Carol Sue Lambert, 77, life resident of the New Raymer, Colorado community, passed away peacefully Saturday, August 2, 2025, at Eben-Ezer Lutheran Care Center in Brush, Colorado, following complications from a severe stroke on February 7, 2025.  Carol was born in Sterling, Colorado, on June 5, 1948, to Ervin and Doris (Box) Vangraefschepe.

Known to family, close friends, and the community as Carol Sue or just "Sue", she grew up on the Vangraefschepe family farm one mile west and three miles south of New Raymer.  She attended school in New Raymer and was a proud "Raymer Indian" until the consolidation of schools, attending Prairie School her junior and senior year and graduating in 1966 as a proud "Prairie Mustang".  While in school, Carol Sue was a cheerleader and President of the Pep Club.  She also helped pen the fight song for the new Prairie School, set to the tune of "It's a Grand Ol' Flag", which still stands as the fight song today. Carol Sue was very active in 4-H growing up, completing 10 years of membership and playing 4-H softball across Weld County.

After graduation, Carol Sue attended Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, obtaining a softball scholarship through 4-H as she lived in a time when girls were not allowed to play sports in high school.  She proudly played third base at NJC. She loved attending NJC and living in Sterling with her sister, cousins and aunt and we heard many stories over the years regarding "J.A.C.K.S Place!"  Carol then transferred to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado, to complete her Bachelor of Arts teaching degree in vocational business education, graduating May 1970.  Her first job was at Crook High School in Crook, Colorado, for one year.  After marriage, she taught at Haxtun High School.

It was while with her cousins and friends that Carol Sue met Cary's eye at a dance.  Cary was playing in a country western band the girls were following around the countryside, and Carol Sue was often teased that she was a real "groupie".  Cary and Carol Sue were married on November 21, 1970, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sterling. Along with marriage came two bonus children for Carol Sue – Yolanda and Chris.  While Yolanda lived with her mother in Sterling, Chris was quickly and warmly taken in by Carol Sue as one of her very own. Over the next 8 years, the family quickly grew with the addition of Chad, Cara and Cyle.

When the Lamberts decided to move back to New Raymer, Carol Sue started teaching at Prairie High School in 1976 where she was the vocational business and office education teacher for 31 years. Mrs. Lambert was a valued teacher, student confidant, trusted employee, and friend to many during her tenure at Prairie. Beyond teacher, her roles at Prairie were many - she was a very successful FBLA advisor with numerous state officers through the years along with many state and national conference trips qualifying students for competition; yearbook advisor; class sponsor; scorebook keeper for basketball and volleyball; vocational education contract appointee; technology advisor; assisted with class plays; planned proms and homecomings; organized the annual Veteran's Day program; ran numerous school fundraisers through FBLA and the school; served as room mother for her own children; and was the greatest cheerleader for all students in whatever they desired to achieve.  She served professionally on many state level organizations including Colorado Business Educators Association and the Colorado Vocational Association.  Through her years involved with FBLA-PBL and vocational business education, she met many life-long friends and was a trusted advisor and mentor to other teachers across the state of Colorado.

While in New Raymer raising her family, she was very involved in all things "community". She served on both the New Raymer Bi-Centennial committee in 1976 and New Raymer Centennial Celebration committees in 1988; was one of the first active New Raymer Fire Department Medical First Responders; was a member of the Pawnee Hustlers Home Extension Club and Cheery Lot Club; was chairman of the 50th Anniversary of the Northeast Weld County Fair and Rodeo in 1999; was a member of the New Raymer Community Church; was a member of the Friends of Raymer; was an original member of the re-organized Prairie Lions Club; organized and hosted the New Raymer-Buckingham-Prairie all school reunion each summer; served as a 4-H leader; spoke yearly at the Memorial Day program in Stoneham and Brush; was often revered as the town historian; and much more. Carol Sue was very proud to have been born and raised in New Raymer and even more so to be the oldest grandchild of both her mother's (Box) and father's side (Vangraefschepe). She was so proud of the legacy her grandparents, Archie and Famie Box, led in the creation of the Northeast Weld County Fair & Rodeo and never missed a single fair until this year where she and Cary were honored as the 2025 Grand Marshals.  Over the years during the fair, Carol Sue served as announcer for both the livestock shows and rodeo, wrote the premium checks, worked the cook shack, organized the ribbons and trophies, participated as a 4-H member, decorated the grounds, designed, edited and printed the fair books, and cheered on all involved as the voice of the fair for many years. If someone needed to know something about the fair, they needed to "just ask Carol Sue."

