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An all-around couple who enjoys whatever life has to
offer, community minded and multi-talented: that would be an apt
description of Sue & Bob Ludtke. Though they grew up in the Midwest, Bob
in Milwaukee and Sue in Chicago, they are now both avid Coloradoans.
They met at freshman orientation at the University of Chicago. Sue went
on to earn degrees in sociology and elementary education, and Bob
transferred to Illinois Institute of Technology to earn a degree in
Electrical Engineering. They were married just before Bob turned 21,
requiring a signed permission from his parents. After they were married,
Bob worked designing nuclear power plants and managing a computer group
for the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago. Sue taught
first grade in the inner city for a year and then worked for the Social
Security Administration until their first child was born.
In 1976, they came to ski and visit friends who were moving to Glenwood
Springs. It was a winter of no snow, but they still decided to move to
Glenwood Springs with their friends. After spending a sub-zero January
in their home outside Chicago waiting for a buyer to come, they asked
each other, ”Why are we doing this?” They took a few of their
belongings, loaded the kids in the car, and headed back to Glenwood,
leaving the sale to a realtor.
During their early residence in Glenwood, Bob developed his own
business—Mountain Computer Services. His office was in the Tamarack
Mall, which he owned at the time. He set up the first computer services
in Glenwood Springs and taught the first computer classes at CMC. Micro
Processing was just coming to the computer field and Bob helped many
businessmen and ranchers get their data organized on home computers.
While Bob was busy as a house-husband and starting his computer
business, Sue was teaching school in New Castle. She taught for three
years and then applied at the Social Security office. She was told there
was a hiring freeze and they could only hire people who were already
federal employees. Sue, always resourceful, went to work for the BLM for
three months at an entry level position. Now she was a federal employee.
Since she had previously worked for Social Security in Illinois, she had
no problem being hired by the local office.
The Ludtkes missed having Public Radio in Glenwood. Bob thought if they
could find a signal, he could relay it to Glenwood. By putting a
translator on Castle Peak, near Eagle, he was able to pick up a signal
from a station at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. The signal could
be sent to a receiver on Lookout Mountain, and Public Radio came to town
in 1988.
Both had joined the 100 Club, but it wasn’t until Sue retired in 1999
that she took her first hike with the group and got hooked. Bob was
still working, now as vice president of CQG and was envious of Sue’s 100
club hikes. His retirement was hastened when CQG moved their
headquarters to Denver. Bob thought it over and decided “N0—I’m staying
here!”
They are both active in their retirement. Sue is president of the
Community Concert Association. Maybe she’s going to be tri-lingual
someday as she belongs to both a Spanish and a French conversation
group. Other hobbies they enjoy are the Roaring Fork Archeology Group
and ham radio. Bob is secretary of the Ski Country Amateur Radio Club.
In addition to camaraderie, local hams help with search and rescue and
local emergency communications, coordinate communications for local race
events, and encourage scouts and school children to get involved in
radio communications.
Both like to travel. Each spring they go to Utah to look for
archaeological sites in the canyon country. Their travel adventures have
included rafting the Grand Canyon, canoeing the Green, and cruising in
the Caribbean and in Alaska. They enjoy fishing, hiking, and boating.
Sue includes stained glass crafting among her list of interests.
Both are very good at horticulture and the results can be seen in their
yard. Lush vegetables of all kinds grow in their garden. They have fruit
trees and a beautifully landscaped yard with tiers of flowers. Besides
plants, they also raised two children in Glenwood Springs. Their son is
now located in Houston as a Biophysicist and their daughter resides in
California where she is a chemical engineer |
