Rocky Mountain National Park Memorial

On June 9, 2019 we all headed up to the Alpine Visitor Center at Beaver Meadows in Rocky Mountain National Park and then proceeded to Sprague Lake. We walked a distance from our cars to a beautiful spot to commemorate the lives of Joseph Hardin Labaree and Martha Birdsall (Labaree). Larry Rice also spoke of Dave Rice who recently passed, as he was a dear friend of my Uncle Joe's. Present were the Hunt-Woodlands; Marilyn, Rita and Tessa. My sister, Christina Jasper, our parents, Howard and Zora Sanborn. My cousin Robert Labaree (Joe's son) and his wife, Gillian. The Rice family; Larry, Janie (his sister), his children; Colleena, Nathan, and Adam. My cousin, Steve Sanborn (thank you for sharing your day with us and graciously driving four of us)! Aunt Marty's sister, Kate and her wife Andrea. Steve Birdsall, Aunt Marty's brother all the way from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. My cousin, David Hunt drove up from Taos, NM too. It was a perfect day and we all knew that Uncle Joe would have appreciated all of it. Several of us spread his ashes into the lake and spoke about Joe and Marty. Afterward, we all drove to Loveland and celebrated a meal together at an Asian buffet style restaurant, Hokkaido. It was a celebration of a lives well lived and of individuals who were both loved by all of us.

On that same day, Steve took us to the cemetery in Louisville to visit Aunt Jean and Uncle Wendell Hunt's resting place. They reside under a tree with our Great Grandma's kitty, Inky, and a beautiful view of the front range. They were also great people and did many good things for their community. One caring act was creating a park below their home in Louisville, CO for all the neighborhood to enjoy and walk in. Both my Aunt Jean and my Uncle Joe were avid gardeners, and much of my front yard has roses and lilies from their gardens. On that note, thank you Christina for all the gorgeous roses you have brought to us over the years from your nurseries in CA. They are all blooming now!

We want to thank all the people who traveled from far and wide to share in a celebration of these lives. What a glorious time together we had! -Mona

Oh, P.S. my Uncle was a Cornhusker because he lived in Omaha, NE and worked at Brownel- Talbot for many years as a Teacher! He knew I would always stay a Buff...no matter what!