"Miki"
Margaret Eileen Lutz passed peacefully in her sleep on November 3, 2019. Known as Miki to most of her friends, she was born November 30, 1925, in Glenwood Springs, CO, to Guy Edward and Ezma Anona Weatherly.
A second generation Colorado native, Miki grew up on a sheep ranch on Divide Creek just south of Silt with one older sister, Edith, and four younger brothers: William, Richard, Edward, and Kay. Her years on the ranch prepared her well for life’s experiences. She was a skilled horsewoman (that mile she rode to and from school each day beginning at age four had its benefits after all), an excellent cook, and an accomplished seamstress.
Miki was well known for her dedicated work ethic and high level management skills — all attributable to early ranch life. According to her brother Bill, “She had us up working a full eight-hour-day, some of us still in diapers.” Miki graduated high school in New Castle, Colorado, and moved to Denver where she was employed as an office administrator for an oil and gas business.
She enjoyed skiing on her days off. It was there that she met Dick Milstein, who patrolled the slopes of Winter Park in 1952. They married, had two daughters, Charme (Philip Krauth) and Robyn (Rockwell Canda), moved to Aspen, then Glenwood Springs where they pioneered Ski Country’s “Learn-to-Ski” package. History was made when Miki and Dick boarded the Glenwood Aspen Stage (bus), sometimes two, loaded with Glenwood Springs youngsters and headed to Aspen Highlands for a day of skiing: lift, lesson, ski rental, and bus ride for $7.00! A winning race team of junior skiers resulted from their efforts in the development of Sunlight Ski Area outside Glenwood Springs.
She was both a Girl Scout leader and a 4-H leader and a positive influence in the lives of many Glenwood Springs children. In 1967 they looked east and headed for the “Mythical Valley of ZA — Westcliffe, CO — with plans for Conquistador Ski Area. Making their home in Canon City, Miki worked for the Bill Berry Motor Company and the Bureau of Land Management in Canon City and then Glenwood Springs, while awaiting the opening of Conquistador. Her sense of humor was greatly appreciated that first season as she sold you a ticket, helped you put on your rental equipment, assisted you in finding that perfect pair of gloves in the accessory shop, then took your hamburger order at lunchtime. No surprise when she computerized the bookkeeping for every department. She could tell you how many French fries had been eaten at any given moment. Surprisingly enough was that she did this before the advent of Microsoft.
Thank heaven her grandson and pride and joy, Michael Aaron Strubel, arrived on the scene in 1981. Eileen focused her attention on Aaron, her only grandchild, enriching his life as he did hers. Their many adventures included a trip to Kansas City. Gommie (as she was known by Aaron and all his friends) at the wheel with Aaron and his two best friends (all age 15 except Miki who was 70 at the time) destined for a soccer tournament they were scheduled to play. It was quite a trip with the boys winning the tournament and a final celebratory stop at a KC Masterpiece with a fond memory being made. Dick and Eileen had divorced by then and unbeknownst to Eileen, she was to meet and marry “her best friend” Terry Lutz (yes, he too was a skier). Eileen enjoyed 20 years of happiness with Terry sharing not only his homes in Guffey, Colorado, and Sun City, Arizona, but also his belief in the Lord. Eileen renewed her faith and was not afraid of the future. She dearly loved her family.
We will miss her quirky sense of humor, her excellent advice, and her ability to do just about anything — well!
Donations may be made to the charity of your choice in Miki’s name.
A celebration of life will be held at St. Peter’s Chapel in Cripple Creek on February 23 at 1:30 P.M.
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