Rundus Funeral Home

Rundus Funeral Home Since 1993, we’ve provided quality funeral & cremation services. Our beautiful facility was designed specifically with your needs in mind.

For nearly 25 years, we’ve provided our neighbors in the Broomfield area with quality funeral, burial, and cremation services. With easy access to I-25 and Highway 36, we provide the quality, compassion, and convenience you can only expect from a family-owned funeral home. Unlike some cremation providers in our area, we’ll never send your loved one to another location to a cremation provider you n

either know or had the opportunity to research. Since we own and operate our own private crematory, we can promise your loved one will never leave our professional care and that they will be treated with respect and dignity throughout the whole process. Our chapel, visitation rooms, and reception facilities can accommodate any service – whether you’re planning a large, traditional funeral service and visitation, or an intimate memorial with close family and friends. Whether you are at your moment of need, or you would like to preplan, we invite you to reach out to our experienced, caring team.

One reason cremation is increasing in popularity is that it gives a family more time to plan and attend a memorial – eve...
07/31/2025

One reason cremation is increasing in popularity is that it gives a family more time to plan and attend a memorial – even months after the death of a loved one. If you have questions about the options we offer, contact our team: https://www.rundus.com/contact/contact

Preplanning online allows you to decide what you want for your funeral and burial. When you make these arrangements, you...
07/30/2025

Preplanning online allows you to decide what you want for your funeral and burial. When you make these arrangements, your family will have peace of mind knowing they're honoring your wishes. Learn more here: https://www.rundus.com/planning/planning-ahead

The right funeral provider can be the difference between a good service and a memorable one. Connect with us to learn mo...
07/29/2025

The right funeral provider can be the difference between a good service and a memorable one. Connect with us to learn more about our family-first approach to honoring loved ones: https://www.rundus.com/services/funerals

07/28/2025

Honoring our Heritage: Hollywood Comes to Broomfield

Throughout the 1940’s more and more pressure began to mount for a direct highway to be developed between Denver and Boulder. The Colorado Legislature eventually agreed upon a plan to develop a turnpike to be built with a single toll station. The next step was purchasing rights-of-way from property owners along the proposed route. Altogether, 115 parcels were purchased. One of the major purchases was for the cloverleaf at the Broomfield interchange. It was completely within the boundaries of William Brown’s original homestead, where he had settled in 1885. The ground was broken in Boulder in October of 1950, and by late November, a rough grade extended halfway from Boulder to Broomfield.

On a cold Saturday in January 1952, over a thousand people crowded onto the pavement at the Broomfield interchange for the official opening of the four-lane divided highway. Governor Don Thornton declared, “This turnpike will become famous as one of the most scenic drives in the nation. It will show Colorado’s beauty to the rest of the world.” One thing was sure: the little farming community of Broomfield would change forever. In the beginning, the new highway didn’t have much effect on the community. If anything, it was quieter as it was the first time in its history that north-south traffic went around it instead of through it. But change was getting ready to come in with a rush.

The former Zang property holdings were soon sold to the Turnpike Land Company, which had developed the Turnpike. Almost immediately, they began to develop plans to create a city by the turnpike of some 20,000 people. Their stated reason, they claimed, was that Denver and Boulder were filling up and that there was a need for high-class country living. A water main was developed from the Great Western Reservoir, five miles southwest of Broomfield, and a complete sewage disposal system and all other utilities were also planned for the $100 million community. 954 houses were to be built in the first phase, located south of Midway Boulevard. Around 850 were to be built in the second phase. The first houses went on the market in August 1955.

1955 was a busy and exciting year for the rapidly developing community as new schools and businesses were developed, along with many new homes. Richard L. List was elected co-chairman of the newly formed Broomfield Heights Civic Association, and just before Christmas that year, his wife gave birth to the first baby born in Broomfield Heights, Richard L. List, Jr.. Eager to showcase their community, the Turnpike Land Company worked to get the community’s name out any way they could.

At the time, one of the most popular radio programs was "The Great Gildersleeve." It was based on the comical character, Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, who first appeared as a regular on “Fibber McGee and Molly” in 1939. He became so popular that they decided to give him his own show in 1940, making it the first successful spin-off show on either radio or television. Originally the character was voiced by Harold Peary, but he was replaced in 1950 by Willard L. Waterman, a close friend who looked and sounded so much like him they could easily pass for brothers.

By the mid-‘50s, television was beginning to replace radio as America’s favorite mode of entertainment. Several successful radio shows tried to transition to television, some with greater success than others. Many of them, like “Gunsmoke,” chose to go with different actors on their TV shows than they used on the radio but continued for several years to broadcast on both mediums. “The Great Gildersleeve” was one of those programs that tried to take advantage of both mediums simultaneously but chose, for the most part, to use the same cast for both radio and television. “The Great Gildersleeve” premiered on television about the same time as the new community of Broomfield Heights was being developed. On the show, Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve was the honorary water commissioner of the mythical town of Summerfield, a town that took its water seriously.

