Obituary of Howard "Buz" Seymour Elden, Jr.

Obituary Howard (Buz) Elden passed away on November 18 in a tragic car accident. One of four siblings – the only boy – Buz was born on May 10, 1954 in Buffalo, New York. After graduating from Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, IL, he arrived in Fort Collins in 1972 to attend CSU. It was in the mountains of Colorado that he found his heart. Buz possessed an amazing array of talents constructing homes and barns from the ground up, creating fine furniture, navigating the mountains on foot and horseback, devotion to his dogs and horses, bagging game, foraging mushrooms; unmatched culinary skills; witty; sarcastic. Buz never stepped into the limelight; yet he touched so many. Buz had a passion for horses. He bred, colt-broke and trained horses and loved taking people on trail rides in the Red Feather area and took friends hunting. He leaves behind five horses. Fishing and camping were also a passion of his. He was definitely an outdoors man. In June 2012 after the High Park Fire, Buz started to volunteer for the Poudre Canyon Fire Protection District and quickly became a valued member of the fire department. Buz received recognition of performance above and beyond the Call of Duty in the face of danger and extreme fire circumstances in battling the High Park Fire. The Poudre Canyon Fire District posted the following on their website: Buz was a valued member of our fire department. He didn't live in the PCFPD district but spent the majority of his time working in the area. He joined our department after the High Park Fire. He’d drop whatever he was working on to help on a call. Buz was quiet, intelligent, kind, and frugal. From floors to roofs and everything in between, he possessed a variety of construction skills and knowledge. When he built something, he built it to last. He would research the best way to build something or the best product to use. The Resource Center was one of his favorite places to shop for bargains. He would check with them before buying something new. Also, he worked diligently on finishing Station 4. The beautiful window sills and baseboards were his handiwork and he completely redid the spackle on the walls because it wasn’t up to his standards. He put in extra outlets, too, and helped build the kitchenette and put down flooring. A "Jack of all trades and master of most”. He took pride in his work, for sure. He was very innovative in finding ways to make things better or to do a job better. He built a contraption to lift the large sections of a metal building. It didn’t work quite the way he wanted it to, so over the weekend, he rebuilt it so it would more safely and easily lift the building sections. Buz was a patient man. My dog, Callie, doesn't like new people, especially men. It took him two years of always being kind, and always having a piece of jerky to win her confidence. They ended up being buddies with Buz often sharing his lunch with her. He showed this patience with horses too. Buz's passion was riding horses. If there is a trail in this area, he has most likely ridden it and probably more than once. Happy trails to Buz…PC416 He is survived by three sisters: Mary Elden Grant of Tallahassee, Florida; Linda Elden of Lakewood, Colorado; Kim Williams of Park Ridge, Illinois, nieces and nephews. Buz touched so many; he is missed. May he be at peace riding the horse he so loved. There will be a gathering to remember Buz on Dec. 3, 2022 at Fire Station 4 located at 5680 County Rd 68C in Red Feathers, CO at 1pm. Snacks and beverages will be served. Services Time of Remembrance Saturday December 3, 2022 1:00 PM Fire Station 4 5680 County Road 68C Red Feather Lakes, CO 80545