Iris Fuller

Iris Maye Fuller, beloved mother, wife, grandmother, aunt, cousin and precious friend passed away peacefully on the morning of Tuesday, January 17, 2019 after a long wonderful life of 92 years.

Iris was born in Brainerd, MN in June of 1926. She was the last surviving child of a loving family with 6 children born to Bennett Iorns and Luzetta (Ettie) Waggoner. Her father, a veterinarian, gave her a love for animals and from an early age she always had a cat, and often, a dog or two in tow as well. From her mother she and brothers and sister learned to embrace a love and pride for their Sioux heritage, with that tradition being carried on today.

She had the great pleasure of living in many states including North Dakota, Kansas, California and Nevada before finally settling down in Denver, Colorado with her husband Harold, where they began their life together and raised their son, Alan. They were married for 26 years until Harold's passing February 12, 1988.

Iris always had an entrepreneurial spirit and wasn't afraid of hard work. In her younger days she worked many fascinating jobs until she owned her own Beauty Salon in Salina, Kansas. She was always a stylish trend setter who loved clothes and fashion.

Later, with Harold, they owned and operated Monroe Liquors & Shiloh's Restaurant and Lounge, both located on the notorious East Colfax in Denver; and then Silver Core Mine in the Central Rockies. She loved being in the outdoors sorting through those shiny rocks of promise.

Then, at a time when most people were thinking of retirement, Iris earned her Real Estate License and began a very successful career in commercial real estate where she loved making deals and once again excelled.

Iris loved the game of cribbage and her cribbage buddies. She was a master player and enjoyed traveling for tournaments, winning many awards and trophies along the way. Her greatest achievement in the game came when she earned the title of the Number One Female Player in the World in 1982! She was quite the competitor!

Iris was a true Renaissance woman. She had many interests and hobbies; painting, cooking, knitting and gardening to name a few. All of which she was quite good at. She was also an avid reader, finishing at least one book a week. She'd also complete the daily crossword puzzle IN INK every morning before she even finished her coffee!

She was a doer! She believed in rising early to make the most of her day and always doing her best. She was a wonderful homemaker, gardener, DIYer, baker, trail blazer and lover of life. She loved learning new things even well into her senior years.

Always being authentically herself, Iris Maye was blessed with a fiery, quick wit and great sense of humor that allowed her to make friends of all ages throughout her whole life. She was a firecracker and lovely all at once! She loved a good laugh that always came with a great smile. She was as beautiful as the flower she was named for and will be greatly missed but forever cherished.

The family would like to extend our deep appreciation to Cherry Creek Nursing Center for the love and care they provided so graciously.

Please join us for her celebration of Life Service on Tuesday, February 12, 2019 at Church of the Risen Christ, 3060 S. Monaco Parkway Denver, CO 80222. The service will be followed by a reception at the church. Please come share your memories, stories and pictures as we celebrate this beautiful woman.

For those who wish to join us, we will have a short ceremony to honor her Sioux Indian Heritage at Ft. Logan National Cemetery at 2:00 pm. Please meet at "Staging Area A" by 1:45 pm.

All are welcome to attend both services.

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