The publicity agent for The Turnpike Land Company teamed up with Waterman to bring Gildersleeve to Broomfield Heights. The press release read in part, "Willard ‘Bill’ Waterman, who as Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve amuses millions of television viewers as the star of the NBC-TV series, 'The Great Gildersleeve,' has been named honorary water commissioner for Broomfield Heights, Colorado, the new community north of Denver that will be Colorado’s fifth largest city by 1960… The Turnpike Land Company, developers of Broomfield Heights, spent nearly $3 million in water, sewage, lights, streets, and planning before a single house was built in the city.”

Parents’ Day is a heartfelt reminder to honor the love, sacrifices, and support of the amazing people who guide us throu...
07/27/2025

Parents’ Day is a heartfelt reminder to honor the love, sacrifices, and support of the amazing people who guide us through life.
To all the parents, thank you for being our strength, our comfort, and our biggest cheerleaders.

It can be hard to remember that everything happens for a reason. Be encouraged today.
07/25/2025

It can be hard to remember that everything happens for a reason. Be encouraged today.

Grief can be an isolating and lonely experience, leaving you cut off from the support of your loved ones. Make plans to ...
07/24/2025

Grief can be an isolating and lonely experience, leaving you cut off from the support of your loved ones. Make plans to spend time with family and friends when you feel up to it. Learn more here: https://www.rundus.com/services/grief-recovery

Have you considered asking your funeral guests to share a memory about your loved one? This is a creative way to add a p...
07/23/2025

Have you considered asking your funeral guests to share a memory about your loved one? This is a creative way to add a personal touch to the service, while gathering new stories about your loved one. Learn more here: https://www.rundus.com/services/personalization

Arranging services for veterans is a privilege and one way for us to say thank you to them for their devotion to our cou...
07/22/2025

Arranging services for veterans is a privilege and one way for us to say thank you to them for their devotion to our country. Visit our website to discover how we do this: https://www.rundus.com/services/veterans

07/21/2025

Honoring our Heritage: Billy Joe Austin

Unlike most cities in the United States, the vast majority of the citizens who make up the fabric of Broomfield and its rich heritage are not natives. After all, not only is it the youngest city in the nation, but it has also grown at an unprecedented rate (from a population of 200 in 1952 to over 75,000 in 2022). Billy Joe Austin fits into this group of transplants who made Broomfield home. He moved here around 1967 in the early days of the growth boon and lived here for 45 years by the time of his death in 2012.

Billy was born in Henry County, in Western Tennessee on April 7, 1933, to Rufus and Ethel Irby Austin. He grew up in McKenzie, Tennessee, and graduated from high school there. At an early age, he developed an interest in and love for the publishing industry. By the time he was in his twenties, he landed the position of printer for the
Post-Intelligencer, the newspaper in Paris, Tennessee.

After his first marriage ended, he accepted a position as a printer for the old Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colorado, and settled in Broomfield, Colorado. He took an active role in the International Typographical Union, one of the first Unions in the United States. A trade union for the printing trade for newspapers and other print media, it was founded in 1852 and at its peak boasted over 100,000 members. It was one of the first unions to admit female members, admitting the first women in 1869. Eventually, the national organization moved its headquarters to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Billy served as the president of the Denver Typographical Chapter and the vice president of the International Typographical Union.

Over the years, the publishing industry changed drastically with the rise of photographic and digital technology and desktop printing. By 1986 the membership in the ITU had fallen to 40,000 working printers and 35,000 retirees. It became apparent that the organization was going to have to join a larger body if it was to be effective as the new century approached. Billy helped lead efforts to help it merge with the Communication Workers of America in January of 1987. ITU was the oldest trade union left in the United States at the time. It is now the Printing, Publishing, and Media Workers Sector of the CWA, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

He was very loyal and active in the Masons for 50 years as a member of the Knights Templar. A fraternal order affiliated with Freemasonry but unlike most other Masonic orders which only require a belief in a Supreme Being, the Knights Templar is open only to Freemasons who profess a belief in Christianity, and members commit to protect and defend the Christian faith. The father of five and grandfather of eight left behind his wife and family on November 26, 2012. His arrangements were handled by Rundus Funeral Home, and he was buried in the Broomfield County Commons Cemetery near a grandchild who had died in 1989 as a toddler. His wife joined him there seven years later.

If you’re a caretaker, one of the best things you can do is join a support group, whether in person or online. A group c...
07/18/2025

If you’re a caretaker, one of the best things you can do is join a support group, whether in person or online. A group can help you feel less alone, give you a chance to talk about your struggles, and learn how others are handling similar situations.

Many families don’t know that a memorial service or viewing can accompany a cremation. Visit our website to see the choi...
07/17/2025

Many families don’t know that a memorial service or viewing can accompany a cremation. Visit our website to see the choices available for end-of-life services: https://www.rundus.com/services/cremation

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1998 W 10th Avenue
Broomfield, CO
80020

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