Donna Jursch

Donna May (Hamilton) Jursch, age 85, passed away peacefully on March 30, 2026 at her home in Johnson Village, Colorado. She was surrounded by her three children and their spouses.

Donna was born in Greeley, Colorado to George and Marguerite Marrs on September 4, 1940. She grew up mostly on farms in eastern Colorado, until her family moved to the mountains where her father went to work at the Climax Mine. The family lived at 11,400 feet in Kokomo and Climax–towns that no longer exist. Donna attended school in Climax until the family moved to Leadville where she finished high school, along with her lifelong friend, JeanAnn (Miller) Farlow. Prior to graduation, Donna met her first love, Morris, a dryland wheat farmer from Western Kansas. They met at either the local roller rink or at the A&W, where she worked as a carhop. Either way, they were off and running (or skating!).

Donna was passionate about being a homemaker. While she had plenty of jobs over the years, none was as important as taking care of her family and friends. Donna loved her family life in this valley, where she lived for 65 years.

Donna was full of love. She loved her family, her friends, and–heck–she just loved people and enjoyed visiting with everyone! She also loved Christmas, having tea with friends, playing cards or dominoes, sitting on her porch watching her birds, and looking at all of her beautiful flowers. She loved being outdoors, whether it be working in her yard and adding another yard ornament (or 20) or camping

or riding ATVs. She even loved being in the mountains with her family, loading the truck with firewood for the winter stockpile. She loved her monthly Young at Heart gatherings. And she loved Cripple Creek! She also loved to travel–whether back and forth across the country with the family in a station wagon like the Griswold’s–or driving to all 49 states by motorhome with her second husband, Richard. They wintered in Arizona for years, made it to Hawaii, and even went through the Panama Canal! After Richard passed, she met Fred Hilgers, with whom she continued to winter in Arizona for several years before finally returning home to Buena Vista permanently.

Donna had an infectious positivity about her. She had a way of making everyone around her happier. No matter how difficult things might be or how she felt when her health began to fail, Donna was always “fine.” During the last 6 months of her life, it didn't matter if you were a doctor or nurse, a family member, or a concerned friend: if you asked how she was, you would always receive a very emphatic, “I'm fine,” followed by a great big, beautiful smile!

Donna is survived by her three children and their spouses: Terry (Robin) Hamilton of Canon City, Colorado, Darell (Ruby) Hamilton of Buena Vista, Colorado, and Laura (Gil) Crandall of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is also survived by her sister, Ruth (Rodney) Petsch of Wauneta, Nebraska, and her brother, Ernie (Janine) Marrs of Dearing, Georgia. In addition, Donna is survived by eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by Morris Hamilton, her husband of 37 years; Richard Jursch, her second husband of 17 years; Fred Hilgers, her companion of 12 years; her parents, George and Marguerite Marrs; and three siblings, Tom Marrs, Robert Marrs, and Jeanne Scholl.

A memorial/celebration of life service will be held on April 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM, at Valley Fellowship Church, 608 S. San Juan Avenue, Buena Vista, Colorado. A dessert reception will follow. A family graveside service will be held later that afternoon at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Buena Vista.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Donna Jursch, please visit our floral store.