Julie Anne Collette was born April 2, 1957 to James and Nadine Collette in Burlington, Colorado. Raised on a farm northeast of Kirk, Colorado she was the youngest of three siblings. Being a farm girl she was in 4-H, showed steers, rode her horse Daisy, walked corn rows and changed irrigation socks. She was pretty, talented and won runner-up in the Northeast Colorado Pageant. Later she caught the eye of an advertising company and starred in a Four Roses television commercial. She graduated from Liberty High School at Joes in 1975 and attended NJC.
January 15, 1977, Julie married her high school sweetheart, Vince Scruby. They lived in the Kirk area over 25 years; had two sons Wade and Jake and remodeled and improved three homesteads. Julie worked at Plains Telephone, gave piano lessons to area children, played piano for many weddings, and was a teller and loan officer at the Kirk State Bank. She was one of the bank employees tied up during the robbery of 2001. Julie was a member of the Kirk United Methodist Church and was active as co-pianist, Sunday and Bible School teacher, and Children’s Music leader. At home, she was a loving mother enjoying her boys, tending to her flower beds, feeding bucket calves, and raising colts. Her colt, Manly Tradition, won championship at the Pueblo Paint Show and reserve champion Paint Stallion at the National Western Stock Show.
In 2004, Vince and Julie moved to Wray, Colorado. There they again remodeled and made big improvements to their home on Blake Street. It was a place of great fun for grandchildren Olivia and Vinny. They loved visiting their Grandma J there. In Wray, Julie worked for USDA Rural Development for 16 years helping families buy homes and rural towns all over northeastern Colorado improve their infrastructure. She loved her work, the people she worked with and the opportunity to help so many people. Julie joined the Wray United Methodist Church family and became their pianist for Church and choir. She loved the joy of playing piano there for 13 years, and the great people she met. She was a loving daughter. Julie and her mother Nadine were best friends and later she lovingly tended to her Mom’s care.
Julie and Vince bought a beautiful home in Kersey, Colorado in 2019 for their retirement and to be close to family. Julie had great fun decorating and having adventures with grandkids. Life had a different path when her breast cancer returned and her giving nature instead required love and care.
Julie was kind, thoughtful of others, injected fun, and loved her family deeply. On the same day she was leaving this earth, October 5, 2020, another was arriving. Wyatt Lee Scruby, a grandson, with a middle name to remind him of the Grandmothers who love him, came to fill our hearts. Julie will be dearly missed by her husband Vince of 43 years; her sons and families Wade and Danille with baby Wyatt, Jake and Sarah with children Olivia and Vinny; brother Jim Collette; sister and brother-in-law Cindy and Ron Richards; father-in-law Lester Scruby; sisters and brothers-in-law Becky and Rodney Seaman, Sherry and Gerald Hill; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Those to greet her are her parents James and Nadine Collette, mother-in-law Myrna Scruby, and sister-in-law Judy Collette.
Paster Ben Wentworth of the Wray United Methodist Church conducted services October 19, 2:00 at the Grassroots in Joes, CO. A private family inurnment will be held in the Kirk Cemetery at a later date.
Memorials may be made to the Wray United Methodist Church, 220 W. 5th St. Wray, CO 80758
Schmidt-Jones Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
2020-10-22