Eva Fee, aged 88, passed away in her sleep on September 20, 2009 at Bookdale Village at Skyline in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A native of Colorado Springs, Eva was born at Memorial Hospital on June 23, 1921 to Joseph and Margaret (Dutchie) Gress. The Gress family lived at many addresses in Colorado Springs, including The Garden Ranch. Eva graduated Colorado Springs High School (now Palmer High) in 1939. Eva and her brother Nathan Gress climbed Pikes Peak innumerable times, and Eva was known for carrying more than one companion down the mountain on her back when they couldn’t handle the hike.
She married Donald L. Fee, her brother, Nathan’s best friend and her long time sweetheart, on September 30, 1940, and they lived on Boulder Street in Colorado Springs, where Eva was a homemaker. Although they never had any children of their own, Eva and Donald were second parents to their nephew Donnie and niece and nephew twins Mary and Larry Gress.
In 1966 she moved with her husband to Echo Valley Ranch in Crystola, Colorado. The Fees were founding members of the High View Baptist Church of Woodland Park. Eva also established the “Clothes Closet,” a food and clothing pantry for needy families in Woodland Park that she managed for over 20 years. After her husband’s passing in 1994, Eva moved to the Brookdale Village at Skyline in 2000.
Her family celebrates her life and will always remember her as “our crazy little aunt” who would be ready for any adventure and made every occasion a picnic.
Eva is survived by her in-laws Duane and Juanita Fee, and her nephew and niece Dale and Peggy Fee, of Colorado Springs; her niece Twila Sprouse; nephew and niece N. Donald and Donna Gress of Eagle, Colorado; niece and nephew Mary and Harold Addington, of Black Forest, Colorado; and niece Charlena Gress of Divide, Colorado. She is also survived by numerous great and great-great grand nieces and nephews. She is preceded in passing by her brother, Nathan Gress and her nephew, Larry Gress.
Visitation will be held on Friday, September 25, 2009 at Swan Law Funeral Directors from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at Swan Law followed by interment at Fairview Cemetery in Old Colorado City, Colorado.
Memorial contributions can be sent to High View Baptist Church of Woodland Park.