Lydia “Elaine” Poyser, 88, of Salida, Colorado passed away on September 28, 2026 in Lafayette, Colorado. She was born on December 17, 1937 in Salida, Colorado to Daniel Medrano and Predy Martinez-Medrano. She graduated from Salida High School in 1958 and later went on to work as a nurse’s aid at the Salida Hospital.
She then met the love of her life, John Poyser, and after a short time, married on September 14, 1963. From there, Elaine was a stay at home mother and cared for her four children, John, Katrina, Jenny, and Audra. Elaine was an active member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish, volunteering as a room mother and spent time in the Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
In her free time, she enjoyed crocheting, embroidering, baking, and making her famous green chili. Every September, Elaine could be found processing bushels of chili, which would later be shared and loved by many during the winter months. Elaine loved spending time with her grandchildren and played an important role in the upbringing of each and every one of them. She was present at many major milestones in their lives, but will mostly be remembered by her competitiveness when it came to games like Yahtzee and Rummy. Additionally, her grandkids will keep her spirit alive through many of her great cooking and baking recipes.
Elaine was preceded in death by her parents, Daniel Medrano and Predy Martinez-Medrano, and her husband, John Poyser. She is survived by her children, John Franklin III of Beaver City, Nebraska, Katrina (Mike) Rocha of Westminster, Colorado, Jenny (David) Carothers of Salida, Colorado, and Audra Daffron of Beaver City, Nebraska; grandchildren, Lisa (Jason) Baldwin, Rachel (Sam) VanDyke, Sean Rocha, Marc Rocha, Shelby (Jesse) Hall, Kolby Carothers, Adrian (Monique) Poyser, Danny Daffron, Jay (Rachel) Daffron; great-grandchildren Kylie Baldwin, Katelyn Baldwin, and Jace Daffron.
She will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever cherished. Elaine’s life will be celebrated at Fairview Cemetery on October 9th at 11:00am. A luncheon at Poncha Town Hall will follow. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, with the following designation in the memo line: St. Joseph School Renovation Campaign – Restricted for Local School Renovations. Contributions may be made in honor of Elaine Poyser, whose years of service and support to St. Joseph Catholic Church and School were an important part of her life.
To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Lydia (Elaine) Poyser, please visit: Tree Store.
