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Grant Robert Ward
Funeral services for Grant Robert Ward, 76, will be 10 a.m. Jan. 10 at Platte Funeral Chapel in Wheatland with Pastor Ben Whitfield of Living Church of God officiating.
Interment will be at 3 p.m. at Manville Cemetery in Manville with military graveside rites.
Mr. Ward died Jan. 5, 2001 at his home near Wheatland.
He was born April 2, 1924, to Zeb Washington and Ruth (Hockett) Ward at a home 10 miles north of Lusk. He was raised on the Dogie Creek family ranch and attended country schools through ninth grade. He lived with relatives in Prairie, Mo., and Quincy, Ill., for the remainder of his high school years. He graduated from Quincy High School in June 1942.
Mr. Ward served in the Army and worked for a survey company until his father's health called him home to manage the family farm. He married Ella Marie Sides on June 7, 1953, at the Lance Creek Community Church. They were married 47 years and raised five children.
Ranching was Mr. Ward's main life-style, but he also drove the rural school bus and operated a county road grader for Niobrara County until he retired. His hobbies included ranching, hunting, gunsmithing and helping his neighbors. He loved his family and was active all his life in serving the Lord. He belonged to the National Riflemen's Association, American Legion, Worldwide Church of God and Living Church of God.
Mr. Ward is survived by his wife, E. Marie Ward of Wheatland; sons W. Scott Ward of Whitehall, N.Y., and George Ward and wife Kelly of Lovell; daughters Ruth and husband Glen Howe of Lovell, Lydia and husband Stan Lefforge of Shoshoni, and Earlene Ward of Cheyenne; brother Fred Ward and wife Kit of Lander; sister May Ellen and husband Raymond Smith of Manville; sister-in-law Karey Spaney of Charleston, Ore.; 14 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant sister, Grace Ward; and brother Charley Claud Ward.
Serving as pallbearers will be Robert Middleton, Steven Walker, Sam Twitchell, Wade Ward, Bruce Schierwagen, Lester Wintermote, Rueben Brunner and Heath Ward.
Honorary pallbearers are Jeffrey Schierwagen, Jeremy Ward, Charley Kumpf, Criss Ward, Bob Ward, Alfred Ward and Bill Kumpf.
Memorials to Platte County Home Health Care, 1501 16th Street, Wheatland 82201, would be appreciated by the family.
Platte Funeral Chapel of Wheatland is in charge of arrangements.
Family and friends may call at the funeral home from 8-10 a.m. Jan. 10.
Trisha Broadway
Services for Trisha Broadway, 18, of Groom, Texas, were held Sept. 29, 2000 in Amarillo, Texas.
She was born in Riverton. She graduated from Groom High School where she played basketball and ran track. She was involved in the U.I.L. Speech Club. She worked as a secretary at Lason's in Amarillo and was a member of King Memorial United Methodist church in Whitney, Texas.
She is survived by her parents, Ernie and Dedra Blount of Amarillo, and Ronnie and Joe Broadway of Havre, Mont.; four sisters, Kira Broadway of Amarillo, Sarah Broadway of Amarillo, Kayla Blount of White Deer, Texas, and Casey Blount of Joliet, Mont.; two brothers, Chris Blount of Vega, Texas, and Jeremy Blount of Lubbock, Texas; grandparents Barbara and Ron Broadway of Powell, Nick Valdez of Denver, Fran and Lloyd McAllister of Riverton, and Dorothy Blount of Billings; great-grandmother Ellidia Valdez of Douglas; aunts Maria Sierocki and Vicki Valdez Allen of Douglas; and uncles Cisco Valdez and Richard Valdez of Douglas.
Memorials to the Groom Ambulance Service, Box 111, Groom, Texas, 79039, would be appreciated by the family.
Frederick C. 'Fred' McLaughlin
Funeral liturgy for Frederick C. “Fred” McLaughlin, 33, was held Oct. 14 at St. James Catholic Church in Douglas with Fr. Andrew Duncan as celebrant. Vigil for the deceased was held Oct. 13 at Converse Funeral Chapel. Interment was at Douglas Park Cemetery.
