Dolores Rehor passed away on December 5 after a long battle with dementia and failing health at the age of 77.
Dolores Jean Smelker was born August 31, 1945, to Ivan Smelker and Wilma (Schaal) Smelker. Dolores was the youngest of five children, (Gerald, Gladys, Charles, and Doyle) where she grew up on the family farm south of Stratton. This is where Dolores acquired her strong sense of family that she devoted herself to her entire life. She held dear that she was able to grow up with such a strong family and was surrounded by her grandparents, many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
In 1963 she graduated from Stratton High School. Dolores then enrolled and graduated from cosmetology school in Denver. She moved back to Stratton and in 1964 daughter Judith (Judi) Smelker was born. Dolores worked hard as a single mother and always had the support of her family. Dolores went to work at the First National Bank of Stratton until 1978.
On August 6th, 1977, Dolores married Lee Roy Rehor. To this union two children were born: Brian Edward in 1979 and Crystal Lea in 1983. Dolores was the quintessential housewife/farmwife. Although she never had any desire to drive tractor or work cattle, she was glad to volunteer to make sure the “guys” had a hot meal at noon with cold pops and candy bars in the afternoon. She often helped move pickups and equipment wherever needed; Dolores always wanted to make sure she could do her part for the farm. Dolores was a member of the Sunshine Club, a local women’s club that provided community service to the Joes and Kirk area. She enjoyed bowling back in her days in Stratton and later in Yuma with some ladies from the community during the 1990’s. She loved to garden but would admit that she did not always have the greenest of thumbs. Dolores and her mother Wilma often canned the bounties of their harvest together. As her parents and in-laws grew in age, Dolores always made herself available to help take care of them; she often looked in on some aging neighbors and relatives as well. Dolores and Lee Roy enjoyed taking various seed corn trips and playing in pinochle and pitch clubs in the community. They also enjoyed taking their yearly fishing trips with the family after wheat harvest each summer. After Lee Roy retired in 2014, they took numerous fishing trips to South Dakota in the summer and to Lake Texoma in the winter where they would spend a few months at a time.
Dolores was very dedicated to her children; she was influential in making sure her children knew right from wrong and wanted them to be good people. She made sure that if a mistake was made that there was a lesson that was to be learned. You could count on her to be in the bleachers for all sporting events and activities, no matter how inclement the weather. She was always a voice you could count on to be on the other end of the phone that would listen and provide wisdom.
Dolores was preceded in death by her parents Ivan and Wilma Smelker, brother Gerald Smelker, sister and brother-in-law Gladys and Harry Norman, father and mother-in-law Everett and Pauline Rehor, brother-in-law Joe Rehor, brother-in-law Jack Rehor, niece Jennifer Wells and grandsons Zachary Mitchek and Abe Mitchek.
Dolores is survived by her husband Lee Roy of Joes, CO, children Judi Mitchek(Casey) of Burlington CO, Brian Rehor(Leanne) of Akron CO, and Crystal Rehor(Anthony) of Loveland CO. Grandchildren Justin Mitchek of Greenwood Village CO, Elijah and Maya Hart of Akron CO, and Yara Coria of Loveland CO. Brother Charles Smelker of Riodoso NM, brother Doyle Smelker (Christina) of Stratton CO, sister-in-law Lela Smelker of Ft. Collins CO, brother-in-law Richard Rehor of Kirk, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A public visitation and funeral service were held December 12, 2022, at Stratton United Methodist Church 329 Kansas Avenue Stratton, Colorado. Interment followed at Kirk Cemetery.
2022-12-23