Shirley Ann "Dilly" Eikleberry

Dilly Eikleberry, 87, passed away in Las Cruces, NM on July 15, 2025. Dementia had severely affected her life and she received hospice care at home for a short period before the end of her life. Loved ones were with her to care for her and to keep her comfortable. Dilly was born on February 4, 1938 in Springfield Colorado, right after her fraternal twin sister Dolly was born, to Johnie and Jessie Symons. Their brother Alan was about 18 months old then. Her siblings and her had a very close relationship throughout the years. Jessie didn't know she was carrying twins until they were born and because they hadn't chosen more than one name, she and Johnie waited until later to legally name them. Their Grandma Irene Hyman decided they needed something to go by so she nicknamed them Dilly and Dolly.

Their parents agreed on names for the girls when they were 6 months old but they didn't find out until later when they were in their teens that they weren't actually legally named yet. That was soon rectified, and they were now legally Shirley Ann and Sharon Nan but that didn't matter to them as they always wanted to be known as Dilly and Dolly.

The two girls were quite the pair and inseparable as most twins are. They shared a bicycle, were both cheerleaders at the same time, and loved to do everything together. They ended up adding a classmate to their duo to make it a trio when Lenie Gibson Shaw became their best friend. The girls went everywhere together. And as the story goes, the three were walking downtown when a young handsome lad named Calvin pulled up in his car and asked them if they would like a lift. They accepted and it ended up that Dilly had met her soulmate.

Calvin was 19 at the time and Dilly was 15 or 16. He was working with his father farming and ranching at the time near Pritchett. After courting Dilly, Calvin asked her parents for permission to marry her. By then Calvin was 20 and Dilly was 16 and they were married in August of 1954 in Clayton NM. Dilly left school in Springfield to be with her new husband.

Soon she found herself helping her mother-in-law Lola, at the homestead south of Pritchett, cooking and cleaning for the farm hands who came in to harvest broomcorn. She was never afraid of hard work and it showed in all of her endeavors throughout the years.

Calvin and her two sons, Kevin and Craig, arrived respectively in 1958 and 1961 when they were still living in and around Pritchett. In the mid 1960's they purchased their home in Springfield where the boys were reared.

During that timeframe Calvin also started training racehorses, in addition to farming and ranching, and ran them at the fairs in Colorado, La Mesa Park in Raton, Pikes Peak Meadows and eventually Centennial Racetrack in Littleton and Arapahoe Park in Aurora. Dilly was always on board and was his glorified groom. It eventually became the family business and she and the family would start spending their summers in the Denver area. During this time they could all reunite with her siblings Alan and Dolly and their families who resided in the suburbs of Denver. It made for a very rewarding and close-knit family with cousins, aunts and uncles all getting to spend a lot of time together. There were lots of family reunions as well and lots of other family members nearby to enjoy.

Dilly worked various retail jobs in and around Springfield during the other months while always taking care of the home and her kids by doing what she thought were her wifely and motherly duties. She worked at Cowpokes Western store, Rutheen's Dress Shop, Trader's Grocers, a local restaurant and few other places. For her last job she ended up driving the county shuttle which entailed picking up and delivering elderly members of our community from and to their homes. She loved doing this because it was always her nature to be of help to others. When someone she knew lost a loved one, she would make them a covered dish and go visit them to show her caring and concern. Actually, she just loved all kinds of people and it always showed. She would greet you with a warm smile and sometimes a little wink. She never knew a stranger and she could talk your ear off if you had time to listen. She had a very endearing personality. No matter where she went, she seemed to find someone she knew or someone who had a connection to someone she knew. When we were all around a racetrack, which by nature, is a very competitive place, she seemed to know everyone and everyone seemed to love her. It was the same way in Baca County. Her and Dolly's reputation preceded them and it happened more than once that people would bring up the twins names as someone they knew and remembered from Springfield and come to find out they didn't even know them but instead just knew of them.

Eventually she and Calvin traveled to other parts of the country to run a stable of their own horses and for other owners. They went to Arizona, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Nebraska together.

Calvin started showing signs of dementia when he was 64 years old and Dilly was by his side every step of the way. She was his caregiver for the next 12 years before he went into long term care at Southeast Colorado Hospital. Even then, she was by his side every day for the last 7 years of his life, except for some holidays she spent out of state with family. They were married for 63 years until Calvin passed in 2017.

Dilly loved her favorite racehorses but she also loved her multiple dogs over the years. They all had long, healthy lives thanks to her nourishing love. The real joy in her life was seeing and being around her grandchildren. She enjoyed spending time with her 3 grandsons and 6 great grandkids. She loved all of her family and friends and continued to stay in touch with them and Calvin's side of the family no matter the distance or how long it had been since she had physically seen them. She would get in the car and drive to Arizona a couple of times yearly when her health permitted, stopping in New Mexico along the way.

All it would take was for her to see a small child somewhere and it would just melt her heart and the scenario was repeated when she saw a friendly dog. She loved all of her family and she was equally adored by all of her family.

The last 5 years of Dilly's life was spent in New Mexico with her son Craig. She really missed living in Baca County and did her best to stay informed by calling her friends and family in and around Springfield. When the Plainsman Herald showed up in the mail, you could count on her dropping everything else for a while so she could get her fix.

I feel so blessed to have gotten the chance to re-bond with her. It was an amazing journey and she kept us laughing all of the time. More wonderful memories we'll never forget.

Dilly was preceded in death by her husband Calvin Eikleberry, father Johnie Cloyd Symons, mother Jessie Denver Symons, brother Alan Symons and wife LaRee, sister Dolly Terrell and husband Billy John, niece Cindy Symons Starbuck, nephew Boyd Eikleberry and many other family members. She is survived by her sons and partners Kevin Eikleberry and Pam, Cave Creek AZ; Craig and Steve, Ruidoso/Las Cruces NM; grandchildren Rustin Eikleberry and Shae, Phoenix AZ; Rhet Eikleberry and Hayley, Billings MT; Ry Eikleberry and Jilique, Kearneysville WV; great grandchildren Kylie, Colt, Bradie, Emmie, Revy and Roan Eikleberry. She is also survived by nephews Johnie L. Symons, Terry Terrell, Brad Terrell, , Chris Crowe, Jeff Crowe, great niece Karly Terrell, great nephews Daniel Starbuck, Adam Starbuck and many other beloved family members and friends.

My mother Dilly had a heart filled with compassion and love and her friendly and warm smile would captivate your attention and instantly make you feel at ease. She will be missed dearly by all who knew her and loved her. She is now in paradise with our heavenly father and back in the embrace of her family and friends who passed before her. God bless!

Visitation will be held on Monday, July 21, 2025 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Maltbie Funeral Services Chapel located at 265 W. 8th Avenue, Springfield, Colorado.

Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at Maltbie Funeral Services Chapel, located at 265 W. 8th Avenue, Springfield, Colorado. Interment will follow at Springfield Cemetery, Springfield, Colorado.

To honor Dilly’s life, please consider a contribution to any cause which would benefit those with Alzheimer's Disease.

Maltbie Funeral Services, LLC is entrusted with the arrangements. To leave condolences for the family please visit their website at maltbiefuneralservices.com.