Daniel Frank Mihalik, Sr. 51 of Bushkill Township, PA passed away at his home on Friday, June 4, 2010; he was under doctor’s care.

He was born on October 13, 1958 in Scranton, PA; the son of the late Michael and Josephine (Gontarz) Mihalik.

He was a member of Our Lord’s Ascension Polish National Catholic Church, Bethlehem, PA.

Danny was a mechanic by trade, and prior to his retirement due to ill health, he was employed at the former Dixie Cup Corporation now Georgia Pacific, Fork’s Township.

He enjoyed his favorite sports teams; the Phillies, Penn State football, and the Denver Broncos. Danny loved and believed in angels. It was this strong belief and prayer that helped him battle cancer. As a cancer survivor it was his hope to help others in their battle. Danny also had a love for animals.

He leaves behind a loving family. His children, who he was most proud of, a son Daniel F. Mihalik, Jr. and his girlfriend Alexandra Paugh; and a daughter Karissa M. Mc Govern; sisters Mary Lou Price and Joan F. Mihalik; brothers, Joseph M. and wife Nancy, and Michael J. and wife Roseann; and many nieces, nephews, and their families; they all mourn his passing and will miss him dearly.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 am, Friday, June 11, 2010 in Our Lord’s Ascension Polish National Catholic Church, 2105 Jennings St., Bethlehem, PA, 18017. Interment will follow in the parish cemetery.

Family and friends may call 7:00 to 9:00 pm Thursday evening, and 8:00 to 9:00 am Friday morning in the Geo.G.Bensing Funeral Home, Inc., 2165 Community Dr., Route 946 Village of Moorestown-Bath, PA 18014. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in memory of Danny to the American Cancer Society- LV Chapter, 3893 Adler Place, Bethlehem, PA, 18017.

June 25, 1921 – May 19, 2010

Ray G. McCarthy, 88, of Denver, Colorado, passed away May 19, 2010 at home in Denver. He was born June 25, 1921 in Kiowa, Colorado, to John Lawrence McCarthy and Ethel Gorton where his family owned a small ranch growing alfalfa and raising various livestock. In 1931, they moved to Smith Hill near Central City, Colorado where they ranched and ran a trucking business hauling coal and other commodities. He maintained his membership with the Gilpin County Cattlemen’s Association.

Ray was a graduate of Gilpin County High School. One story Ray told was the time they decided it was a good idea to lead a donkey through the upstairs back door of the Central City Opera House and let it loose. Ray never said why they did it, but he sure laughed heartily whenever he told the story.

In the early 1940’s, Ray and his brother moved their parents to Denver. Ray enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942, assigned to the 351^st Engineer General Service Regiment, “Charlie” Company. After supporting the war effort in England, the 351^st was ordered to the initial landing at Normandy Beach. Due to the breakdown of their transport, Ray’s unit was 24 hours late in arriving, but went right to work establishing supply lines. After participating in the Battle of the Bulge, the 351^st continued to rebuild the war torn regions of northern Europe.

When Ray returned home to Colorado in 1945, he attended The Colorado School of Mines and Denver University where he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. He married Lena Mae Loman on August 29, 1948. Ray and his new bride moved to Ephrata, WA. Here he worked for the Bureau of Reclamation on the Grand Coulee Dam. In 1950, their first daughter Janet was born. They moved to San Francisco when Ray was hired as an engineer for Cisco. In 1952, their second daughter Karen was born and in 1953, Ray and his family moved back to Denver. During that year their son Robert was born.

Ray eventually started working for Sterns Rogers. Then in May of 1971, their daughter LeEtta was born. After several failed attempts with retirement, Ray settled down in 1995 to live the quiet life as husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and good friend… “Umbahgooey.”

Per Ray’s wishes, there will be no public memorial or special services held.

Steven Joel Bankovich, “Banko,” age 58, of Golden Gate Canyon died Sunday, April 18^th, 2010. He was born in Jamaica Queens, NY to Emma and Joseph Bankovich. He is survived by one sister, Ellen, and is now united with his brother Joe. He was a loving husband to Barbara, a father to Kassandra and Sarah, and a grandfather to Ella. He was a master carpenter, surveyor, and teacher. He touched many lives, and will be missed by all who knew him. Mass services will be at 11am on Saturday May 1, 2010 at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Central City. At 12:30 pm a Celebration of Life Luncheon will be held at the Golden Gate Grange Hall (four miles west of Hwy 93 on Golden Gate Canyon Road). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Youth Build. (www.milehighyouthcorps.org/youth_jobs/youth_build.html)

Gerald “Jerry” W. Parker was born in Rockford, Illinois in 1948, grew up in Illinois and moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1955. Jerry joined the Navy in 1967 and received an Honorable Discharge in 1971. He then moved to Wyoming and later to Bakersfield, California and back to Idaho Springs in 1982 and then to Evergreen, Colorado. He owned and operated Clear Creek Refrigeration from 1982 up until his death, and always offered a welcoming and warm smile to anyone that met him.

