United States High School Yearbooks by County
Helene C. Monberg
Helene Monberg is pictured here with Ed O’Leary in 1992 when
the then-county commissioner took a trip to Washington D.C.
Helene C. Monberg, 84, a Leadville native from an old
Leadville family and a retired newswoman living in
Washington, D.C., died Oct. 7.
Monberg was born in Leadville on Oct. 19, 1918, the first of
two daughters born to Luther Monberg, an insurance man,
and Helene Denzler Monberg, a former teacher. Her
grandfather Soren C., “S.C.” Monberg came to Leadville from
Denmark in 1887 to make a fortune in mining, a goal that
eluded him. In 1890, S.C. brought his family, his wife Anna
and their four Danish-born children to Leadville, including
Luther, then five. Later, three more children were born to
the couple in Leadville. Their family grew up in Leadville, as
did Luther’s two daughters. Monberg retained a lifelong
interest in her hometown.
She graduated in 1936 from Leadville High School, winning a
four-year scholarship to the University of Colorado (CU) at
Boulder, where she graduated in 1940. She received a law
degree from American University in Washington, D.C. in
1948, but decided to stay in the news business.
She started her news work in 1936 at the weekly Leadville
Record, and she remained in the news business until June
1949, when she was forced to retire because of disability.
Between 1936 and 1940, she worked in the summers for the
Leadville Record and for the Leadville Historical Society,
writing profiles of Leadville old-timers. After Monberg
graduated from CU in 1940, she worked for the weekly
Salida Record and for the Raton, N.M., Daily Range.
In March of 1941, she accepted a job to become the first
woman on the editorial staff of Pathfinder Magazine in
Washington, D.C. After working for Pathfinder for a year and
briefly for the War Department, she accepted a job from
United Press (UP) to become one of the first women
reporters in its Washington Bureau. She worked for UP from
1942-1947 and for congressional Quarterly from 1949-1964.
Later she marvelled, “Just six years after I left Leadville in
1936 to go to CU, and just two years after graduating from
CU, I was covering Eleanor Roosevelt’s press conferences at
the White House for UP, a wire service.” She was ready but
WW II launched her on her news career.
In the fall of 1947, Monberg launched her own news bureau
in Washington, one of a handful of women reporters to do
so. It specialized in political and natural resources coverage
in the west, especially Colorado. She operated her news
bureau from 1947-1983. It was anchored by the Pueblo
Chieftain and Star Journal. She served numerous
newspapers in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona
during the period; all were interested in water issues. She
started her own natural resources newsletter in 1965; it was
an outgrowth of her news bureau and was published until
her retirement in June 1994.
Her work as a volunteer started in the 1960s, when Monberg
teamed up with Ethel Payne of the Chicago Defender to
provide starter college scholarships to poor, disadvantaged
youths in the Washington, D.C. area.That program lasted for
three years, from 1968-1970.
In 1971, at the request of the D.C. Department of
Corrections, Monberg undertook the major scholarship
program of her life: The Achievement Scholarship Program
(ASP). From 1973-1989, ASP provided starter scholarships
for college and trade school for D.C. area youths on parole
and probation recommended by their parole/probation
officers. She received a Washingtonian-of-the-Year award in
1981 because of her volunteer work with ASP. She also
provided starter scholarships from 1993-1998 at three
Colorado colleges.
In 1998, on the eve of her 80th birthday, she announced she
was bequeathing $1 million at her death to the Lake County
School District in her hometown of Leadville, to three public
colleges in Colorado (CU, CSU and USC) and to the Rawlings
Foundation in Pueblo to thank her hometown county and
state for educating her. The Lake County bequest is for
school repairs; the others for youth programs.
Monberg majored in journalism at CU because she became a
big baseball fan in the 30s as a teenager, and she wanted to
become a sports writer to cover her beloved St. Louis
Cardinals, the Gas House Gang of that era. Even though she
did not become a sports writer, she retained her life-long
love of and interest in baseball.
She never married.
Monberg summed up her life near the end: “I spent 58
wonderful years in the news business in the pursuit of truth.
