Richard Harold Ernst

A Celebration of Life for Dove Creek resident Rick Ernst will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, July 11, 2025, at Dove Creek High School Gymnasium. Lunch, stories, and fellowship will follow at 12:30 PM at Dolores County Fairgrounds. Food will be provided; bring your preferred additional spirits, and a keg of beer will be available.

Rick Ernst was born March 18, 1952, in Grand Junction, Colorado, the son of Harold “Buck” Ernst and Helen Mae Monger (Ernst). He passed away on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Cortez, Colorado, at the age of 73.

Rick Ernst was a legend of Dove Creek and Silverton, Colorado. He graduated from Silverton High School, shining in football and baseball. A tough miner, he worked at Dixie Lynn for his dad, Old One Hundred, and many other gold and uranium mines across Southwest Colorado. He won Best All-Around Miner 13 times at Hardrocker’s mining competition in Silverton, CO. A man’s man, he endured shoulder, hand, foot, knee, back, hip, and wrist surgeries—his love for life and family kept him going through all ailments. He hunted elk and deer in Colorado and Utah with many friends and family, played basketball, softball, and golf with fire, sometimes tossing a bat in the dugout, and loved cutting firewood from the forest, which filled his spirit and led him to give back too many in need. His Lake Powell houseboat was for fishing and laughs, while Friday Afternoon Club in Dove Creek, where he lived, was his buddy time. He served on school and fire boards. What’ll be missed most: his love for life, infectious laugh, and booming voice.

Surviving Rick Ernst are his loving wife Bernadette Patricia Ernst of Dove Creek; his children Dustin and Brooke Ernst of Katy, Texas, Misty Ernst and Remington Ursey of Dove Creek, Colorado, Ron Ernst of Durango, Colorado, and Jordan and Kiera Ernst of Surprise, Arizona; by 7 grandchildren, Hunter Ernst, Elijah Lucero, Gavin Ernst, Rylan Ernst, Braxton Ernst, Mia Lucero, and Keelin Ernst; his sister Dixie Mulligan, brother-in-law Mike Mulligan, and sister-in-law Laurie Ernst, all of Dove Creek; and countless nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Rick Ernst was preceded in death by his father Harold Ernst, his mother Helen Mae Monger, his brother Ronnie Ernst and Michael Ernst.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Dove Creek Pick and Hoe or if you prefer you can donate deer and elk horns to Billy and Rick Horn Company -JK :)