Elinor Ashby Burchard

Elinor Ashby Burchard, 81, of Montrose, Colorado, died of natural causes on November 5th, 2014. She was a longtime Montrose resident who was active in the community, a beloved grandmother, and well-known in her rural Montrose neighborhood.

She was born on October 17th, 1933, in Charlottesville, Virginia. After being elected class president at James Madison University, she earned a degree that would teach her the business skills she used to keep her house and many projects in order for a lifetime. In 1955 she married Duncan Burchard, whom she had met years before, and then began life as a National Park Service wife. Together they lived in or near national parks: Big Bend National Park in Texas, Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland, Colorado National Monument and, in 1975, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado. Although she worked as a teacher and then later for  Montrose Continuing Education, Elinor’s real pride and joy was her family, including her two sons, Ashby and Russ, and her grandchildren, Kye and Turner.

Elinor embraced her life in the West, even while she greatly missed her extended family in Virginia. She used her organizational skills as a volunteer for the Ute Museum and the San Juan Weavers Guild, and was considered the “block mom” for her Charolais Drive neighborhood near Montrose for almost 40 years. She loved to weave and help with Weavers Guild events, and honed her skills over the years in knitting, crocheting and other textile arts. Her home was filled with the weavings and other handmade projects that she and her friends created. Her neighbors knew her well. El was always on hand to welcome newcomers with a homemade dinner or treats when they moved to the neighborhood or to care for sick neighbors or their pets. She made time for neighborhood children, including hosting tea parties for young friends and stuffed animals. Drivers who passed along that section of Highway 90 in the morning recognized her wave and brisk pace as she took her daily walk. El enjoyed walking outdoors, practicing Tai Chi, growing flowers, and baking treats for others. She was a selfless wife who was proudly a stay-at-home mom and homemaker. She went far beyond the call of duty for a number of years to care for her husband as he became wheelchair-bound. She touched many lives everywhere she went, and will be missed.

El is survived by Duncan, her husband of 59 years of Montrose; a sister, Polly Sheets of Crozet, Virginia; sons and their wives, Ashby and Jacquie Burchard of Great Falls, Montana, and Russ and Fran Beck of Albany, Oregon; and grandsons, Kye and Turner Burchard of Montana. She was preceded in death by her sister, Louise Hilker.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, November 15th, 2014 at Crippin Funeral Home Chapel. The service will conclude at the Chapel.  A Service with interment will take place at her family’s plot in  Monticello Memory Gardens in Charlottesville, Virginia. Donations in memory of Elinor Burchard may be made to the Montrose Fire Protection District, 441 S. Uncompahgre Ave, Montrose, CO, 81401, the Montrose Library, or the Ute Indian Museum are suggested in lieu of flowers. Condolences may also be sent to the family at www.crippinfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Crippin Funeral Home & Crematory, Montrose, Colorado.