DECEMBER 2001
Vicki (Wright) Kylander ~ December 14, 2001
Miriam Shunk ~ December 15, 2001
Charles Lee Burke ~ December 17, 2001
Terry Wade Baker ~ December 18, 2001
Evart Mahlon Johnson ~ December 25, 2001
David Thornburg ~ December 27, 2001
Jessica Marie Kukuchka ~ December 27, 2001
Donald E. Cunningham ~ December 27, 2001
Wayne L. Feusner ~ December 28, 2001
Josephine Horne Revelle ~ December 29, 2001
Vicki (Wright) Kylander ~ December 14
A former Powell resident, Vicki (Wright) Kylander, died Friday, Dec. 14 in the UCI Medical Center at Huntington Beach, Calif., after a long battle with liver disease. She was 52.
Memorial services will be conducted today (Thursday, Dec. 20) in Huntington Beach. Cremation has taken place, and her ashes will be scattered in the Pryor Mountains at a later date.
She was born April 23, 1949, in Powell, daughter of Raymond L. (Cy) Wright and Betty (Webber) Wright. She grew up in Powell and was graduated from Powell High School.
She married Ted Kylander. They were later divorced.
Friends will remember her for her love of life and her warm, contagious smile. She loved the beach and sunsets.
Survivors include two sons, Torry and Trevor Kylander, both of Huntington Beach; her father, Raymond (Cy) Wright and stepmother, Dorothy Wright, of Huntington Beach; five sisters, Kelley Mare and husband Rocco of Arizona, Susan Robertson of Cheyenne, Dorothy Schmidt and Mary Ore, both of Washington, and Susie Pearson and husband Joe of Huntington Beach; and Powell aunts and uncles, Bob and Dolores Webber, Lynn and Lela Elwood and Mary Ellen Coorough.
She was preceded in death by her mother.
Word has been received here of the Dec. 15, 2001, death of Miriam Shunk of Bozeman, Mont., mother of Kelly Burgener of Ralston. She was 79.
She was born May 1, 1922, in Rickreal, Ore. She married William Shunk on Aug. 12, 1972, at Soldier's Chapel, Big Sky, Mont. They spent the early years of their marriage on the Spanish Creek Ranch.
Upon his retirement, they moved to Four Corners and later to Bozeman. She enjoyed needlework, oil painting, and gardening.
Survivors include her husband, Bill, of Bozeman; daughters Judy Wilson of Rocky River, Ohio, and Cynthia Burgener of Beaverton, Ore.; sons Kelly Burgener of Ralston and Lynn Burgener of Bridgeport, Wash.; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Graveside services were Dec. 18 at Meadowview Cemetery, Manhattan, Mont.
Charles Lee Burke ~ December 17
Former Powell resident Charles Lee Burke, 70, died Monday, Dec. 17 at his home near Spokane, Wash., of cancer.
The son of Gail and Grace Burke, he was born July 4, 1931, in Thermopolis. The family moved to the Penrose area in 1936 and then to Oregon, returning to Garland in 1946.
Charles Burke helped out in his father's blacksmith shop at Garland and worked as a farm laborer in the area. He lived at Garland until the mid-1960s when he moved to Great Falls and then Spokane.
Survivors include five sons, Rod Burke in Rock Springs, Bob Burke in Green River, Randy Burke in Powell, and Jason and Shawn Burke in Salt Lake City, Utah; three sisters, Audrey Riehle and Carol Jordan in Powell, Ohio, and Pat Bjornestad in Byron; and numerous grandchildren.
Cremation has taken place, and no services are planned.
Terry Wade Baker ~ December 18
Terry Wade Baker, 45, died of cancer Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2001, in his Powell home.
Memorial services will be conducted Friday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Powell Church of Christ. Time will be set aside for some to share personal remarks during the service. If you want to take part, please contact Johnny Hill at 754-3861.
He was born Sept. 10, 1956, in St. Albans, Vt., the son of Kenneth and Jean Baker. He lived in Richford, Vt., for the first 13 years of his life before the family moved to St. Albans.
There he attended Bellows Free Academy, where he graduated in 1974. He spent one year studying photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N. Y., before transferring to Northeastern University in Boston to study journalism.
He graduated from Northeastern University in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in arts and sciences with a major in journalism. While at Northeastern, he was an award-winning columnist for the college paper. He also worked 15 months at the Littleton (N. H.) Courier through the university's cooperative education program. It was during this time that he developed a broad range of skills and his love for community journalism.
