Florence Mae Drake

Drake, Florence 91, Florence Mae Drake of Denver passed peacefully on January 3, 2013 at her home at the Argyle, under the care of Namaste Hospice. She had long suffered from chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD). Florence was born the youngest of six children on July 6, 1921 to Elizabeth Schafer Borgens and John Borgens in Hastings, NE. She grew up during the Depression, where her itinerant immigrant family farmed beets, among other crops, on the eastern plains of Colorado. Her hardy Russian-German heritage gave her a strong constitution, and though petite, she was very pretty and had a ready smile and chuckles for all to the end. She graduated from Ovid High School in 1939, one of her proudest accomplishments. After singing once with the high school choir for a Denver radio station, the big city beckoned and she joined older sister Katie selling eggs at the old fresh food market in downtown Denver. She caught the eye of the handsome fish seller the next stall over, and subsequently married Carl E Drake on February 24, 1943. A rambunctious son was born following year. Florence smoked for fifty years. Her special interests were listening to the radio, music, crocheting, needlepoint, canning, and cooking. She is preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Carl; as well as her parents and five siblings, including the very special Dorothy and Wilfred. She is survived by son, Larry E Drake (Linda), sister Kathryn Borgens, niece Kay Tynan (Jerry) - all of the Denver area; three grandchildren - Jim (Monique), Bill (Marta) , and Lisa (Mike Cuento); and six great-grandchildren (Matt, Enrique, Haley, Sarah, Colleen and Hanna). Graveside Service, Eastlawn Cemetery, Monday, January 7, 2013 at 11:00 am.