While raising her children, Carol was a very involved mother. She chased kids all around the state while they played football, basketball, baseball and volleyball; mentored her own children as their teacher and in FBLA events and as a state officer; helped with numerous 4-H projects from cooking to lambs to shooting sports and everything in between; helped decorate for school dances; drove groups of kids to the swimming pool in Fort Morgan; helped the family with harvest meals and at the grain elevator during the summer; instilled in them a sense of pride and patriotism; and was always a soft place to land for all of the kids that rode the dirt streets of New Raymer on their bikes, greeting them with a cold popsicle or a cup of lemonade. Carol Sue was everyone's mom…silently adopting a few of them in her own heart.

Following retirement from her teaching career, Carol Sue found many endeavors to keep her busy.  She worked alongside her daughter daily at Hummingbird Press for several years in Brush while getting to know the people of the Brush community and helping take care of grandchildren that stayed at the print shop before and after school. Carol Sue was an active contributor to the Morgan County Sneaker Stroll for Type 1 Diabetes in honor of her grandson, Quinton; served on the Relay For Life committee after surviving her own battle with cancer in 1997; continued to single-handily organize and host the annual New Raymer-Buckingham-Prairie Alumni; and became fully involved with the Lions Club Organization serving two terms as District Governor for the State of Colorado along with chairing numerous state-wide committees. It was through the Lions Club that she took over the organization of the Sneaker Stroll to continue to raise funds and awareness for Type 1 Diabetes.  Carol Sue was a well-respected Lion both locally and state-wide and Lions gave her and Cary the opportunity to visit numerous places including Hawaii, Chicago, Wyoming and Puerto Rico, to name a few.

The Lamberts loved to travel when they could and took memorable family summer road trips to California, New Mexico, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and a couple wonderful extended family vacations to Hawaii. When the kids were younger, they enjoyed camping and fishing trips to the mountains, although washing her hair in a cold stream was not Carol's favorite.  In their retirement, Cary and Carol Sue loved to sneak away for a long weekend to find a comfortable casino and play the penny slots. They also cherished trips to visit friends and family and watch former students get married. Their favorite past-time of late was cheering their grandchildren on in all their activities including school concerts, sporting events, plays, FFA activities and showing livestock. It was so special to her that her little "buddies" Ainsley and Cort were right across town to spoil whenever she could. In her pastime, Carol Sue loved to crochet and knit scarves and afghans, find treasures at garage sales and auctions, wear her silver and turquoise jewelry (a love she shared with her granddaughter, Delaney), thrift stuffed animals at Goodwill, add to her extensive collection of Fiestaware, and watch hours of General Hospital and Days of Our Lives with her daughter, Cara.

Carol Sue is survived by her husband of nearly 55 years, Cary of New Raymer; her children, Chris (Patti) Lambert of Fort Morgan, Chad (Jill) Lambert of Brush, Cara (Ryan) Draegert of Brush, and Cyle (Bryce) Lambert of New Raymer; her sister, Diane (Carl) Miller of Gunnison, CO; her beloved 8 grandchildren, Jacob (Samara) Gibbs of Sterling, CO, Trenton Lambert of Fort Morgan, Jenna Lambert of Brush currently serving the United States Air Force, Reese Lambert of Fort Morgan, Quinton Draegert of Brush, Delaney Draegert of Brush, Ainsley Lambert of New Raymer and Cort Lambert of New Raymer; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors, and treasured friends. She was preceded in death by her brother, Wayne Vangraefschepe; her stepdaughter, Yolanda Gibbs; and her parents, Ervin and Doris Vangraefschepe.

Carol Sue's Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, August 22, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Prairie High School (intersection of Hwy 14 and Hwy 52 two miles east of New Raymer, Colorado). There will be a dinner at the New Raymer Community Center following the service for all to enjoy while reminiscing and sharing stories. A private inurnment for the family will be in the New Raymer Cemetery between the service and the dinner. We ask that Carol Sue's Celebration of Life be as vibrant as she was so please feel free to wear colors that celebrate her life.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the Carol Sue Lambert Memorial Fund. Send to P.O. Box 82, New Raymer, CO 80742 or in care of Heer Mortuary & Crematory, 222 Cameron St., Brush, CO 80723.  The Heer Mortuary & Crematory of Brush, Colorado is entrusted with the funeral arrangements.