Keren Mead Barthelmeh Sekeres

Born June 18, 1939, to Robert and Thelma Barthelmeh in the small mountain town in Fairplay, Colorado. Brother, Thomas Charles Barthelmeh (deceased). Her father was a prominent, well-loved Agricultural Agent for Park County. After a few moves in her early childhood years, her family landed in Greeley, Colorado. Her father had several businesses including a store and gas station where she worked when she was old enough to contribute. She packed pickles in a pickle factory and taught pre-school in her church, putting herself through college. She graduated at the top of her class in 1957 from Greeley High School. She played the flute and was very active in the high school band. Her passion was the marching band, and she loved marching in local parades and even marched in the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade a few times. Keren had a beautiful voice and participated in several high school musicals, always talking about her big solo "O Holy Night". She majored in Chemistry at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Coors Brewery made an offer to hire her after college.

She loved her name and its unusual spelling. She was named after her Aunt Addis Keren Barthelmeh. The name Keren is mentioned in Job 42:14. No matter who she spoke to, they knew the origin of her name by the end of the conversation. She continued the tradition, naming her second daughter Keren Lynn.

Keren married James Harold Martin (deceased) and had four children: Kathy Maye Wallace Straiton, husband David Straiton (Houston), Kevin James Martin (deceased), Keren Lynn Kelley, husband Matt Kelley (Alaska), and Kelly Robin Hamm (deceased). Kevin proudly served in the Marines for four years. They traveled for a few years; California, Oklahoma, and finally settling back in her home state of Colorado. Her family lived in several interesting places: on a ranch in the mountains of California, in the middle of a feed lot in Stockton, on outskirts of the vineyards in Napa, on a ranch in Wray, Colorado, and the suburbs/ foothills of Denver.

Keren was one of the first female postal carriers in Napa, California in 1967. She worked for Honeywell, Richmond Homes, United States Forest Service, Overhead Door of Denver, and various other places doing bookkeeping.  She loved being around people and excelled at selling Avon. She was in her element making others laugh, entertaining, and connecting with people. In other words, she loved the "girl parties"!

Keren loved the outdoors and the mountains; it was her happy place. Her family would hunt, fish, and camp routinely. Almost every weekend during the summer, they loaded up the car or truck and headed for the mountains in Colorado, stocking the freezer for the winter months with trout and kokanee salmon. Keren always out fished everyone and cooked the fish to perfection. During hunting season, she was right in the middle of the adventure and helped with dressing the deer and freezing the meat for the winter. She had a green thumb, always keeping a large garden to introduce new vegetables, some of which her children dreaded. Her tomatoes were legendary, and she mastered Colorado Green Chili! Canning was a tradition in the early fall. Her specialty was hot jalapeno pickles, which the family fought over. Keren raised chickens, guineas, rabbits, pigs and even bred poodles (another one of her side jobs).

Keren was very involved in her children's lives. She was a Brownie/Girl Scout Leader, Boy Scout Den/Webelos Leader, softball Coach and a little league baseball coach. She insisted each of her children join band and try sports, which they did. They all marched in parades and half time shows, and she cried every time she watched them!

She was an absolute sports fanatic, taking after her father. Football was her passion, she kept seasonal journals of each season. She had to pivot (reluctantly) when the internet was introduced but she still kept those journals. Go Broncos! When she discovered tennis (Wimbledon especially) she had found another passion. But it really didn't matter what the sport was, games were always on her TV. When the Olympics were being aired, craziness was in the house for two weeks, her world was all about USA.

Keren married Martin (Marty) Sekeres (deceased) in 1977. They moved to Grand Junction, then Brighton, Colorado and finally retired in Bushnell, Nebraska. They continued to fish and camp, visiting their favorite campgrounds in Green Mountain Reservoir, Summit County Colorado and Oliver Reservoir in Bushnell, but they'd upgraded to a camper. Again, she excelled at fishing, which is why the grandchildren insisted on fishing with her - they knew they'd catch something with her. They bestowed her with the title "Fishing Grandma." The dads' egos were crushed. She had a close nit group of friends in Bushnell, which connected her to their church and community activities. Morning coffee at her house EVERY day!

In 2010 she moved to Texas to live out her life with her daughter, Kathy. Keren was able to start cruising. Her first cruise was her grandson's (Ryan) wedding. She loved cruising!!! She watched the Astros win their first World Series on a cruise ship. She attended many of her grandson's college basketball games at Texas A&M Kingsville, falling in love with Galveston and Tex-Mex food. She adored her chihuahua Willy and was there for her grandson after school for his first years of school. In her normal fashion she made close friends with the neighbors.

She was an avid crocheter making Christmas Santas every year for her children, the last count was 15 for each. She made crocheted stockings for the grandchildren and great grandchildren which they still use today. She excelled at canvas needlecraft, constructing full Christmas villages for her family and friends. She loved to read, do word puzzles, and play games/cards with her family and friends. She always had to be making or doing something.

Keren was an unselfish, loving caretaker. She devoted a lot of time to take care of her aging parents in Canon City, Colorado. She loved being with her eight grandchildren: Gregory (deceased), Ryan (wife Natalie) and Reid Wallace, Bodrie Martin (wife Stephanie), Korinne (husband Jeremiah Beckstead), Taylor, and Tanner Kelley, Matthew Hamm (deceased) and bonus step grandchildren, Joshua (wife Ashley), Stefany (fiancée Ellis Hargraves), and Anthony Straiton (fiancée Patricia Miramontes). She was a very rare grandma who could completely communicate with her grandsons regarding fishing, football, and baseball, which they revered and enjoyed.  She enjoyed spending time with her only cousin, Earl Mead in Canon City.

Keren was so very proud to be a great grandmother of 13 and bragged about them constantly; Greyson and Landon Wallace, Isaac, Sarah, Naomi, Ruth and Zachery Martin, Memory and Everly Kelley, Katie and Amelia Palm, Jenessa Hamm, and Hunter Straiton. They gave her a new opportunity to play games and color.

Keren died July 5th and will be missed dearly; our lives were better with her in it. This is only a snippet of her interesting life. She dealt with adversity, death, conflict, and change with grace and made it to the age of 84. She loved her family and friends dearly! And we loved her!

Keren will be buried in Canon City, Colorado with her parents and Kelly, her daughter.