Lorene Franson

Lorene was born May 4, 1925, in Altus, Oklahoma, to Edgar and Laura Barton, the middle of three daughters. They grew up in the depression era and as young girls she and her sisters picked cotton in the fields while their father loaded and drove the cotton truck. The Barton's had a large extended family that lived close by and were able to gather often. As the sisters got older they spent their time singing, dancing and performing for family, friends and neighbors. She met Guy Franson at a USO dance while he was stationed at the Naval Base in Norman, Oklahoma. They married on March 6, 1951, in Altus. They immediately moved to Minot, North Dakota where Guy had obtained a job in the oil business. They lived in seven states over the years and had four children along the way. As her kids were growing up she was active in PTA and school functions. They landed in Fort Worth, Texas where they lived for 15 years before being transferred to Denver in 1972. She and Guy spent a lot of time tracing her geneology back to Scotland and Ireland, making several trips around the country researching her relatives. Lorene loved music and played piano by ear, was a good Southern Style cook and liked to peruse cook books for new ideas. She loved gardening, her bright flowers, and watching the birds, squirrels, rabbits and occasional deer in her back yard. In later years she cheered for the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Rockies making a point to watch as many games as possible. What she loved the most was having all her family together for holidays, birthdays, and special occasions with big family dinners and lots of laughter. Her husband of 67 years, Guy, passed away in November of 2018. She is survived by her children Cathy, Eric (Tammi), Carl and Amy; grandchildren Christopher (Lindsay), Austin, Travis (Lindsey), Michelle, Cole, Audrey; great-grandchildren Teddy and Ellie; and nieces Shirley and Nancy.