I put up my own dough and raised money for starter
scholarships for more than 360 youths, mainly in the D.C.
area. And I gave my savings to Lake County School District
toward the repair of its schools, and to three Colorado
colleges (CU-Denver, CSU and the University of Southern
Colorado at Pueblo) and the Rawlings Foundation of Pueblo
to spot poor kids in public urban high schools in the
Denver/Pueblo areas before they drop out to try to get
enough basic written and spoken English and math into their
heads so that they might be able to navigate in today’s and
tomorrow’s world. It has been fascinating.”
Monberg is survived by her sister Rae M. Dabbert, Missoula,
Mont.; niece Diane Webster, Taos, N.M.; and the six sons
and one daughter of her “Washington family,” the late
Edward A.J. Chicca and the late Mary M. Chicca, who
originally lived in Washington, D.C., and later moved to
Maryland.
She was buried on Oct. 11 in the family Masonic plot in
Evergreen Cemetery in Leadville. According to her wishes, it
was a simple graveside service.
Arrangements were handled by Bailey Funeral Home.
June M. Franzen
June M. Franzen died Sunday, Oct. 19 at St. Vincent
Hospital. Franzen was 75. Memorial services will be
Thursday, Oct. 23, at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Labre Indian
School, Ashland, MT 59004 or the Society of the Little
Flower, 1313 Frontage Road, Darien, IL 60561-5340.
Arrangements are being handled by Bailey Funeral Home.
Bernard J. “Barney” Donoher
Bernard J. “Barney” Donoher, 81, died Friday, Oct. 17, at St.
Vincent Hospital.
Memorial Services were Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 11 a.m. at
Annunciation Catholic Church. Arrangements are being
handled by Bailey Funeral Home.
Cosmo Federico
Cosmo Federico died Thursday, Dec. 4, at his home in
Leadville. Federico was 79 years old. He was born on July
12, 1924, in Northville, Mich. His parents were the late John
and Jenny (Villadoro) Federico.
As an infant, Federico moved to Colorado with his family,
settling in Aguilar. After graduating from Aguilar High
School, Federico attended Trinidad Junior College before
entering the United States Army.
Following an Honorable Discharge, Federico returned to
Colorado where he received his teaching degree from Adams
State College.
While in Alamosa, Federico met the love of his life, the
former Frances Hotz. They were married on June 14, 1952 in
Alamosa and then moved to Climax where Cosmo worked for
the Fremont Trading Co.
Eventually the couple moved to Leadville where Federico
began his teaching and coaching career.
It was apparent to any student, parent or fellow teacher that
teaching was Federico's calling in life. He was just simply so
good at it. Moreover, he loved his profession.
Federico loved sports of all kinds and remained active and
interested in coaching after his retirement. He also enjoyed
bowling.
Federico was a member of Annunciation Catholic Church and
the Leadville B.P.O.E. Lodge #236.
He is preceded in death by his parents, four sisters and three
brothers. Federico is survived by his wife, Frances, in
Leadville; one son, Cosmo, Jr. (Debbie) in Tempe, Ariz.; two
daughters, Janet (Ron) Garrett and Felicia Federico, both in
Leadville; one brother, Leonard (Gay) Federico, in Turner,
Ore.; nine grandchildren, Thomas, Matthew, Timothy, Lisa,
Garrett, Cosmo Federico III, Dominick, Dante & Nicholas
Federico and two great grandchildren, Samantha & Lindsay
Garrett. Federico is also survived by numerous nieces &
nephews.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m.
at Annunciation Church. Father Jay Jung officiated. Musicians
were Dave and Carol Schutte and Neil V. Reynolds.
Pallbearers were Federico's grandsons.
Federico was laid to rest in Elk's Rest Cemetery with
committal services by the officers of the Elk's.
The family received friends at a reception hosted by the
lodge.
Arrangements were handled by Bailey Funeral Home.
The family suggests that those wishing may make memorial
contributions to the Lake County High School Athletic Dept.,
1000 W. 4th St., Leadville, CO 80461.
Robert D. “Bobby” Merrill
Robert D. “Bobby” Merrill died Saturday, Dec. 6, in New
Orleans. He was 34 years old and was born in Salida on Nov.
