William Edward "Bill" Pomrenke
Marriages
Jan
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3D Obituary - July 2, 2017
Gone Fishing....yes! If you
are reading this "Mr. P",
"Bill" or "Papa", depending
on your stature, also known as
William Edward "Bill"
Pomrenke, has left for the fishing
trip of his life.
Bill was born in Loveland,
Colorado, on August 12,
1939, as a surprise bundle of joy to Carl Heinrich and Marie
Elizabeth Pomrenke. The family was moved to Leadville before
he started elementary school as his father was transferred with
Public Service. One more transfer later landed them in Grand
Junction where Bill graduated from Grand Junction High
School. He attended the now CMU, CSU, and Western State
University where he met his wife, Jan, of 55 years. While at
CSU he loved time with Uncle Ben, Aunt Agnes, and Phylis and
Wendy Pomrenke (cousins).
Following graduation, Bill and Jan were married in the fall and
located in Grand Junction where he started his career as a teacher
with District 51. Two years later, he learned the insurance profession
in Hartford, Connecticut, at the Hartford Insurance Academy
when he was appointed manager of the insurance agency
known then as Citizens Industrial Bank. That experience lead
him to Farmers Insurance Group where he was the District Manager
over the Western Slope of Colorado for 33 years. He loved
his work, kept himself buried in his work and was rewarded
with wonderful travel experiences with surviving wife Jan to
great places all over the world. He said he was living the dream
and could not have a better job as none existed.
At the time of his retirement in 2000 he was the second most
celebrated and awarded District Manager for Farmers Insurance
Group in the United States due also to the support of his "second
family" of many hard working beloved Farmers Agents over
half of Colorado.
He was a funny guy with a terrific sense of humor, which was
sometimes a little too dry and it took one a while to catch on and
he loved it.
They have two children, Wende Pomrenke and Bret (Stephanie)
Pomrenke, and two grandsons, August and Liam Pomrenke,
that he wanted to teach more about fishing....top priority!
His children have said they could not have had a better dad because
he let them learn their directions in this life and was a constant
encouragement to anything they wanted to achieve. He
cooked them 5:00 a.m. breakfasts and delivered them to whatever
sports practice was happening by 6:00 a.m. He loved gambling
anywhere there was a slot machine and was proud to play
three at a time until all hours of the night always with a cigar in
his mouth which he never lit because he said he could not afford
the alimony! Fishing was his other delight, even after dark, telling
his family over and over...."just one more cast....just one
more cast! I know I can catch another one only bigger!" After retirement
he would leave and spend weeks at a time at his Grand
Mesa cabin or his Silt cutoff ranch doing all kinds of things he
loved. This kind, generous and gentle man will be sorely missed
by all.
Services will be held on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, 2:00 p.m. at
Callahan-Edfast Mortuary, 2515 Patterson Rd. Grand Junction.
Cremation has taken place.
Memorial contributions, if desired, to the Botanical Gardens
Pomrenke Children’s Library, 641 Struthers Ave, Grand Junction,
CO 81501.
