January 7, 1938 – January 17, 2023
The incredible story of our sweet mother, Colleen Adele Estes Cassell, continued on to its heavenly chapter on January 17th, 2023 when she passed on peacefully, ten days after her 85th birthday.
Colleen was a truly joyful person. The life she lived was such that we should all aspire to live; a life where everyone is treated like a dear friend! She has a long family history in Colorado, as the great, great granddaughter of Joel Estes, the founder of Estes Park, Colorado. She celebrated all things Hats with her "Hats ‘N History" one-woman show, performed so many times for charities, groups, and historical societies. Her true legacy is the excitement and zest for life she shared with us every day.
A Celebration of Her Life of Joy was held on Tuesday, January 24th at Wind Crest Senior Living in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. It was just what she wanted. Please feel free to donate in her memory to Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, the St. Vrain Historical Society, or the Estes Park Museum.
Colleen Adele Estes Cassell was born January 7, 1938, to Donald Joel Estes and Virginia Sullivan Estes. At 11 lbs. plus, she was the biggest baby ever born at that hospital. She was the great, great granddaughter of Joel Estes, who discovered Estes Park; great granddaughter of Carlton Chase Calkins, a member of the Chicago Colorado Colony that founded Longmont in 1871; great granddaughter of Neil Carmichael Sullivan, who in 1890 began the Sullivan & Rowan Hardware Company in Longmont, was the Mayor of Longmont, Water Commissioner, and the Originator of Pumpkin Pie Days; granddaughter to Edwin Joel Estes, owner of the Colorado Creamery in Longmont and graduate of Colorado University; daughter of Virginia Sullivan Estes, civic leader and volunteer, and the first woman elected to the Longmont City Counsel; daughter of Donald Joel Estes, a graduate in Engineering from Colorado University in 1931; and sister to Virginia Anne Estes Scofield.
She grew up, for the most part, in Longmont, Colorado and graduated from Longmont High School in 1955. During her high school years, Colleen was a Cheerleader, was Runner-Up for Homecoming Queen, elected Sweetheart of Longmont DeMolay, voted Most Popular in her senior yearbook, and won a scholarship to Colorado State College of Education in Greeley (now University of Northern Colorado), where she majored in Elementary Education and Theatre. Colleen received many honors and participated in many activities during her college years including student government, civic leadership, acting, writing, singing, athletics, and more. She was notably elected as Student Representative to the College Student Government by majority ballot in the primary, a first time college history.
Colleen graduated college in 1959, one quarter early. By this time, Colleen was engaged to the only man that ever mattered in her life, Gary Cassell. Colleen Estes and Gary Cassell were married July 29, 1959 in the Congregational Church across the alley from the Estes House in Longmont, by the Methodist Minister. They welcomed three beautiful children, Doug Garry, Tammi Colleen, & Joel Estes Cassell. Gary was a military and the family moved all over the country from Massachusetts to California and all over the great state of Colorado from Longmont to Colorado Springs to Estes Park to Fort Collins and just about everywhere in between. Later in life, much later that is, Colleen finally settled down in Highlands Ranch, Colorado near her daughter, where she remained until she decided to exit the stage of life.
Colleen considered her greatest accomplishment in life to be her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. All made possible by the best man in all the world, her husband, Gary. She thought she may have been best known for her one woman show “Hats ‘N History”, mentioned earlier, where she showcased some of her many hats, a collection that was at one time reaching more than 700 hats! She performed her show all over Colorado for charities, historical societies, etc. She was always very active in her community – whatever community that was at any given time. She was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, where she also sang in the Choir; a member of DAR, Colonial Dames, Territorial Daughters, Questers Antique Study Group, and the Calkins Family Association; President of the Estes Family Association; President of the Ladies Golf Association serving the Fort Collins County Club, Boulder Country Club, Broadmoor Country Club, and the Ptarmigan Country Club; was a Costume Rental Business Owner; an Actor, Costumer for and President of the Children’s Theatre in Fort Collins; Actor and Costumer for Littleton’s Fiasco show for four years; and wrote three original children’s plays for Walt Whitman Elementary School in Littleton, which she also performed in and costumed for. She was also an avid scrap booker, making 34 scrapbooks of her children’s lives, starting with high school and college, until 2011, then just annually after, as well as at least six scrapbooks for her grandchildren.
Colleen also worked throughout her life. She taught 3rd grade at Garfield School in Colorado Springs, taught Preschool for 10 years in Littleton and Englewood for the South Suburban Parent Education Preschool, and two years at Denver University Preschool for children of Faculty. She was employed as a Preschool Storyteller for the Littleton and Englewood Library, and volunteered as a Storyteller for the Fort Collins Library.
Colleen leaves behind a beautiful legacy in the lives of her children, Douglas Cassell and wife Nancy, Tammi Cassell Bullock and husband, Forde, and Joel Cassell, and wife Jamie; as well as her grandchildren, Sarah Banks, Rachel Edwards, Douglas Gary “D.J.” Cassell, Jr., Rebekah Mesker, Jenna Hill, Ryan Skogg, Andrew Cassell, and Nicholas Cassell; and her great-grandchildren, Adelyn & Kellen Johnson, Samantha, Adam, Elijah, Alexander, Iris, & Joshua Edwards, Jhett Hill, and Cash Skogg. She joins the greatest man in the world, her husband Gary Cassell, in the life after.
Mother, grandmother, teacher, writer, actor, caregiver, and legend, Colleen Adele Estes Cassell will be truly missed and loved forever by all that were blessed to know her. Please visit at www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to read even more of Colleen’s story, as told by her, and to share memories with her family.
