Myrna Zanetell

Myrna Zanetell, born Oct. 13, 1941, was a gift of Our Father to all who came to call her name. Daughter of Arthur Springer and Della (Johnson) Springer.

Myrna grew up in Lakewood Colorado graduating from Lakewood High School in May, 1959. Myrna commenced a year of study at Colorado College, after which she focused on a secretarial career.

In September, 1960 she met her husband to be at the Colorado School of Mines.  On June 30, 1962, Myrna and Joe exchanged marriage vows at Our Lady of Fatima, Lakewood Co. Joe and Myrna honey-mooned in Grand Tetons and Yellowstone Park before starting life together in Sinclair Wyoming where Joe began his career with Sinclair Refining as a Process engineer. The first of five children, son Gregory, was born in 1963 followed by Kathryn in 1964, Kristin in 1965, Joella in 1970 and Joseph in 1975.  In the early years, Myrna was wife, mother and companion as Joe's career took the family to many locations. In August, 1977 the family settled in El Paso, TX with Joe serving as a Project engineer with El Paso Natural Gas.

Now, Myrna had time to seek her ambition to be a freelance writer. She commenced to write for local newspaper focusing on regional artists.  That exposure to regional artists gained her the position of Art Director for Studio W, an art mecca that featured western landscape and Cowboy/Indian art.  Myrna’s prominence as a writer blossomed with feature articles for national magazines tailored to Western art. Over a 30-year period, Myrna gained acclaim as a writer receiving commendation from Cowboy Artists of America, Art of the West, Cowboys and Indians to name a few. Now in their 60’s, Myrna and Joe had time to travel.  Alaska was the first of Myrna’s and Joe’s travel adventures that included Costa Rica, Guatemala, Canada, China and Mexico.  Besides travel, Myrna and Joe adventured into cowboy poetry and civil war re-enactments partaking in several of the major civil war battles beginning at Franklin, then Gettysburg, Chickamauga and concluding at Antietam. 

Myrna and Joe relocated to Pueblo in 2020 having resided in El Paso, Texas for some 43 years.  Myrna converted to Catholicism at the time of her marriage to Joe and took upon to be active and dedicated to the Catholic faith.

Myrna is survived by her husband, Joe, her five children, ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren.  Myrna was preceded in death by her parents: her grandchild, Heather.

Myrna will be remembered by her willingness to be a friend to all she came to meet along her path of life . . . she had an upbeat attitude that had her doing just about anything except being a musician.  But oh, could she bake, cook, and sew. Her passion was collecting and reading books and magazines of every genre. All who came to call her name will miss her, but are ever so grateful for the time shared . . . Our Father gave us Myrna that we may be rich in the treasures of life . . . so do not mourn her passing, rather give thanks to the Father for the gift of Myrna . . . whose memory will forever be in our thoughts and prayers.

Rosary 7p.m. Thursday April 11, 2024. Mass of Christian Burial, 10 am, Fri., April 12, 2024. Both at Shrine of St. Therese Church. Interment, Crown Hill Cemetery.