Fern Wesswick

Naomi Fern Wesswick passed away peacefully in the arms of her husband of 66 years on Friday morning, December 10, 2021.  Fern was born March 31, 1927 in Greeley, Colorado to Ruth and Roy Nordell.  She grew up an only child in Greeley. As a child, she had both scarlet and rheumatic fever and was not able to participate in hard physical exercise; instead, she played the violin and sang at church and in a number of groups.   She excelled in school and graduated from University High School.   She wanted to be a nurse but her parents were not able to afford to send her away to nursing school so she attended what is now University of Northern Colorado and studied teaching and music.  She graduated with a degree in elementary education and a minor in music.  She was very gifted in working with primary students, often using her musical talents to enhance their fun and learning.  During her career, she influenced hundreds of students in Denver, Canon City, and Littleton where she finished her career at Ames Elementary having, as she would fondly say, graduated from (teaching) kindergarten to 2nd grade.  She often ran into students and parents in the community and, to her delight, during one of her hospitalizations, the physician who entered her room introduced himself as one of her 2nd grade students.

When Fern retired, she learned to play bridge and golf so that she would have activities to keep her busy.  She and her teacher friends, and she and Ernie, played golf long into their retirement. She also enjoyed her weekly bridge groups with teacher friends and at Someren Glen.  She and Ernie enjoyed traveling and were able to visit many places over the years- sometimes traveling with a mission group, sometimes with Ernie’s softball team, and sometimes with family.  Family trips were the ones she enjoyed the most.

Fern loved family deeply.  She and her husband of 66 years, Ernie, met at a dinner party – he was a good friend of the brother of one of her teacher friends.  The dinner was planned to introduce another couple to one another but instead was the beginning of their romance.  They were married in Greeley, in her home church, on August 23, 1955.  After living in Denver for a few years, they moved to Pueblo and had Kristi in 1958.  This was followed by a move to Canon City where they lived when Todd was born in 1962 – on election day only after she had gone to the polls and voted.  Fern was a devoted wife and mother and never missed an event of either of her children.  She was their champion!  Into their adult years and establishment of their own families, her favorite event every week until COVID made it impossible was to have family dinner at noon every Sunday.

As her two granddaughters came along, she enjoyed spending time with them and attending their many events to provide support and cheer on this next generation.  She and Ernie prayed for them daily together at breakfast and she was so proud of them, of the lovely women they have become.  Fern’s life was further enriched in recent years with the birth of great granddaughter, Madelyn, and great grandson, Joshua.  She loved them dearly and looked forward to each new picture, video, and story that was shared.

Fern is survived by her husband Ernie, daughter Kristi Mock (Bruce), son Todd Wesswick (Melisa), granddaughters Erika Barton (Zack) and Erin Cohen (Josiah), and great grandchildren Madelyn Barton and Joshua Barton.