Etta Novotny Obituary

January 23, 2016, Edward George Novotny of Cortez, Colorado, passed away of heart complications in the Farmington, New Mexico hospital, at the age of 85. Ed was born on May 14, 1931, in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas, to Edward George Sr. and Thelma Laveta (Cole) Novotny. (This obit was not published at the time of Ed's death as it was not in Beulah's best interest to advertise her as a widow- living alone.)

November 19, 2020, Etta Beulah Novotny of Grand Junction, Colorado, but a lifelong resident of Cortez, passed away of a stroke in the Foresight Rehabilitation Center, at the age of 90. Beulah was born July 26, 1930, in Smith County, Kansas, to Franklin Merit and Eva (Holmes) Beem.

Ed and Beulah were married on November 26, 1955, in Denver, Colorado. To this union four children were born: Douglas Earl Novotny (Helen) of Litchfield Park, Arizona; Julie Ann Fertsch (Robert) of Lingle, Wyoming; Frank Edward Novotny (Teri) of Grand Junction, Colorado; and Kathleen Sue Lawrence (Tim) of Littleton, Colorado.

In the year of 1957, Four Corners Auto Parts was established 4 miles northwest of Cortez. Ed's first wrecker was made from one of his pickups. This business grew to contain 2,700 salvageable automobiles, one of the largest salvage yards in the area. This was Ed's dream and it was accomplished with a dedicated wife that stood beside him. Among many other accomplishments, Ed owned and operated one of the first car crushers in Denver; started a salvage yard in Stratton, Colorado (along with the one in Cortez); and birthed one of the first dirt race tracks in the area, Thunderbird Speedway. But one of Ed's biggest ventures was in his later life. Ed spent countless hours on the internet and in law books trying to counteract the runaway government that stood before us; he often stood alone. Today, many stand alongside him as we see now what he saw then. Beulah later became a paralegal in her spare time and oftentimes assisted Ed with his legal battles.

Ed and Beulah were married for 60 years and spent most of this time in the Cortez area. They left behind many friends and acquaintances.

Ed leaves behind one sister, Patricia Ann Hammond of Denver, Colorado.

Beulah's siblings, Leo Beem of Arvada, Colorado and Irene Williams of Bellaire, Kansas, both preceded her in death. Besides their 4 children, Ed and Beulah leave behind 13 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

The children of Ed and Beulah want to thank each of you for the love and care each of you had shown to our parents, as there are too many to specifically mention, but you know who you are, and so do we.

Life is precious and is a journey, not a goal. We have enjoyed the journey with our parents. Please feel free to share the memories you have of our parents to [email protected] . We would welcome hearing from each and every one of you. Thank you - Ed and Beulah's children.