Dorothy Emma Fender

Dorothy Emma Koenig Fender, 93 of Loveland, CO  Dorothy Fender was born in the valley of Pingree Park, Colorado on December 31, 1925.  She entered Heaven’s gates on June 29, 2019.  Dorothy stayed in the valley where she was born until she reached 19 years of age.  She then married George Fender and moved out of the mountains, returning every weekend to feed her mountain-girl soul.  She owned and operated her own business for 18 years, Loveland Screen Repair, located just outside of Loveland.  Her hobbies over the years included crafting entrance signs for farms and ranches, riding horses and fishing.  One of her finest works is a memorial to her grandfather, mother and father located in Pingree Park. Dorothy Fender was the last surviving pioneer of Pingree Park, Colorado.  She was the youngest of Frank and Hazel Koenig’s five children.  Her father was one of the original three park rangers for Rocky Mountain National Park.  Her grandfather, Hugh Ramsey, was the first man to homestead and clear the land in Pingree Park.  The Homestead is protected by the Colorado Historical Society as the Koenig/Ramsey Ranch Historic District.  The structures are preserved as an illustration of life in pioneer times and to encourage visitors to experience the early settlers’ way of life. Dorothy always encouraged her family to respect nature and find peace and love in the Pingree Park valley.  Her mother was once asked why she and the family set its roots in the mountains.  She answered, "I get to have quiet and get out and walk. You don’t have to dress up, you can be on dirt, and you’ve got flowers that you can touch if you want to. It doesn’t belong to somebody else and I can look at the mountains and the sky and call them home.” Dorothy is predeceased by all of her siblings and grandson, Johnny Johnson.  She is survived by her husband of 73 years, George Fender; daughter Landa Lee and son John Fender.  She is also survived by daughter-in-law, Diane Fender; grandchildren, David Koenig, Seth Fender, and Caleb Fender; and great-grandchildren Jude Fawley and Reanna Johnson. Inurnment will be held at Johnstown Cemetery in Johnstown, Colorado at a later date. Services at a later date