Susan Sponholtz Pieper

Susan Sponholtz Pieper, 64, passed away unexpectedly on April 9, 2018 at the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center in La Junta. She was born on August 29, 1953 in Tulia, Texas to Theodore & Carol (Kelley) Sponholtz. She married Raymond Pieper on October 4, 1980 and they made their home on the family farm south of Rocky Ford.

She graduated from Florence High School in 1971. She received her BA and MA from Adams State College in Alamosa, majoring in Journalism and Secondary Education.

Susan moved to Rocky Ford in 1976 where she began her teaching career at Rocky Ford High School. She continued teaching English, Journalism and Yearbook classes at RFHS for over twenty years, leaving in 1997.

She then returned to the career she loved, as a journalist for the La Junta Tribune Democrat, followed by the Rocky Ford Daily Gazette. Writing and photography was in her blood; her first story was published in her hometown newspaper at the age of 12. She continued to bring the news to the Arkansas Valley, in a way only she could, until retiring in 2009. She once wrote that she felt a great reward seeing one of her photographs or an article she had written displayed in a reader’s home, hanging on their refrigerator for all to see.

She is survived by her husband, Ray of the Rocky Ford home; daughter, Margaret (Scott) Oswald of Kit Carson; her beloved granddaughters, Ava and Jolie Oswald of Kit Carson; brother-in-law’s, Larry (Dixie) Pieper of Rye, Steve Pieper of Craig, Kenny (Connie) Pieper of Cedaredge; sister-in-law, Mary (Ted) Pennington of Yampa; nephews, Jamin Pieper of Colorado Springs, Jody (Amy) Pieper of Fowler; nieces, Kristy Pennington of Clark, Kasey (Kerrian) O’Halloran of Yampa; and numerous former students and close friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Theodore & Carol Sponholtz.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 16, 2018, at 10 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of La Junta with Reverend Dr. M.J. Romano officiating. Graveside services will be at the Kit Carson Cemetery in Kit Carson at 2 p.m. with Pastor John Dell of the First Christian Church of Rocky Ford officiating.

Online condolences may be made at www.PeacockFH.com. Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home & Arkansas Valley Crematory is in charge of arrangements.