Gretchen Boling, beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother and friend, passed away in Lincoln, Neb., on January, 15, 2025, at the age of 80.

Gretchen was born on July 16, 1944, to Louis and Faith Hoppe. She grew up on a farm outside Albion, Neb., with her brothers Bill, Orrin, and Lyle, and her sisters Mary and Martha.

In the early 1970s, she relocated to Colorado, where she raised her two boys, David and Scott McDuffee, and established a long and fulfilling career at Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association. In 1985, she married Bob Boling and became stepmother to his children Mike and Shannon. Gretchen’s life was defined by her kindness, her creativity and her courage – three traits that frequently intersected. An extrovert and an optimist, she loved meeting new people, cooking, traveling, gardening, quilting, sewing, and caring for some of the most spoiled dogs and cats the Earth has ever known.

Gretchen was preceded in death by her husband in 2024. She is survived by her four children and stepchildren, five siblings, grandchildren Mary Kate, Gavin, Garrett, Connor, Calleigh, Noel, Jordan, Tyler and Zach.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Gretchen at 1:00 p.m. on January, 25, 2025, at Butherus Maser & Love funeral home in Lincoln. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the ASPCA, or the Denver Botanic Gardens.