Theresa Ruth Tuell

Theresa Ruth Tuell, better known to her friends as TT, was born to Ruth and Marvin Tuell on January 2nd, 1960 in Wray, Colorado.  She was the youngest of seven, with older sisters, June and Mary, and older brothers, John, Jim, Barry and Ray. She passed away on October 22, 2017 at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado. 

 Most of her early years were spent in Eckley, in a building that was converted from the original Eckley high school into a home. 

 Her brother Barry still remembers living with her in Eckley. Theresa would sometimes slip away from the house and gleefully run to the beckoning playground at the grade school down the block. Her siblings would often have to chase after her and bring her back home.

 When Theresa was 9, she moved into a group home in Julesburg.  The school was the first of its kind in Norther Colorado.  It supported those with special needs.  The school provided an appropriate education, and while there she developed a number of very close friendships.

 From Julesburg, Theresa went to a group home and workshop in Sterling. After that, she moved to the Gayle Street Group Home in Fort Morgan, where she resided until her passing. She worked for years at the Noresco Workshop nearby.  The jobs at the Noresco Workshop gave her and her friends great pride. Her work included placing strings on spools for tying tomato plants, counting fish hooks to put into boxes for sale, and making doormats. Over the years, the Noresco Workshop continued to provide her education.

 Theresa had a large number of things that gave her great joy.

 One of her greatest pleasures was simply coming home.  She truly loved spending time with family.  She loved it so much that when she realized she was being driven back to the Gayle Street House, she would try and redirect the driver.

 Theresa could spend hours paging through catalogs and magazines. She loved drawing and writing in coloring    books.  She loved playing matching games with Old Maid cards. She liked working puzzles.  She really enjoyed music. During the 70s, she loved listening to disco.  She used to sit in the living room in Eckley, rocking to the beat of songs from Saturday night Fever, and Donna Summer.

 Her favorite foods were ice cream with chocolate syrup, yogurts, spaghetti, green beans, apples sauce, orange pop, pudding, ketchup… on everything… and pink shakes.

 She had a bit of a sweet tooth. She went through a phase where she was literally fixated with bubble gum. She was constantly asking for it.  Every time we’d see her she’d ask us if we had bubble gum. People would start to buy packs of gum before they knew they were going to see her.

 One of my favorite “sweet tooth” stories took place years ago.  My brother and I were shopping for Theresa’s birthday, and we were struggling with what to get her.  Ultimately, we chose a lollipop that spinned automatically.  We told ourselves “she’s gonna love it!”, and we were right – she loved it.  I can still remember her sticking out her tongue and letting the lollipop spin around.   

 One of my fondest memories was Theresaisms.  Theresaisms were special sayings and words that Theresa would say in her own, unique way. 

 When she was said goodbye, she would say “later”.  If she liked what you were doing, she’d say “your cute”,  I, myself, was the recipient of many “your cute” even when I was trying to give her a hard time.

 Many of our family members still use Theresaisms today.   My brother Patrick and his daughter, Danielle, still say “later” the way Theresa used to say it.  (and the way I say it still doesn’t give it justice to the way Theresa said it!)

 Throughout her life, the one constant was that she was a loving person. She had a beautiful smile, and a great laugh.  We will miss her love of family, her Theresaisms, and yes, her love of gum.

 I wasn’t there last weekend when she passed, but I’m glad I got to be here this weekend.  My only regret was that I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye so I’ll say it now because I suspect she’s looking down on us, so I’ll say it now…. Theresa, “your cute”… “later”

There was a funeral mass on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Yuma Colorado at 10:00 a.m. with Father Jonathan Dellinger officiating.  Interment followed at the Eckley Cemetery in Eckley, Colorado.  Baucke Funeral Home directed the service.