen to attend the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy and continue on to the New England Conservatory of Music and Northern Arizona University. Joe was an excellent baker and cook and loved trips to the mountains for picnics with family where she could bring her famous macaroni salad or date nut cake. At her request no services are planned and in lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the Colorado Alzheimer's Association or the American Cancer Society in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive St., Ft. Collins, CO 80524.