20, 1969. His parents are Donald H. and Bea (Noriega)
Merrill.
Merrill went to school in Leadville until his senior year, and
then the family moved to Nevada. Shortly thereafter, he
moved to New Orleans to become a hairdresser and
cosmetologist. He had just started his own business at the
time of his death.
Merrill was a great swimmer and also enjoyed skiing when in
Colorado. He loved walking his dogs, Miss Oddess and Miss
Beane. His family and friends will always remember Merrill
as being a happy person who enjoyed life to its fullest.
He is preceded in death by a cousin, Eric S. Noriega, and his
brother-in-law Raymond Medina. He is survived by his
parents, Donald and Bea Merrill, in Spring Creek, Nev.;
sister, Debbie Medina in Gypsum; niece and nephew,
Meagan and Michael Romero in Nevada; his grandmother,
Mary Noriega in Leadville, one uncle, John (Margaret)
Noriega in Gypsum; and two aunts, Gert Urie in Williston,
Vt., and Ester “Susie” (Arthur) Clifford in Starksboro, Vt.
Memorial services will be held on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 1
p.m. at Bailey Funeral Home Chapel in Leadville. Minister
Frank Rhoades will officiate.
Arrangements are being handled by Bailey Funeral Home.
Prese Atencio
Prese Atencio, 79, died Nov. 1 at his home in Colorado
Springs.
He was born in Cottonwood, Colo., on Nov. 27, 1923, to Joe
G. and Ruth (Archuletta) Atencio.
He went to school in Moffat before joining the United States
Navy and serving on the USS LSP #663. After four years of
service to his country, Atencio received an honorable
discharge and returned to Colorado, living in Del Norte.
On July 8, 1946, Atencio married the former Maryann Baca
at Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church in Del Norte. They had
two children in Del Norte before moving to Minturn in 1955.
They had their third child in Gilman, where Atencio worked in
the mine.
After 38 years of mining, Atencio retired and then worked in
hotel maintenance at the Lodge, the Roost and the Kiandra
resort hotels in Vail.
They moved to Colorado Springs in 1989 to be near family.
He enjoyed gardening, carpentry and fishing and loved
listening to Spanish music. Many was the day his family
found him out in his truck with the radio on, sound asleep
but listening to his music.
Atencio was preceded in death by his parents; wife;
grandson Randy Garcia; and brothers Johnnie and Rudy
Atencio.
He is survived by his children Geraldine “Geri” (Ronnie)
Martinez, Colorado Springs; Cheryl (Michael) Martin,
Germany; Bettye (Ernie) Romero, Albuquerque, N.M.; and
Eddie (Raynette) Atencio, Colorado Springs; brothers Max
(Betty) Atencio, Del Norte; and Richard “Pogo” Atencio,
Denver; and sisters Priscilla (Gene) Sanders and Ruth
Sanchez, both in Denver; Cecilia Torres, Chicago; and
Frances (Jim) Boatwright, Milton, Fla.
He is also survived by his grandchildren Michael Romero,
Lawrence (Anna) Romero and Bernadette (Elvis) Caldwell, all
in N.M.; Vicki (Tim) Negrete, Leadville; Mark (Kim) Garcia,
Colorado Springs; and Rhiannon (Brian) Metzger, Rachel
Atencio and Sterling Atencio, all in Colorado Springs. He is
also survived by 13 great grandchildren.
The Rosary and Vigil Service were held on Nov. 5 and Mass
of Christian Burial on Nov. 6, both at Annunciation Catholic
Church. Father Jay Jung officiated and Joan Dawson sang,
accompanied by Jean Elliott. Atencio’s daughter, Geri, played
a special song for him, “Dance With My Father.”
Atencio was laid to rest next to his wife in St. Joseph
Cemetery where family friend Leslie Carlson sang “Amazing
Grace.” Pallbearers were Tim Negrete, Mark Garcia, Michael
Martin, Lawrence Romero, Michael Romero and Brian
Metzger.
Following services the family received friends at the Leadville
Elk’s Lodge.
Arrangements were handled by Bailey Funeral Home.
