Kathy Fonte

    Kathleen “Kathy” Lenae Fonte was born Sept. 5, 1958, to Duane and Mary (Brown) Schafer. She spent 58 short years on earth and died March 30, 2017, after a short battle with cancer.
    Kathy, born and raised in Wray, spent her life attending Wray schools and spent her youth involved in cheerleading, FHA, FBLA, NHS and FFA as their first-ever chapter sweetheart. However, her most loved activity and greatest accomplishment was and is 4-H. Shortly after graduating, she married Alan Fonte in November 1977. This union (13 years) was blessed with three children: Travis, Lenae and Trent.
    Early on, Kathy developed a love for nature and animals, especially horses. Her favorite horse, Rainie Day Hope, came into Kathy’s life while her own father had his battle with cancer, and therefore, Rainie always held a special place in Kathy’s heart. Rainie was also one of her 4-H horses.
    Her love of 4-H was ignited by her father when she was only 8 years old and continued with a vibrant passion for the rest of her life. In fact, August of 2016 was Kathy’s 50th fair. In all that time, she only missed one day of fair, thanks to the early arrival of her daughter. Kathy’s true love for 4-H was something she instilled not only in her own children but that she was beginning to kindle in the hearts of her grandchildren.
    During those years, she held many roles within the 4-H community. She spent time as a member, founding and leading Town and Country 4-H Club, and numerous other roles. Her long-time roles involved superintendent of horse, general projects and open-class quilting.
    However, she devoted the greatest amount of her time to leathercraft. Kathy had a natural talent for working with leather, and she shared this talent with others all her life. Yuma County was blessed to have her as a leather leader, where she built and maintained a strong program full of innovative and well-produced projects over the years.
    Kathy was always willing to learn something new or burn the midnight oil for her leather kids. Additionally, she was extremely involved through furthering leathercraft all over Colorado, whether it be helping 4-H’ers from other counties, judging or helping write the new state program guidelines.
    Likewise, she held a prominent role in sponsoring the Yuma County Fair Queen program and even a few surrounding counties’ programs. Over the years, Kathy had the privilege to design and complete a multitude of queen and attendant sashes. Last year, she even tackled the challenge of queen chaps. Anyone who attended Yuma County and surrounding fairs had the honor of seeing Kathy’s beautiful work.
    When she wasn’t busy working with her 4-H kids, who always held a special place in her heart, Kathy was busy with her antiquing or interior design. Many of her Saturdays were spent at local auctions looking for a rare find that she could give new life to. For over 20 years, she was also able to share her creative side through her business, Interior Detailing.
    While she was up for any job to help others spruce up their living space, her favorite was painting. She had a knack for transforming a space with a touch of color. In recent years, she started dabbling in and developing an interest in real estate.
    In all of her life’s accomplishments, her greatest joy was her grandbabies — better known as her little skeeter bugs or schnucklefritzes. She loved having movie nights at Grammie Kaffy’s, stocking the cookie drawer, taking time to watch them compete in a baseball or football game, sing at a school concert, share their love of Jesus in church programs, making them her famous Halloween popcorn balls or, of course, exhibit at the county fair. She especially loved having “Grandma Camper Sleepovers” each year during the fair and then taking the grandkids to the parade.
    By the grace of God through faith, Kathy repented and surrendered her life to Jesus Christ. She was preceded in death by her father, Duane Schafer; and her grandparents, Herbert and Emma (Ames) Schafer and C.L. and Pearl (Tombaugh) Brown.
    She is survived by her son, Travis Fonte and wife Shawna of Wray; daughter, Lenae Lengel and husband Brian of Idalia; son, Trent Fonte and wife Sabrina of Wray; her 11 beautiful grandchildren, Sydney, Wyatt, Sawyer, Layne and Pyper Fonte, Grady, Emelyn and Teegan Lengel, and Addison Nowels and Tori and Tacey Fonte; mother, Mary Keeler; three brothers, Greg and Judy Schafer of Wray, Todd and Cheryl Schafer of Wray, and Steve and Gail Schafer of Holyoke; her sister in love, Angie and Richard Zwirn of Yuma; nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, aunts, cousins and numerous friends; and her companion of 25 years, Rodney Akey.
    Funeral services were scheduled for Thursday, April 6, at Beecher Island near Wray at 10 a.m., with Thomas Morgan officiating. Interment was set to be at the Grandview Cemetery in Wray.
    Memorials may be given to Yuma County 4-H or Hospice of the Plains.
    Schmidt-Jones Funeral Home in Wray is in charge of arrangements.