Phyllis Joann Cunningham

Phyllis Joann “Jo” Cunningham, age 92, died from pancreatic cancer on February 3, 2024 at her Hotchkiss, Colorado home. Jo was born January 14, 1932 in Afton, Iowa the third child of eight born to Daisy D. (Balius) and Ted W. Moffitt. She spent her childhood on the family farm near Diagonal, Iowa where she graduated from high school. On April 14, 1951, while a senior in high school, she married Harold Cunningham a few days prior to him heading off to boot camp after being drafted into the Army during the Korean Conflict. They celebrated 71 years of marriage prior to Harold’s passing on May 12, 2022. To this union, three sons, John, Jay, and Jerry were born. Following Harold’s discharge from the Army, Jo and Harold teamed up to farm, raising their boys, cattle, hogs and chickens and milking cows in the Shannon City area of Iowa. In 1962, Jo’s asthma necessitated a move to a dryer climate. So, they moved to Colorado replacing their Iowa farm with a ranch on Missouri Flats near Crawford, Colorado where they began raising Hereford cattle, followed by a three year stint raising sheep before returning to cattle ranching with a herd of Beefmaster cattle. In addition to ranching, Jo worked in town cooking at the Crawford Kitchen and at the Hotchkiss Sales Barn as well as working at local packing sheds in Paonia and Hotchkiss. After leasing their ranch to Jay and Pauline in 1995 and retiring to Willow Heights, Jo and Harold spent fifteen winters in Apache Junction, Arizona. In her leisure time, Jo enjoyed raising flowers, gardening, baking her widely acclaimed pies and traveling around the states from Hawaii to Georgia and places in between to visit family and friends as well as visiting Ireland and Canada. Grandma Jo’s grandkids, great-grandkids and great-great granddaughters were the apples of her eye. Jo is survived by her sons, John (Marlyse) of Crawford, James J. “Jay” (Pauline) of Crawford and Jerry (Linda “Pete”) of Delta as well as a sister, Bessie Radine Eakin of Prague, Oklahoma. Jo is further survived by seven grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great-granddaughters. Jo was preceded in death by six of her siblings, Doris Porter, Marion Moffitt, Charles “Mac” Moffitt, Ellen Gibson, Anna Marie “Sally” Randall, and James “Jim” Moffitt and her beloved granddaughter, Kimberly Cunningham.

Memorial services will be held in the Community Room (upper level) of the Crawford Town Hall on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 11:00 A.M. followed by a fellowship luncheon.

Memorial donations in Jo’s name can be made to HopeWest, P. O. Box 24, Delta, CO 81416 or a charity of your choosing.