Nellie Colleen Lutz, 53

On the evening of Tuesday, June 10, 2014, the Lutz family lost their true blue guiding star in the form of Nellie Colleen Lutz. 

Colleen left us unexpectedly and we will never be the same with her loss. We will, however, spend the rest of our lives honoring her good and pure soul, and all of her good deeds. She was always a great listener and put all others before her when waiting in the line we call life. Her laugh was both reassuring and contagious. She was our best friend and my soulmate and our hearts are broken in her absence. She was only 53 years old and so full of life.

Colleen is survived by her husband Bruce; daughter Nellie and son Jacob Lutz; and daughter Brittany Niemeyer, her husband Brad Niemeyer and grandson Carson Niemeyer and granddaughter Eva Niemeyer. She is also survived by her grandmother, Altha Lester; father, Don Crumley; mother, Marcella Hughes; and brothers, Robert, Joe and Mike Crumley; aunt, Arlita Fyfe; aunt, George-Ann Crumley; niece, Natalie; and nephews, Joe and Codee Crumley; foster mom, Linda Denney; foster dad, Jim Denney; and foster brothers, Bren and Craig Denny.

Colleen was born in Shelby on May 10, 1961, and lived in Great Falls and Spokane during her early childhood. The family moved to Evergreen and she attended Evergreen Elementary and Junior High and then graduated from Flathead High School in 1979. 

Colleen worked in Spokane after high school, but then moved back to the Flathead Valley and worked at Taylor, Thon and Associates (later Architects Design Group) as office manager for more than 10 years, payroll administrator for LHC Inc., for 14 years and payroll administrator for Flathead Electric Cooperative for just over five years. Colleen also assisted her husband with their landscape architecture and planning business and was adept at laying out planting designs. Colleen was a very hard worker and cared deeply for those who worked around her.  

Colleen achieved an associate’s degree from Flathead Valley Community College, a prairie horticulture certificate from the University of Saskatchewan and a payroll and HR certificate while working for Flathead Electric. Colleen was four classes away from receiving her bachelor’s degree from Regis University in both business management and human resources. 

In an always soft-spoken way, she somehow carved out enough time for a full work schedule, classes, and time to be herself, a great mother and partner to her husband. She always made time for others, to console those who would often confide in her with their own difficulties. She constantly thought of her children and looked forward to a daily phone call, making sure everything was OK and the world was not being too hard on her cherished chicks.

The Lutz family is holding a celebration of Colleen’s life from 1 to 4 p.m. today, June 15. We invite her friends and extended family to join us for a happy recollection of this wonderful lady — no black allowed. The event will be held at the upper pavilion at Glacier Raft Company in West Glacier. Come celebrate our best friend.

“Goodbye, sweet Angel.”