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Connie L. Fahnestock Ft Collins, CO QCWA # 23838 Chapter |58|143| |
Connie Lou (Oxley) Fahnestock was born March 14, 1927 in Scott City, Kansas to Clark and Mary Gladys (Cronin) Oxley. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from Purdue University and married Jim Fahnestock in 1949. While working and parenting four kids, she completed a Masters in Library Science from Long Island University.
Connie was organizer and first President of the Jefferson County Historical Society in 1973, and led the campaign to lobby Jefferson County to purchase a 17-room log home plus adjacent acreage, now known as Hiwan Heritage Park and Museum in Evergreen, Colorado. She once bet a friend on a tennis game: loser donated $100 to "Save Heritage Grove" fund. In 1975 Connie was the first woman awarded "Jefferson County Person of the Year," presented by Governor Dick Lamm.
Connie created her own buckskin clothing and visited schools and historical events in character as "Flying Fawn," demonstrating how Native American women and children completed everyday activities 150 years ago.
Connie and Jim, both pilots, flew small airplanes to out-of-the-way destinations in the Bahamas, Mexico and Central and South America. They also traveled to New Zealand, Dominican Republic, Germany, Holland, Haiti, Aruba and Rio de Janeiro. Always loving an adventure, she relished travel and any challenge put in her path, including embracing local people and wildlife, strange foodstuffs and scuba gear.
In 1989 they moved to Fort Collins where Connie continued her love of history through museum work at the Avery House, living history interpretation, consulting for the Colorado Wyoming Association of Museums, and as a member of the Poudre Landmarks Foundation Board of Directors.
They explored Colorado backroads with the Ghost Town Club. Connie loved to golf and work around their 11 acre "retirement" farm. She especially loved hauling brush and visiting horses and cows while driving her tractor.
Connie died Saturday, January 18, 2020. She was surrounded by love - in life and in death - by four children: Katie (Fahnestock) Kingston (husband Bill) (Louisville, CO), Jim Fahnestock (wife Barb) (Sellersville, PA), Barb (Fahnestock) Ruiz (husband Jon) (Eugene, OR) and Karey (Fahnestock) Robinson (husband Bert) (Firestone, CO). Her kids' spouses, 8 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren also provided great support and joy since Jim's death in 2003, and her mother's death in 2006.
Jim and Connie shared a unique request for those wishing to honor their memory: "In lieu of memorial gifts please take someone you love out to dinner."
Published by Coloradoan from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, 2020.