Jerry was an avid sportsman; playing softball and bowling but his favorite pastime was being on the golf course.

On March 29, Jerry succumbed to pancreatic cancer and peacefully passed away at home in Evergreen surrounded by loved ones. A memorial for Jerry will be held at Faith Lutheran Church, 17701 W. 16^th Ave., Golden on Tuesday, April 6 at noon. A reception will immediately follow the service and internment at Fort Logan National Cemetery, 4400 W. Kenyon Ave., Denver, at 2:15 p.m. with everyone welcome to attend to celebrate Jerry’s life.

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge –

That myth is more potent than history.

I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts –

That hope always triumphs over experience,

That laughter is the only cure for grief.

And, I believe that love is stronger than death.

(Author unknown)

Stephanie Kalafsky was born in Chicago in 1951, grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and came to Colorado in a VW bus in the early 1970s.

She was introduced to Central City in 1975 when she rode in on the back of Sandy Hoffman’s Harley. He says he kidnapped her to take her to a party somewhere around Central – the site is long forgotten.

After four or five days, Sandy noticed that she was still there partying with him and asked, “Wait a minute, don’t you have a job down there in Denver?”

“I called and quit.”

And she stayed.

So began one of Central’s great love stories.

They moved into Fat Tommy’s mining shack near the National Mine. Sandy says that when water started running into the shack, Tommy simply chopped a hole in the wall so that the water could run on out. “It was that kind of shack,” Sandy says.

The next spring, when Stephanie’s birthday came (April 4th), Sandy had no money to buy her a present. “So I got her a job for her birthday.” It was as a waitress at the Gilded Garter.

Over the years, she had many jobs in the food and beverage business in Central and Black Hawk, including stints at the Gold Coin, the Copper Broiler, the Glory Hole, the Mermaid, Crook’s Palace, the Teller House, the Golden Canary, and Otto’s.

Along the way, Sandy and Stephanie settled into their cabin in Missouri Flats (kind of a suburb of Russell Gulch) off the grid. Electricity came from solar panels to power a few light bulbs and a TV-and-dish setup. With the help of an inverter, they had enough 120-volt electricity to power a blender so that Stephanie could make smoothies for Sandy.

Water was scarce and Stephanie had a glorious head of hair, so she mastered the art of washing her hair using very little water.

When Harvey’s Wagon Wheel Casino (now the Fortune Valley Casino) opened, some friends got a hotel room on opening night to have a party. Naturally, Sandy and Stephanie attended. And, not surprisingly, Stephanie disappeared into the bathroom to enjoy the luxury of hair washing with unlimited hot water.

One of their many motorcycle trips around the country took them to a chilly campsite in Yosemite. In the morning, they went to a rest stop to freshen up. Once again, Stephanie went to the rest room and didn’t reappear for a very long time. When she finally came out, she said to a lady who worked there, “You know, there’s hot water in your toilets.”

The lady explained that there were a lot of hot springs around there and hot water is plentiful. Hearing this, Stephanie turned to Sandy and said, “You go on. I’m going to stay here.”

The couple tried to secretly get married at the Gilpin County Courthouse in October of 1979, but they were discovered by friends signing the papers at the desk of the Clerk & Recorder.

Sandy said, “It was really a shame. Ruined our image. Living in sin is so much more fun.”

Stephanie was an outstanding cook on their wood-fired cook stove, as well as being a great seamstress who made all of her own Lou Bunch Days costumes, and was also an extraordinary gardener. Her columbines were legendary – so much so, that she was a high altitude test gardener for a Boulder flower-and-seed company.

Nearly two years ago, Stephanie was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

On March 21, she died at Lutheran Hospital’s hospice. She had spent 35 of her 58 years in Gilpin County.

She is survived by Sandy, two cats, and a large circle of friends and admirers.

A community party to celebrate Stephanie’s life will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, at the Central City Elks Lodge – all are welcome.

John Selzer passed away January 22, 2010. He is survived by his wife Ceeya, his mother Roselle, his step-father Jim, and his sister Michelle. He will be dearly missed. Condolences can be sent to P.O. Box 341 Central City, CO 80427.

William (Bill) Earl Allen passed away on January 22, 2010. He was born in Central City Colorado, August 2^nd 1930.

Bill was elected to City Council of Central City in 1961, and also served as Police Commissioner of Central City. Bill served seven years in the Navy. He worked as a tool and die maker and supervisor of the same trade for over 25 years.

