Sammie Christine Pitcher

Sammie C. Pitcher, 94, passed away July 9 in her beloved home in Fort Collins, Colorado. Sammie was born in Rawlins, Wyoming, on September 11, 1930, to O.P (Beck) and Emma Josephine (Jo) Becksted. She spent her early childhood on ranches in and around Saratoga and Encampment, Wyoming. In the spring of 1940, the family, including little brother Bob, and baby sister, Becky (Pete), moved to a ranch in Livermore, Colorado owned by her aunt and uncle A.J. “Bud” and Mildred Becksted. There, she attended school in a one-room schoolhouse through the eighth grade. It was during the war years that Sammie learned to cook. Her mother helped in the hayfield, but would get a meal started, and Sammie would finish it. In later years, they spent many hours together in the kitchen baking fruit cakes and making candy for the holidays. Her sister Becky (Pete) remembers Sammie carrying buckets of water from the creek to her roses; maybe that explains her love for floral carpet. Sammie graduated high school in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1949. Upon graduation, she returned to Livermore and taught in the same one-room schoolhouse she had attended as a child.

In March 1950, Sammie married Raymond A. Nauta, and together they started a livestock trucking business in Fort Collins. During those years, they were actively involved in the Colorado Motor Carriers Association. Through one of their customers, Bob Broad, Sammie became involved in raising Southdown sheep for 4-H and FFA youth in Texas. They had one daughter, Ginger, and because of her, Sammie spent a lot of time in the bleachers at fairs and rodeos.

In 1975, Sammie married Thomas A Pitcher.  In Tom, she found her soulmate, and together they established a successful trucking business. Sammie held a CDL license and was a skilled truck driver. She also managed dispatching and bookkeeping. In 1977, Sam and Tom built their dream home. A place to host picnics for their drivers and have Tom‘s class reunions.  It was also a home to come to for special family holidays and other special occasions.  It was here that Sammie had her beautiful rose garden, and every year the farmer came out in Tom and together they planted their tomatoes and flowers.  Her parents had instilled in her an incredible work ethic, which put her in peril of having fun or spare time.  But through the years, she and Tom had many wonderful vacations in Hawaii.Sammie’s years spent in the livestock trucking business and the grandstands gave her a great appreciation for good livestock. Watching her daughter, Ginger, and later her stepchildren, Gary and Gail, Sam had a keen eye for horses and cattle. Through her stepdaughter Gail and husband Steve, Sammie and Tom built an impressive herd of Gelbvieh cattle. The highlight of their program was when the extension Vet from Hawaii bought seven breeding heifers and shipped them back to Hawaii.

One of Sammie’s best-kept secrets was her tender heart. Sammie was a generous, caring person who always tried to do the right thing.  Only the Lord knows how many people she quietly helped. Memories of her love, integrity, and feisty spirit will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.

Sammie loved her trucking businesses, her bookkeeping, and her roses. She had a passion for music and college football. She found pleasure and comfort in her pets over the years:  her beloved Pomeranian dogs, cats, and the cows and calves that played in the pasture around their home.

Sammie is survived by her daughter Ginger (Tom) Latham of de Beque, Colorado; grandson Robert (Teig) Latham of Palisade, Colorado; great-grandson Thomas (Finn) Latham; stepson Gary (Collette) Pitcher of Greeley, Colorado; stepdaughter Gail (Steve) Fiolkoski of Pierce, Colorado; sister Becky Burke and family; sister-in-law Gladys (Nauta) Ellerman and family; and her nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother R.O. (Bob) and sister-in-law Roberta (Bert) Becksted of Wellington, Colorado; her niece Mickie (Becksted) Meaks, and her husband, Thomas A. Pitcher.

PostscriptWhile it was challenging at times to care for Mom and Tom, it was also a privilege and a blessing to be able to keep them in their beloved home and spend time with them. I’d like to thank family and friends who helped make this possible.  Ginger

Sammie's visitation will be held Sunday, July 20th, 5-7 p.m., at Vessey Funeral Service in Fort Collins. Her burial will be held on Monday, July 21st, at 9:30 a.m. in the Grandview Cemetery.

The family asks that memorial contributions be made to Accent Care Hospice.