Elsie Louise Hart

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Elsie Louise Hart. She passed away peacefully at home on December 8, 2024. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend, known for her unrelenting working ethic and superior card skills. 

 Elsie was born on January 12, 1934 in Brush, Colorado to Gerald and Thelma Whelden. She was the second oldest of six siblings: Vernon, Elsie, Wilma, Leroy, Joyce and Dwayne. Elsie was baptized at the Bijou Baptist Church in the mid 1960s. Elsie attended a one room primary school at Columbine School District #18 in Simpson, CO. She was one of three students. She went to Columbine school until the 8th grade. Afterwards, she attended one year at Woodrow High School. She finished her high school years at Strasburg High School graduating in 1951. While at Strasburg High, Elsie sang in the choir and was a cheerleader. Elsie married her high school sweetheart, Glenn Hart on September 29, 1951. Together they had five children: Charlotte, Glenda, Jim, Val and Linda. Elsie and Glenn remained in Strasburg until 1960 when they relocated to Kiowa. In 1982, they found their home for life in Elbert Colorado where she remained until her passing. 

 Elsie had wide range of occupations during her 90 years. She picked turkeys for the Bolejack family; owned Hart’s Country Store; drove a school bus and cooked meals at Kiowa schools; held a position as store clerk at the beloved Kiowa Superette; ran local offices for Tri Valley Gas and A1 Petroleum; owned a cleaning and painting business with her eldest daughter; was a Conklin distributer and a rural mail carrier, just to name a few. 

Outside of her professional adventures, she was an avid gardener and an excellent cook and baker. She loved preserving all the bounty her garden produced through canning. If you knew Elsie, you knew she did not waste a thing. In her later years, her favorite place to stash food and goodies was her purse. No grandkid or great grandkid would starve if she was present. We are fairly certain that her purse contained just about every food group.

Elsie was always eager to join in and never passed up a good time with friends and family. Some of her adventures included snowmobiling, extreme family sledding, elk hunts, camping, working rodeos, drag racing in Fort Morgan (legal, of course), and playing cards. Elsie was nothing short of a card shark. She was both skilled and cunning. She enjoyed both playing and teaching anyone eager to learn the tricks of card games. It is rumored that her advice to a happy marriage was to sleep in separate beds and always bid 8. She was also a longtime member of the Simpson Social Club.

Elsie is survived by her husband of 73 years, Glenn Hart; her siblings: Joyce Musgrave, Leroy Wheldon and Dwayne Wheldon; her children: Charlotte, Glenda, Jim, Val, and Linda; her grandkids: Kenny, Lisa, JW, Bryce, Tyrel, Blake, Zach, Sarah, Caitlyn and Justin; her great grandkids: Tera, Chelsea, Trevor, Cade, Coby, Beckham, Winston, Grayson, Lainey, Haelyn, Wrenly, Josie, Avery, Colton,Tate, Peyton and Luke; and her great-great grandkids: Lincoln, Vincent and Phoenix. In addition to her immediate family, she is also survived by her loving in-laws and a wide network of extended family and friends.

 Elsie was preceded in death by her parents, brother Vernon, sister Wilma and daughter-in-law Joy.

 Family and friends are welcome to attend her memorial service on Friday, December 27, 2024 at 11:oo am at Elbert Christian Church, 23894 Broadway Street, Elbert, Colorado. A reception will follow the service. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Elbert Christian Church.