Florence Meehl

Florence E. Meehl, age 90, died at the Denver Hospice, in Colorado, on March 13, 2021.  The cause was a stroke.

Born July 8, 1930, in South Dakota, she lived in Yankton with her other ten siblings on a farm.  She was the daughter of Emil Cwach and Lillian (Hladky) Cwach.  She attended grade school and high school in Yankton, then continued on to a small business college for one year following.  She married Norman Meehl and moved to Denver, Colorado, where they had three children; Dewey A. Meehl, Bruce J. Meehl and Victoria Meehl Clampitt.    The couple bought a house on W. Chenango Ave, in Englewood, Colorado and raised their three children there.  Florence lived there for 60 years.

Survivors include Lillian Merkwan (Cwach) sister, of Yankton, SD, Frances Meier (Cwach) sister, of Pleasanton, CA, Dewey Meehl, son of Wiggins, CO and Victoria (Meehl) Clampitt, daughter of Safety Harbor, FL.  Eight siblings preceded her in death; four brothers, Leo Cwach, Robert Cwach, Larry Cwach and Emil Cwach, and four sisters, Helen (Cwach) Nedved, Doreen (Cwach) Giggee, Edna (Cwach) Duran, and Mary (Cwach) Swartz.  Her son, Bruce J Meehl, also preceded her in death.

While Florence was raising her family, she worked as a bookkeeper at Green Valley Turf Company in Littleton, Colorado.  She pursued her interest in flying.  Florence had her pilot’s license and took many friends and family members flying with her.  She was also a member of the Pink Angels, a women’s flying club that went out to lunch in their planes.  She also joined another local flying club called the “Fly In for Lunch Bunch”.  Both of Florence’s sons, Dewey and Bruce, also received their pilots license, as well as her husband, Norman.  The whole Meehl family were avid pilots, except Vickie.  However, Vickie’s husband, Terrell Clampitt, is an active pilot today.  Mom’s enthusiasm was contagious!

Florence loved pets and the family always had a dog, even when the children left home.  Mother enjoyed bicycle riding with her family, figure ice skating, snow sledding, going on picnics, bowling, watching movies, camping out (even in the backyard), walking, crocheting, playing card games, needle point and making rosaries.  Regarding the ice skating, she made a back yard ice rink every winter so we could all skate as much as we wanted.  She was always active; daily watched “Jack LaLanne”, and believed in standing on your head.  She always used the front door and we kids used to accidentally open the door at the same time!  We’ll always remember her as charitable, strong in her Catholic faith, welcoming the stranger, very patient and kind, loyal, hard worker (she worked a part-time bookkeeping job in her home until age 75), generous in many ways, courageous, strong and happy until the hour of her death.

Florence was a devout Catholic and her family attended St. Mary’s of Littleton Catholic Church where she sent her three children to St. Mary’s of Littleton Catholic School.  In her later years, she returned to the Latin Mass and faithfully attended St. Isidore, since its beginning in Watkins, Colorado.

Services will be held on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at 1 pm.  There will be a rosary, funeral Mass, and graveside service followed by a reception in the basement of St. Isidore Catholic Church. located at 32100 E. Colfax Ave, Watkins, CO 80137.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Florence's memory to St. Isidore Catholic church, via the following link:

https://stisidores-priory.com/en/donate-st-isidore-church