Following graduation, he was named editor of the Hanover (N.H.) Gazette, a weekly newspaper serving several communities. He acted as a one-person news staff for most of the eight months he held the position before the paper folded.
He spent the next 13 years as a reporter and editor at the Littleton Courier where he won awards for column writing from both the New Hampshire Press Association and the New England Press Association. He was recognized by the town government and the school board of Littleton for his fairness and accuracy in reporting.
While in Littleton, he attended the Lancaster Church of Christ where he met Holly Neuhauser. After winning her over with his entertaining cross country skiing follies, they were married on Dec. 18, 1982. Their son, Christopher James, was born on March 19, 1986.
The family moved to Powell in 1994, where he began work as a reporter for The Powell Tribune, eventually being named editor, a position he held at the time of his death. He covered the education beat at The Tribune along with various high school and college sports teams, winning writing awards from the Wyoming Press Association. He received the School Bell Award from the Wyoming Education Association for his coverage of education in 1995-96. He was named Citizen of the Year by the Powell Elks Club 1997-98. He was a member of the Powell Recreation District board of directors from 1997 until November 2001, serving the last year as chairman.
He was an avid golfer, a curse he passed on to his son. He started the annual Parent/Child golf tournament at the Powell Golf Club five years ago. He especially enjoyed hiking with his wife in the mountains surrounding Powell and they never tired of sharing the beauty of Yellowstone National Park together.
He was a member of the Powell Church of Christ, and relied deeply on his faith and the help of his church family to get through this trial.
He leaves his wife Holly; one son, CJ; his parents Kenneth and Jean Baker of Murphy, N.C.; a sister, Melody Baker of Cambridge, Mass.; aunts and uncles; and several cousins.
In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to the Rod Decker Fund, care of First National Bank & Trust, P.O. Box 907, Powell, Wyo. 82435. Rod, of Powell, has been fighting a long hard battle with leukemia.
Evart Mahlon Johnson ~ December 25
Funeral services for long-time Heart Mountain farmer, Evart Mahlon Johnson, will be conducted Friday, Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. at the Union Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Johnson, 93, died on Christmas Day, Tuesday, Dec. 25 in St. Vincent Hospital in Billings, Mont.
The Rev. David Hunter will officiate at services and burial in Crown Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Johnson was born Dec. 20, 1908, in Jamestown, N.D., son of Ernest Dennison Johnson and Adeline (Wiese) Johnson. He lived in North Dakota, Iowa, Washington, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
He married Edith (Betty) Sowards in Cody on Oct. 9, 1943. He worked in many occupations, including logging and mining and as a mule skinner and mechanic, before he began farming on the Powell Flat for many years. After retiring from farming, he worked at the Homesteaders Museum in Powell for 12 years before settling into full retirement at the age of 84.
During the last two years of his life, he was able to remain at home with the help of a wonderful team of caregiver-friends, including Ginny Payne, Bill Smith, Marianne and Del Karmann, Evelyn Blasdell, Louise Ferguson, Veronica Spiering, Jane Faulkner and Connie Gilbert.
He was affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. He enjoyed spending time with family, traveling (including a trip to Australia), gardening and western subjects in general. Among close friends, he was known for his sense of humor.
Survivors include a son, Michael Johnson and wife Leslie Fung and grandson, Ethan Johnson, of Winnetka, Ill.; two daughters, Janice Swartz and husband Rexford Swartz of Tacoma, Wash., and Marilyn Johnson of Aurora, Colo.; two brothers, Louis Johnson and wife Hazel of Eugene, Ore., and Eugene Johnson and wife Barbara of Coolidge, Ariz.; a sister, Helen Murphy and husband Andy of Bellevue, Wash.; a sister-in-law, Lil Sowards of Pierre, S.D.; and many nieces and nephews, including Dugan of Ralston and Trish Sowards of Tacoma, Wash., and their families.
He was preceded in death by his wife Betty; brothers Dennison and Vern; and sisters Ellen, Myrtle and Ema.
For those who wish, the family would appreciate memorial contributions to the Powell Medical Foundation, 777 Avenue H, Powell, WY 82435.
Visitation will be from noon until 1:30 p.m. Friday at Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home.
Donald E. Cunningham ~ December 27
Funeral services were held Wednesday at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Meeteetse for Donald E. Cunningham, 71, who died Thursday, Dec. 27 at the West Park Hospital in Cody after an ongoing illness.
Private burial followed at the Meeteetse Cemetery.