Mr. McLaughlin died Oct. 9, 2000 in Crawford, Neb., of a sudden illness.
He was born June 25, 1967, in Alliance, Neb., the son of Harold Frederick and Marian (Tucker) Meng. He attended kindergarten at Copperas Cove, Texas, and continued his schooling in Lyman and then at Mitchell, Neb. He graduated from Campbell County High School in Gillette in 1985. He attended DeVry Technical Institute in Phoenix, Ariz., and received an associates degree in electronics as well as certification as an electronic technician.
He married Patricia Forsell on Aug. 8, 1987, in Gillette. He worked for three years for the city of Gillette, and moved to Douglas on Oct. 4, 1992. He worked for Burlington Northern Railroad for the past 11 years.
Mr. McLaughlin was an adult member of the Girl Scouts of America, serving as camp coordinator and cookie chairman. He was a member of St. James Catholic Church. He enjoyed snowmobiling, golf, fishing and computers.
He is survived by his wife, Pat, of Douglas; two daughters, Tiffany and Cassandra McLaughlin of the family home in Douglas; his parents, Philip and Marian Christophers of Gillette and Douglas; mother and father-in-law, Francis and Carol Forsell of Gillette; four sisters, Regina Jasak of Ludlow, Mass., Gail Bontempo of Salt Lake City, Deette Lee of Magna, Utah, and Michelle Harris of Casper; and three brothers-in-law, Joe Forsell and Jim Forsell of Gillette and John Forsell of Casper.
He was preceded in death by his father; his maternal grandparents; and his paternal grandparents.
Serving as pallbearers were Scott Harris, Jim Bobbit, John Bauder, Terry Uttenhove, Jim Lynch, Michael Koetter, Gus Walczyk and Dwight Golder. Honorary pallbearers were all of his family and friends.
Memorials to the Fred McLaughlin Memorial Fund, in care of Converse County Bank, P.O. Box 689, Douglas, would be appreciated by the family.
Converse Funeral Chapel of Douglas was in charge of the arrangements.
Julia Reese Bennett
Memorial services for Julia Reese Bennett, 62, will be held at 2 p.m. Jan. 17 at St. James Catholic Church in Douglas.
Father Drew Duncan will officiate.
Mrs. Bennett died Jan. 10, 2001 in Abaline, Texas, following a heart attack.
She was born Nov. 30, 1938, to Luella and Henry Reese in Douglas.
She was reared and educated in Douglas and graduated from Douglas High School in 1956. In 1957, she married Tim Cross in Douglas. To this union three children were born.
In 1971, she moved to Texas and married Don Bennett. They lived in various parts of the state with the Diamond Back Company.
Mrs. Bennett was active in the Boer Goat Cookoff in Lorraine, Texas. She was a member of the Wyoming Outfitters Association. She loved the outdoors, hunting and especially her grandchildren. She was well-known for her rattlesnake jewelry and rattlesnake mounts.
She is survived by her husband, Don, of Lorraine, Texas; son George Cross and his wife Lona; daughters Julie Evins and husband Doyle of Douglas, Lea Walker and husband Howard of Douglas; grandchildren Nate and Nicholas Cross, Wendy Walker and Doyle and Daniel Evins, all of Douglas; and sister Norma Lample of Wasilla, Ala.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Interment was at Spade Ranch Cemetery in Colorado City, Texas.
Cleo Dale Fetzer
Funeral services for Cleo Dale Fetzer, 82, were held Oct. 17 at Converse Funeral Chapel in Douglas with Rev. Rodney Saunders of First United Methodist Church officiating. Interment was at Douglas Park Cemetery.
Mrs. Fetzer died Oct. 12, 2000 at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper.
She was born Jan. 19, 1918, in Delta, Colo. She lived and worked mainly in Sterling, Colo., and in Douglas as a waitress and cook.
