Obituary of Theda Hoyt

Theda Lee Kells Hoyt

Our mother, Theda Lee Kells Hoyt, passed away peacefully at her place of residence in Arvada, Colorado on October 26, 2023, she was 96 years old. The oldest of four children, Theda was born in Cody, Park County, Wyoming, on September 7, 1927. Her parents, Ardys and Ione Hancock Kells, homesteaded land in Frannie, Wyoming, and both taught school. After her father’s passing when Theda was 7 years old, the family moved to Emporia, Kansas to be close to family. Theda graduated from Emporia Senior High School and then attended Emporia State Teachers College where she became a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. Theda married Harold L. Hoyt on December 24, 1946, at First Methodist Church in Emporia. In 1966, Harold took a position at the Colorado State Department of Education in Denver and the family moved to Arvada, Colorado. They became members of Arvada United Methodist Church in 1966 and Theda was an active member until a few years prior to her passing. Harold passed away in December of 1981, Theda never remarried. She spent much of her career working as an Office Manager for Cotter Corporation, a uranium mining company and was very active in Women In Mining, an organization providing education about the mining industry. After retirement, Theda traveled and kept beautiful scrapbooks of her travels. Some of those travels took her to many county courthouses around the country and even out of the country (Ireland) as she researched our family genealogy. Theda was preceded in death by her husband, Harold, and her siblings, Kathryn Kells Weller, Keith Kells and Allan Kells. She is survived by her four children: H. Lawrence Hoyt, Keith Hoyt, Kathy Hoyt Jensen and David Hoyt; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The family will have a graveside service for Theda on November 29 at Arvada Cemetery.