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We have been looking into the
history of the Colona Cemetery that, at times, has been known as the
Grandview Cemetery. So far, our sources of information have
been the Ouray County Website, a discussion with Edgar and Marion
Hotchkiss and a visit to the law office of Robert Burns in Ouray.
Mr. Burns started working on a pro bono basis with Edgar in 2001, to
update the legal status of the cemetery. He found a reference dated
in 1906 in which a Hotchkiss family member (probably Uri) deeded
land for the cemetery to the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF)
in Ouray. In March 1922, the property was conveyed by the IOOF to
the newly formed Colona Cemetery Association, whose members were:
Richard Collin, Uri Hotchkiss, F. W. Price, V. L. Hotchkiss, H. A.
McNeil and Ike Hull.
A
Search Reply from the Colo. Dept. of State (undated) shows a Date of
Dissolution for the Colona Cemetery Association on January 1, 1978,
and a Date Defunct & Inoperative on December 29, 1972.
With Mr. Burns' guidance, on February 11, 2002, Edgar Hotchkiss
executed the Articles of Incorporation of the Colona Cemetery
Association, Inc. (CCAI) that were dated February 7, 2002. Robert
B. Burns was appointed as Registered Agent for the Corporation. The
three Directors of the Corporation were: Edgar Hotchkiss, Ted Collin
and Bob Bullington.
In
Article II of the Articles titled: "Purpose Clause", it is stated
that: "This Corporation is organized solely and exclusively for the
charitable purpose of providing for, maintaining and operating the
Colona Cemetery in Ouray County Colorado; to otherwise solicit,
collect and otherwise raise funds for such purposes; and to expend,
contribute disburse and otherwise handle and dispose of such fund
for such purposes".
At their first meeting on May 9, 2002, the Board of Directors passed
a resolution directing the law office of Robert B. Burns to initiate
a quiet title action in Ouray District Court to assure that the new
Corporation has clear legal title to the cemetery property. This
transaction was completed in March 2003 whereby the 9.46 acres of
fenced-in area of the cemetery was deeded to the CCAI.
Mr. Burns also discovered the CCAI did not have legal access to the
cemetery. In 2002, he obtained Easement Boundary Agreements from
Carol R. and Dixie Rinehart and Richard Willard to allow for: "The
sole purpose of access to the Colona Cemetery as a cemetery and not
to be used for any other non-related purposes".
Many years ago Marion Hotchkiss told us about a pamphlet in the
Montrose Public Library titled: "Ouray County Cemeteries" (1984)
that was compiled by the Ouray Genealogical Society in 1983-1984.
We have a copy of the section titled: "Grandview Cemetery, Colona,
Ouray County, Colorado", by Elaine Ricker. There are ~28 surnames
listed and ~ 80 individual gravesites. We recently visited the
cemetery with Edgar and Marion to identify gravesites that have been
added since 1984. Click
here to view the updated list shown in Table I. |
