James Ernest Sifers, Jr.
Marriages
MARY A. KRACHT - February 12, 1954
Obituaries
Grand Junction Free Press page 12 - September 24, 2007
Vail Daily page A6 - September 21, 2007
James Ernest Sifers Jr. of Montrose and Minturn died at Kindred Hospital in Denver on Monday after a courageous battle with emphysema-related illnesses. He was 77. Sifers was born in Leadville to Maxine J. and James E. Sifers Sr. on Oct. 21, 1929. He graduated from Minturn High School in 1947.
He entered the Army in 1951 and served with teh 5th Army our of Fort Carson during the Korean conflict> He attained the rank of corporal. His military honors include the Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, the United Nations Service Medal and Meritorious Unit Commendation. He received an honorable discharge on Sept. 11, 1956. He married Mary A. Kracht in Meeker on Feb. 12, 1954.
Sifers spent much of his lifetime in the mountain towns of Leadville, Red Cliff, and Minturn. He moved to Montrose in 1976.
He served on the Minturn Town Council and Minturn Volunteer Fire Department. He was employed as the senior maintenance supervisor for the Colorado Department of Highways and was responsible for road repair and snowplowing. His routes from 1956 to 1976 were Down Junction to the top of Battle Mountain and Dowd Junction to the top of Vail Pass.
When Sifers moved his family to Montrose, his first patrol was from Montrose to Black Canyon and Montrose to the top of Cimmaron Pass. His second patrol was the Delta County line to the Ouray County Line along US Hwy 50 in SW CO.
He retired in 1953.
Sifers is survived by his wife, Mary; his daughter and her husband, Roxie and Jim Carreon, of Eagle; his son, Jim G. Sifers of Montrose; his daughter, Robin Sifers of Avon; his son and his whife, Mark and Vickie Sifers of Minturn; his grandchildren and many other relatives and friends.
In addition to his parents he was preced in death by his brothers, Stanely Sifers, and Edward Sifers; sisters Arlene Hansen and Evelyn Moyer; a niece, Geri Briggs; and two nephews, Mike Hansen and David Sifers.
