Billie Marie Bliesner

Billie Marie Riley was born on January 25, 1925 in Cheyenne, WY. Her father, a train engineer, moved the family back to their hometown of Lawrence, KS shortly thereafter. She spent her childhood in Lawrence and her early adult life there and in Topeka, KS. She was the ""baby"" by 10 yrs. plus of 4 children, 2 brothers and a sister. Tragedy struck Billie's life early. Her family was poisoned. Her mother died from it when Billie was just 4 yrs. old and her sister was left ill and paralyzed for nearly a year. Later, she was subjected to horrible abuse by a short-lived stepmother. Then, as a young teen her appendix burst and she spent 6 months in the hospital not expected to live. Her family, also, struggled through the Great Depression. Billie often told the story of how she had but one skirt and two blouses to wear to high school and one of her fondest memories was when her father and siblings pooled their money to buy her another skirt that she had spotted in a department store window and had mentioned how beautiful she thought it was. But, anyone who knew Billie knows that all of this just helped to strengthen her resolve, her fighting spirit and made for a feisty, scrappy survivor. Too, though, Billie also miraculously developed a way of coping with tragedy in a positive, happy-go-lucky way of looking at life. She seemed to somehow always find the best in any situation, planted a smile on her face and moved forward no matter what. She met Carl Brownlee Bliesner when both were working at WREN radio station in Topeka, KS. Billie was a beautiful woman and she caught Carl's eye immediately. He discovered that she would walk home after work by his place so he would rush home and sit on his front porch to whistle at her. This infuriated Billie a women's liber 40 yrs. before its time. She always felt she was as good, as smart and capable, as deserving as anyone and this is how she conducted her life, but she never did change the way she walked home! They were married on August 8, 1945, just as the U.S. was entering WW II. Billie had nine miscarriages before they finally had two daughters, Jan in 1949 and Marcia 1953. She passionately loved her family of four grandchildren, four great grandchildren and three great, great grandchildren. Billie and Carl loved to travel. They came to Colorado on a trip and fell in love with the mountains and crystal clear blue sky. They moved here in 1953. It was difficult for her to be so far away from her extended family and she missed them terribly, but she quickly made new friends and a new life. They lived on Lookout Mountain for nearly 40 years. Carl and Billie were married for 56 yrs. Billie was a trailblazer. She worked for and retired from the Jeffco Public Libraries as the head of their new Technology Department just as libraries started switching over to something called ""computers"". She believed in doing the best job she could whether at home or in the office and she taught her kids and grandkids the value of hard work and integrity. She seemed to love to be busy no matter with what. A fond memory is of her whistling away (she was a big whistler) a happy, upbeat tune, a bandana wrapped around her head as she cleaned the house happy as a lark as if she were attending some fabulous party! Her house was usually spotless. Billie was a huge life force, always full of life, beautiful, charismatic, and expressive. She loved people, all people, fun, laughter. Carl and Billie owned a place in Puerto Vallarta and she was always inviting friends, neighbors, coworkers, relatives and family to join them there. She loved to cook and entertain, to organize and throw parties; to play dice, cards and games with friends and family… a familiar cry at her house was Yhatzee! Or with the grandkids…slide, slide, SORRY! Whether she won or not, she never lost! For her, it was always the experience and enjoyment that counted not the endpoint. She loved nature, the mountains, HER Colorado. She loved animals and birds. She often commented on the beauty of the simple things around her…the sunset, the changing leaves of a fall tree, things others somehow seemed to miss in their frantic lives. Billie always took time to savor the moment and appreciate the small things. She loved HER Broncos, especially John Elway, and watching a game with her was always an unforgettably loud experience. Billie was beloved by many. She was her siblings ""baby"" sister, her nieces and nephews ""favorite"" aunt, her coworkers inspiration and light, all of her friends ""best"" friend. Sometimes it seemed to the family that they would forever have to share her with the world. Billie loved and was active in politics her entire life serving as an election judge, working for candidates and issues, canvassing. She volunteered often and loved to be involved. Even in the nursing home she ended up speaking in front of the Colorado Legislature on behalf of the plight of the elderly and the need for good nursing home facilities, she sat on the board as a representative of the patients to help hire the nursing staff for the home and when the home was remodeled she was on the board that picked out how it would be done. She was a great person to tease! She never seemed to be offended by it but was more thrilled that she was part of the joke and the center of attention. Her on-in-law, Bill, called her Wilbur (no one knows why) and incessantly asked her who was her favorite son-in-law even though he was her only one at the time. No matter how many times he asked, she always laughed as if it were the first time she had ever heard it. Her grandsons Brandon and Justin pestered her about anything and everything just to get her goat. And though she protested, it was always with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. Her grandkids particularly Julie and Justin loved to put all of the ornaments on one branch of her Christmas tree for the annual Help Grandma Decorate Her Tree and Christmas Cookie Party while Brandon and Lora threw big clumps of tinsel on the rest of the tree instead of putting in on one strand at a time as she would have much preferred. Somehow, though the tree always ended up beautiful. It stood about 3 ft. tall with so many presents under it that that they came halfway out into the room and took the family three or four hours to unwrap! She had exorbitant amounts of energy even though she was plagued with many health problems her entire life that certainly was not going to stop her. If anyone ever dare suggest she take a break, they would always get the same familiar curt refrain, ""I don't like to nap."" Even as she was wasting away to her final 60 lbs. after 8 yrs in a nursing home, she insisted to the nurses ""I do not nap"" and it was a struggle to finally get her in bed those last few weeks. When the kids and grandkids found her asleep in her room in her wheelchair in front of the TV she was just, ""Resting her eyes."" Billie was not a saint. She could also be headstrong, opinionated and if you ever did get on the wrong side of her quick ""Irish"" temper, look out! But, all of this somehow just seemed to fit in with her total exuberance for life. Her philosophy of life could be summed up in 2 simple thoughts: 1) Life is precious and you have to live every moment of it to it's fullest! Billie did! And, 2) If you make someone happy, you will be happy too. And, she was!