Amelia Poe Obituary

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, MY ONLY SUNSHINE" Amelia Poe, who died April 13 at the age of 93, symbolized the very best of motherhood and what it means to be a true and caring friend. She was an inspiration to everybody she knew and the many people she touched. Known to some of her friends as "Emily," she overcame polio, poverty and the early death of her husband, Everett, and her only daughter, Muriel. After her husband's sudden and unexpected death, she took in ironing and became a baby-sitter for many Colorado Springs families. She used the meager sums of money she earned to help all three of her children --Randall, Roger and Muriel-attend college. She is survived by her two sons, Randall, who lives in Long Beach, N.Y., and Roger,and his wife Mary of Morrison, Colorado, and two granddaughters, Andrea Catherine of Easton, Maryland, and Tisha of Denver, Colorado. She is also survived by a great-granddaughter, Maxine. Also surviving Amelia is a devoted niece, Gretchen Trimble of Pueblo, Colorado, her husband Fred, and their children, Donald, Mark, Kimberly and Shaun, all of Pueblo. Amelia Poe was a brilliant writer, an intense reader and a superb,dedicated swimmer. For more than 45 years, she could be seen daily swimming at the Memorial Park swimming pool in Colorado Spring. A plaque outside the pool celebrates her courage with these words: "She was a swimmer for all seasons." Even as the ravages of polio, a stroke and old age began to stifle her mobility, she continued to travel with her family throughout the United States and even Europe. She attended six Super Bowls after she turned 78, as well as dozens of Broadway plays. She was a frequent museum visitor and passionate fan of live concerts. As a teenager, she and her sister, Margaret (deceased) were popular singers of gospel and other songs at events throughout El Paso County. Amelia Poe also was a letter-writer extraordinaire. As one of her friends put it: "Her letters light up my life. They are more valuable than most books I've read." Amelia's letters, which were usually sprinkled with a rich variety of clippings from newspapers and magazines, were not so much letters as messages of hope launched from the depth of her soul. Amelia Poe brought sunshine into the lives of everybody who knew her. Her memory will be cherished forever. A gravesite ceremony will be held today (May 3) at 1PM in her honor at the Evergreen Cemetery.