A longtime advocate for children and education in La Plata County died on Oct. 18.
Emma Shock was a beloved mother, teacher, 4-H mentor and community volunteer in Allison. She was 95.
“She was willing to help in any way that she could in anything that anybody was needing help with,” said her daughter, Sherry Schutz.
A graduate of Ignacio High School, she played basketball and excelled in academics. After graduating from IHS, she started teaching school in Tiffany, even though she was younger than some of her students.
She married Lawrence Shock in 1946, and they had three daughters. In 1956, she was named Homemaker of the Year for Southwestern Colorado and was honored in Pueblo.
In 1971, she began attending Fort Lewis College as a full-time student, earning her education degree. She later taught at Ignacio schools.
After retiring from teaching, she volunteered as a tutor and joined the board of the Southern Ute Community Action Program in Ignacio, which later became the Southern Colorado Community Action Agency.
“Our board of directors and staff ... send our condolences to the family of Ms. Emma Shock,” the agency wrote. “Those of us who knew Emma for many years, have had pleasure in working with Ms. Emma. She was a part of the SUCAP/SoCoCAA family for many years and was a huge part of our board of directors. Ms. Emma was missed every day since she retired from the board, and we will continuously miss her dearly. Rest in paradise, Ms. Emma.”
She was a member of the National Grange for more than 70 years, and she recently received a 70-year pin from 4-H, where she served as a local leader and member of the state leaders group. She was a longtime fair judge at the La Plata, Montezuma and Archuleta county fairs, as well as fairs in the San Luis Valley, and she was honored as the 2013 Fair Lady in Archuleta County. She also judged at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo.
She chaperoned many 4-H trips throughout the United States, becoming good friends with other 4-H leaders around the country.
Shock advocated for Colorado State University Extension to have a horticulture agent in Southwest Colorado because she said the next generation of local farmers and ranchers needed to have access to the latest research in Fort Collins.
She received the Western Heritage Award in Durango for her work advocating for rural children and families.
She and Lawrence were married 61 years, until his death in 2007.
Services were held on Oct. 25 at Allison Community Presbyterian Church, where she was a longtime member.