He was born to Earnest and Lula Cunningham on Dec. 29, 1929, in Salida, Colo. He was raised in Gunnison, Colo., and in 1952, married Frankie June Clark.
He was active in everything he did, including the armed services.
Mr. Cunningham ranched all his life, and in 1984, moved to Meeteetse to work for the Pitchfork Ranch until his retirement in 1998.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Jolene Longwell of Powell and Sheila Whitlock of Gillette; four grandsons and three great-grandchildren.
Jessica Marie Kukuchka ~ December 27
Funeral services are scheduled Saturday, Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. at Ballard Funeral Home in Cody for 5-month-old Jessica Marie Kukuchka, who died Thursday, Dec. 27 at her home in Powell.
She was the daughter of Albert and Sara Powers Kukuchka of Powell. She was born July 12, 2001, in Billings, Mont.
Survivors include her parents; two brothers, Kenyon R. and Matthew J. Kukuchka; a sister, Crystal D. Kukuchka; her maternal grandparents, Marie Burton of Joliet, Mont., and Jim Powers of Sheridan; her paternal grandparents, Albert Sr. and Judy Kukuchka of Powell; and Deloris Kukuchka of Sheridan; her maternal great-grandmother, Gladys Ervin of Florida, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
For those who wish, the family suggests memorials to the Jessica Kukuchka Fund, in care of Tony Helm, 601 East Paramalee #11, Buffalo, WY 82834.
The family asks those attending the funeral to wear bright-colored clothing.
Memorial services for David Thornburg, former Powell resident, will be held Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 10 a.m. at Canyon Hills Manor in Thermopolis.
Mr. Thornburg, 87, died Thursday, Dec. 27 at Canyon Hills Manor where he had been a resident since 1973.
He was born Dec. 7, 1914, in Powell, son of Arlie and Esther Thornburg.
He particularly enjoyed the activity program at Canyon Hills.
Survivors include cousins in Oklahoma and Oregon. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Cremation has taken place. Burial will be in Crown Hill Cemetery, Powell.
Wayne L. Feusner ~ December 28
Funeral services were conducted Wednesday at Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home for Wayne L. Feusner, retired Powell dairyman, who died Friday, Dec. 28 at the Powell Nursing Home. He was 89.
Mr. Feusner was born Jan. 18, 1912, in Huntley, Neb. He was the second of seven children born to Roy and Lillian (McConnell) Feusner. The family moved to the Emblem Bench area in 1933 where they farmed for several years.
On April 5, 1939, he married Freda Niday in Nebraska City, Neb. The couple immediately returned to Basin, where his parents had moved from Emblem, to work with the Feusner family-owned dairy processing business.
The dairy processing had begun as a home operation on the Emblem Bench farm in 1935 to supplement family income during hard economic times. After moving from Emblem Bench, the Feusner family decided to expand their dairy operation into what later became known as Cream of the Valley Dairies.
When the dairy business experienced large growth, Wayne and Freda Feusner and their family moved to Powell in 1948 to establish the central milk processing plant and corporate headquarters. Their dairy products received many quality awards and were marketed from Powell to Lander and southern Montana.
In 1972, the family-owned business was expanded into plastic blow-molded beverage container manufacturing, with manufacturing plants in Powell, Billings and Denver, Colo. Cream of the Valley industries thrived for over 40 years as a family-owned business, serving the entire Big Horn Basin and southern Montana until February, 1983, when Wayne and the family retired, and the business was sold. The beverage container manufacturing plant in Denver was sold in 1985.
Mr. Feusner was mechanically inclined and enjoyed building two complete miniature steam locomotives during his retirement years. His compassionate love of his family made him an exemplary role model for his children and grandchildren. He enjoyed the beauty and serenity of the mountains, and he made every attempt to be near them during his life.
Survivors include his wife of 62 yeas, Freda; two sons, LeRoy Feusner and wife Lynnette of Cheyenne, and Joe Feusner and wife JoAnn of Las Vegas, Nev.; a sister, Wilma Flyr of Las Vegas; four grandchildren, Kristi of Cheyenne, Katreena of Huntsville, Ala., and Jonathan and Janell of Las Vegas; and one great-grandchild, Timothy of Huntsville, Ala.; and several nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Lillian Feusner of Basin; two sisters, Grace Feusner of Craig, Colo., and Ellen Rice of Alliance, Ohio; and three brothers, Dale Feuser of Billings and Carroll and Lloyd Feusner of Basin.
Burial was in Crown Hill Cemetery, