Colby Eagles Alumni Association
Jim & Connie Denny Kreamer
Submitted by Janice Smith Pigg 1951
Copyright Colby Eagles Alumni Association @ 2014
One’s life reflects the early influence of family, school, and community. CCHS graduates, Connie Denny 1951 and Jim Kreamer 1947 , married and joined forces to carry these values to their new community of Sunnyslope, an area of Phoenix where they located in 1959. There they raised a son, Dick, and a daughter, Cindy. They worked together in their cabinetry business for 25 years. Subsequently two grandchildren and three great grandchildren became a part of the family.
In the midst of those busy activities, they found time to Volunteer. Connie was the co-founder of the Sunnyslope Historical Society which was founded in 1989. In addition to organizing the Society and getting the movement started, Connie was actively involved in fund raising, collecting oral histories from long time residents, and gathering materials for exhibits.
Jim, too, quickly became involved lending his talents to assist and help with the organization. In 1999 Jim worked to move a 1945 small residential house and a 1953 drug store to a central location for housing the artifacts. Jim supervised an eager but inexperienced cadre of volunteers. It took four years to renovate the 1953 drug store building because of construction issues and to bring an old building up to today’s city codes and complete the extensive interior renovations. The Sunnyslope Historical Society Museum was opened in 2003.
In 2009, Connie and Jim were honored by the Society Board of Directors naming the campus, the Connie and Jim Kreamer Campus. That same year, Connie was honored with the Award for Distinguished Service by the Museum Association of Arizona for her outstanding contributions to the museum profession throughout a lengthy career.
When you are in Phoenix look towards the North and note the big white “S” on the mountain denoting the Sunnyslope area and smile to your self, knowing Colby and CCHS people had a hand in giving that community a sense of its historical self.
