Obituary for Teresa Louise "Tess" Carpenter (King)
Former Mosca resident Teresa “Tess” Carpenter, 89, passed away peacefully on January 5, 2024 at the San Luis Care Center in Alamosa.
Born in the small community of San Isabel, near Crestone, Colorado on July 14, 1934, she was one of ten children to Edward King and Mary Felice Strassle King. Tess grew up in Crestone. Tess went to school in Crestone/Moffat and graduated from Saguache High School in 1953. Tess met Tad Carpenter, with the help of his mother, Trudy. They married on May 12, 1957 at
the Hooper Baptist Church in Hooper, Colorado and lived on the Medano Ranch, and later the Zapata Ranch. The family lived on the ranch until the early 1980s, when they bought a farm on the Five Mile near Mosca. They enjoyed more than 60 years together, until his death in 2018. For decades, Tess worked as a cook for the Sangre de Cristo Schools at the red brick elementary
school in Hooper. She was well known for her cooking skills and made hot rolls almost every day and sometimes the students were treated to her cinnamon rolls. Both were hard to beat. She will be remembered not only for her talented cooking skills, but also for her amazing ‘green thumb’ as she grew her own flowers and planted them throughout the yard. Her favorite flower was the sunflower.
Her love of dogs lasted all of her life. She was fond of toy poodles and for a time bred them for sale. Her last dog was an adopted bichon frise, after the owner could no longer take care of it when in the nursing home.
She loved helping other people and befriended a number of older women in the community and checked in on them and helped them out with groceries and chores. She spent a great deal of time with her son Casey, and was very fond of her only grandchild Paul.
Tess is survived by her children Casey Carpenter of Alamosa; Kimberly (Phil) Clark of Page, AZ, and Kelly (Jeff) Johnson of Monte Vista, CO; Grandson Paul (Ariana Edie) Clark of Alamosa, Colorado; her sisters Jo Benson, and Carol (John) Fear, both of Salida, CO; Brother in law, Len (Jan) Carpenter of Fort Collins, CO; and cousin John (Alice) Leadbeater of Temple, TX; as well as numerous nieces and nephews, family and friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her siblings: Jack King, Robert “Bob” King, Isabelle “Izzy” Wooden, Emily Goehl, Edna Bennett, Pauline “Polly” Coombs and Jim King. A visitation will be held from 12:00-1:00 p.m., followed by a Funeral Service 1:00 p.m. Friday, January 12, 2024 at the Rogers Family Mortuary, 404 Morris Street, in Monte Vista. Interment
will follow services in the San Luis Valley Cemetery in Monte Vista. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the charity of your choice in her memory.
Rogers Family Mortuary is in care of the arrangements. To leave online condolences, tributes and words of comfort for Tess’s family, please visit www.RogersFunerals.com
Born in the small community of San Isabel, near Crestone, Colorado on July 14, 1934, she was one of ten children to Edward King and Mary Felice Strassle King. Tess grew up in Crestone. Tess went to school in Crestone/Moffat and graduated from Saguache High School in 1953. Tess met Tad Carpenter, with the help of his mother, Trudy. They married on May 12, 1957 at
the Hooper Baptist Church in Hooper, Colorado and lived on the Medano Ranch, and later the Zapata Ranch. The family lived on the ranch until the early 1980s, when they bought a farm on the Five Mile near Mosca. They enjoyed more than 60 years together, until his death in 2018. For decades, Tess worked as a cook for the Sangre de Cristo Schools at the red brick elementary
school in Hooper. She was well known for her cooking skills and made hot rolls almost every day and sometimes the students were treated to her cinnamon rolls. Both were hard to beat. She will be remembered not only for her talented cooking skills, but also for her amazing ‘green thumb’ as she grew her own flowers and planted them throughout the yard. Her favorite flower was the sunflower.
Her love of dogs lasted all of her life. She was fond of toy poodles and for a time bred them for sale. Her last dog was an adopted bichon frise, after the owner could no longer take care of it when in the nursing home.
She loved helping other people and befriended a number of older women in the community and checked in on them and helped them out with groceries and chores. She spent a great deal of time with her son Casey, and was very fond of her only grandchild Paul.
Tess is survived by her children Casey Carpenter of Alamosa; Kimberly (Phil) Clark of Page, AZ, and Kelly (Jeff) Johnson of Monte Vista, CO; Grandson Paul (Ariana Edie) Clark of Alamosa, Colorado; her sisters Jo Benson, and Carol (John) Fear, both of Salida, CO; Brother in law, Len (Jan) Carpenter of Fort Collins, CO; and cousin John (Alice) Leadbeater of Temple, TX; as well as numerous nieces and nephews, family and friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her siblings: Jack King, Robert “Bob” King, Isabelle “Izzy” Wooden, Emily Goehl, Edna Bennett, Pauline “Polly” Coombs and Jim King. A visitation will be held from 12:00-1:00 p.m., followed by a Funeral Service 1:00 p.m. Friday, January 12, 2024 at the Rogers Family Mortuary, 404 Morris Street, in Monte Vista. Interment
will follow services in the San Luis Valley Cemetery in Monte Vista. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the charity of your choice in her memory.
Rogers Family Mortuary is in care of the arrangements. To leave online condolences, tributes and words of comfort for Tess’s family, please visit www.RogersFunerals.com