Ida May Sponholtz

Ida May (Troth/Kruse) Sponholtz, 81, passed away at Brookdale Palmer Park April 7, 2016. She was born November 3, 1934, in Colorado Springs to Lyle and Grace Troth. Ida May was the second of their five children.

Ida May grew up in Colorado Springs and graduated from Colorado Springs High School in 1952. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Southern Colorado State College in Behavioral Science in 1972.

As a young lady Ida may sang in the Trinity United Methodist choir. She was also a member of the Colorado Springs High School choir and performed Easter sunrise services at Garden of the Gods. For many years she was an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star and a member of the Order of the Amaranth.

Although her first job was babysitting her younger brother and sisters, Ida May didn’t bring home her first paycheck until high school when she got a job as a waitress at Merri Laine restaurant.

After graduating high school, Ida May took a job at First National Bank as a bookkeeper.

In June 1954, Ida May married William Kruse and had two sons, Billy and Kelly. They lived in Greely, Colorado, for a number of years.

From October 1960 to July 1962 Ida May worked as a bookkeeper, teller and secretary for Fremont Savings and Loan in Canon City. For eight years beginning in August of 1962 Ida May was a secretary for the Canon City school district.

From August 1972 to December 1974 she worked at KRLN radio in Canon City as a receptionist, bookkeeper and secretary. Ida May was a secretary and bookkeeper for the City of Canon City from January 1975 to July 1975. From January 1975 to July 1976, Ida May worked for the Colorado Department of Parole as a secretary.

She married Carl Stroup in April 1974.

In July 1976, she began working as a records officer for the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility. She worked in the Reception/Diagnostic Center where she would receive all new inmates, verify if they were new to the system or repeat offenders and assigning an appropriate committed name and a Department of Corrections number. She medically retired from the Department of Corrections after an on-the-job accident in 1988.

In December 1982 she married Ted Sponholtz, a retired rancher she met through the Eastern Stars. They lived together in Florence, Colorado, until his death in 1999. She remained in their home until 2013 when she moved into an assisted living facility.

Ida May survived by her son, Bill of Rapid City, South Dakota, three granddaughters and five great grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother Edgar Lee Troth, and sisters Mildred Elaine Troth and Mary Elizabeth Lowes.

Funeral services will be held Saturday April 16 at 10 a.m. at First Methodist Church, 1032 E. Main Street, Florence, Colorado.

Arrangements entrusted to Harwood Funeral Home. Online condolences at harwoodfunerals.com

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