She married Albert W. Fetzer on Aug. 9, 1971, in Cheyenne. The couple moved to Douglas later that year. She worked at the 50 Flags, Bright's Cafe and the Skelly Big Wheel restaurants. She also volunteered at the Douglas Senior Citizens Center. She enjoyed doing puzzles and traveling.
Mrs. Fetzer is survived by her husband Albert of Douglas; three children, John and wife Pauline Michael of Arvada, Colo., Carolyn Clinton of Yerington, Nev., and Marella and husband Jack Smith of Douglas; a brother, Charles V. Owens of Sterling, Colo.; 14 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Donald Dale Michael; and a grandson, Rex Rhamy.
Serving as pallbearers were Brace Rhamy, Chris Rhamy, Travis Rhamy, Gale Rhamy, Wayne Rhamy and Jack Smith. Honorary pallbearers were Lane Day, Ben Ramos and Phil Molendor.
Memorials to the Cleo D. Fetzer Memorial Fund in care of Converse County Bank, P.O. Box 689, Douglas, would be appreciated by the family.
Converse Funeral Chapel of Douglas was in charge of arrangements.
Ollie Sterling Wells
No local services were held for Ollie Sterling Wells, 85, who died Jan. 4, 2001 at Casper.
He was born March 25, 1915, in Sargent, Neb., to Ora Edwin and Gertie Olive Doty Wells. He grew up on farms in Nebraska and South Dakota, working with his family. He moved to the Pavilion area with his family in the 1930s.
In 1942, he married Leona Ruth Eisenach in Lincoln, Neb. Soon after, he was drafted into the Army and served overseas in Italy. He drove ammunition trucks there until the war ended.
Mr. Wells went to work for Sinclair Oil and Gas in 1945 at Muskrat, a place only old-timers could remember. He worked at Sand Draw until 1960 when he transferred to Gillette and worked for Atlantic Richfield until his retirement in 1980. In 1985, the family moved back to Riverton. He moved to Douglas last year.
After retirement, Mr. Wells worked with his brother Lyle recycling oil field products. He also collected and restored old wagons and sheep wagons until his health required his complete retirement. He loved camping, fishing and hunting in the Wind River Valley and mountains. He was always willing to help anyone who needed assistance.
Mr. Wells is survived by his brother, Lyle Wells of Riverton; sisters Cora Thompson of Casper, Zora Kirby of Clarkson, Wash., and Lourena Kirby of Thermopolis; children Patricia Ann Adkison of Douglas, Donna Jean Berg of Okotoks, Alberta, Canada, and Ollie Edwin Wells of Thornton, Colo.; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Leona; brothers Wayne and Gerald; sister Eunice; and great-grandson Caleb Adkison.
Eric Christopher Routon
Eric Christopher Routon, 29, died Dec. 8, 2001. From age 9 until his death, he lived at the Southern Oklahoma Resource Center in Pauls Valley, Okla.
Eric was a special child who charmed people with his laugh and the gleam in his eyes. He will be greatly missed by his family and those who knew him.
Eric is survived by his father, George Routon of Broken Arrow, Okla.; mother and stepfather Robbie and Ernest Orrell of Glenrock; brother and sister-in-law Wayde and Helen Routon and their sons Bryan, Mike and Mark of Redmond, Wash.; sister and brother-in-law Pamela and Jeff Hamar of Castle Rock, Colo.; and grandmother Thelma Wilkinson of Oklahoma City, Okla.
Eric was also blessed with a host of loving aunts, uncles, nephews, cousins and their families.
The family is grateful to those at the Pauls Valley Center who chose to be close to Eric. Your love and caring will always be remembered. Our love and thanks also go to all the giving volunteers who worked with Eric as a child. Your tireless efforts have special meaning to us. As a family, we feel that Eric touched in return all who reached out to touch him.
Funeral services were held Dec. 13 in the Guardian Midtown Chapel, with burial in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.
Donations to the Cerebral Palsy Institute, 2200 S. Jasmine Street, Denver 80222, would be greatly appreciated by the family.