He is survived by his wife Patricia, and his three children. Services will be held at Saint James Methodist Church in Central City, and he will be buried at Bald Mountain Cemetery in Central City, Colorado.

February 16, 1938 – January 5, 2010

Elizabeth, known to us as Liz, passed away after bravely fighting a deadly cancer for a year and a half. Liz was born February 16, 1938 in Minnesota to Marvin and Eunice Lueck. Her only sibling, Sharon, was born three years later. The family moved to California. The family life centered around  their  church and youth group. During her youth she loved to play tennis, bowl and swim.

In l961 she received her B.S. degree in Social Work from San Francisco State College. She had taken a year off from college to work and tour Europe for two months with a group of 13 bicyclists.

In 1963 she married Gerald Patterson and they had three children – Mike, Karen, and David Patterson. Eventually the couple divorced, and in 1986 she married J.L. Baker. Living in California, Liz went back to school and received her Masters degree in teaching. She taught Special Education until J.L. retired, after which they decided to move and reside in Gilpin County since they loved the area. In addition, her sister and husband and both of her sons live here.

Right away Liz got involved with Friends of the Library group in Gilpin, and volunteered with Ermil’s Thrift Shop in Central City. She loved to be around people and always had a big smile and warm greeting to everyone. Even her license read, “Neat day” and “Happiness is being a grandparent!” She was also active in the Rocky Mountain Evangelical Free Church in Black Hawk. Many of the Women’s Bible study meetings were held in her home. She attended most of the Senior’s events and loved using the Gilpin County Community Center’s recreation facility.

Liz loved the mountains and spent many hours outdoors. If anyone called, even at the last minute, she would drop everything to go for a quick walk. She enjoyed reading and crossword puzzles and was an excellent seamstress. She always kept family, friends, and bake sales in good supply of her home baked cookies and breads.

As her health was slowly getting worse, her deep faith and trust in the Lord was apparent. She began each morning saying, “This is the day that the Lord has made – I will rejoice and be glad in it!”

On January 5, 2010, surrounded by her loved ones, Liz peacefully passed into the hands of Lord.

Services were held Saturday, January 9th at the St. James Methodist church. She must have been smiling when she saw so many wonderful people there to celebrate her life.

Our family has been blessed to have Elizabeth in our lives and she will be greatly missed. J.L., her husband, sister Sharon (spouse-Eloy Perea), son Mike Patterson (spouse Pam and grandson Quinn), daughter Karen (spouse Bob Howes, grandchildren Kaylah, Ashley, Jessica, Zachary and Sean), son David Patterson, stepdaughter Barbara (spouse Tony Jorge, grandchildren Jonathan, Bethany and Sheena (spouse Ralph and great granddaughter Selvera).

Caroline Marguerite Ball passed away at Spring Ridge Park, Lakewood, Colorado, on Friday, January 8, 2010, at 88 years of age. A memorial service will be held Sunday, January 31, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. at Calvary Episcopal Church in Golden, the Reverend John Wengrovius presiding.

Caroline was born in San Diego, California, on November 9, 1921, and moved to Colorado in 1939. She married Douglas Schelling Ball on March 12, 1941, in Golden, Colorado. The couple lived in Texas and Washington, D.C., and, with four young children, returned to Colorado in 1957. She lived in Golden and was a member of Calvary Episcopal Church most of her life.

Caroline was an artist and thespian, known for her performances at Crook’s Palace in Black Hawk where she and her husband ran a friendly, upscale establishment before gambling changed the landscape of the close-knit mountain town.

Caroline was a warm and charming woman, cherished by family and friends. Her deep religious convictions were a source of joy to her. Her generous spirit was a source of joy to all who knew her.

Surviving her are three children, Richard Ball (Denver), Michael Ball (Louisville), and Anna Berlin (Colorado Springs); seven grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren. Her husband preceded her in death in 1999.

Nederland Schools Principal Rich Salaz wrote to parents on Tuesday, stating that he was very sorry to let each of the kids know that our longtime, well-known and well-liked Nederland Elementary bus driver Ralph “Skip” Greene, a Nederland area driver since 1985, succumbed to illness Sunday night, January 10th and died. As most of you know, Skip was a fixture in the BVSD Nederland community over the past 25 years. He was especially popular with our students, who have been missing him since he took ill this past fall. Salaz wanted the parents of each student to know about this so they can discuss it with their kids.

A memorial service will be held in honor of Skip at the CU Research Station this Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 1:00 pm. The Research Station is located off of Highway 72 between Nederland and Ward. We encourage staff, parents and community members to carpool as parking is limited at the Research Station. Please feel free to use the elementary school parking lot as a meeting area if you need. The family has requested that you bring a snack to share at the Memorial.