Alice Marie Kelley-Wolf

Alice Marie Kelley-Wolf

September 18, 1936 - November 15, 2025

She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, exceptional cook, fastidious housekeeper, sometime nurse, devout Catholic, unflinching agriculture promoter, rodeo enthusiast, lover of most things genuinely country and western, dabbler in Brit dramas, cooking shows, and NCIS whodunits.

Alice Marie Kelley-Wolf of Elizabeth, Colorado, passed away the evening of November 15, 2025 in her home on Running Creek Ranch, after a series of medical setbacks that made her comfort increasingly difficult. Decades of hard work of every sort had resulted in a state of near-constant exhaustion. She faced these challenges with characteristic courage, strength, and faith, aided by loving family and friends, and trusted healthcare providers.

Alice Marie Hedeman was born in Denver, Colorado to Anton Samuel and Rose Marie (Nunn) Hedeman, and was the younger sister of Harry Francis “Red” Hedeman. They lived on a horse farm in Brighton, Colorado until her father’s death in 1951. She spent the remainder of her girlhood in Denver, where her mother worked as a switchboard operator while she attended the Blessed Sacrament Catholic School and eventually graduated from East High School. Pastimes included swimming, ice skating, and working as a shopgirl in a local department store. There were almost wholly unfruitful piano lessons. 

Her preferred education involved accompanying her horse trainer father to local farms and racing venues. It was there she laid the groundwork for becoming a skilled and avid horsewoman. It was also where she met Ira Edward Kelley, a talented horse trainer from Eads, Colorado. Following Ira’s service as a Marine in Korea, the two were wed in 1955, and welcomed their first child the next year. The next decade and a half involved numerous changes in employment and location, all in support of their fast-growing family. Besides time spent with Ira’s family in Eads, moves included Sheridan, WY, Phoenix, AZ, Wiley, Wild Horse, and Littleton, CO, and eventually to the Elizabeth area in 1968.

Early in 1972, when Ira lost his life in a construction accident, Alice was advised that keeping her family together while transitioning to a new home outside Elizabeth would be extraordinarily difficult on her own. Nevertheless, she persisted; insisting that with the help of family, close friends, and the Church, she would persevere. That is exactly what she did. For almost 20 years, by taking a variety of jobs in the community (some quite physically demanding), Alice was able to provide a secure and comfortable home life for herself and her children. Thanks substantially to these efforts, all her children successfully graduated from high school, and went on to pursue some form of secondary education.

In 1990 Alice met and married Norman Wolf, a military veteran and retired airline pilot with a small ranch north of Kiowa, CO. Having sold her house and property near Elizabeth, Alice joined Norm in his home, and they enjoyed a few years together, including a memorable trip to the Chicago area to meet some of Norm’s friends. Sadly, in 1993, Norman contracted cancer, and died a short time later. Alice nursed him at home throughout.

Rather than remain on the Wolf ranch by herself, in 2000, Alice was invited to join her daughter Colleen, and sons Pat and Casey not far away on Joe Freund’s Running Creek Ranch. She was proud to contribute to the very much working ranch by becoming the unofficial ranch cook, providing hot and healthy meals to ranch crews as they performed activities such as seasonal roundups, calving, and branding. Years of feeding a family of eight turned out to be quite advantageous to this newfound role! Alice was a vital part ranch work life, and in the day-to-day lives of her family. All were blessed to have Mom/Grammy close at hand.

In addition to treasuring her own family, Alice felt especially fortunate to have been part of two nearby church families: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Castle Rock, CO, and Ave Maria Catholic Church in Parker, CO. Both spiritual communities were integral to her lifelong reverence for the teachings of Christ, the Blessed Mother, the apostles, and the saints. Her dedication to a daily practice of prayer and contemplation were a tremendous solace, no matter the circumstances of everyday life.

Alice is survived by her children: Clancy (Christine) Kelley, Paddy (Terri) Kelley, Casey Kelley, Michael Kelley, Shannon (Robert) Kuykendall, Colleen (Joseph) Freund, and Ryan (Horst) Loeblich; her cherished grandchildren: Landis & Logan; John & Amy; Grace, Ethan, & Soren; Brandon, Lance, Kemp & Jacie; and great-grandchildren: Nolan & Brady; Emma, Audrey & Gavin; Lyra; Kolby, Holly & Emmett; Kace; Westyn.

A funeral mass honoring Alice will take place Friday, December 19, 11:00am at Ave Maria Catholic Church, 9056 East Parker Road, Parker, CO. The service will be preceded by a recitation of the rosary at 10:30am.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the St. Labre Indian School of Ashland, Montana (https://www.stlabre.org/).

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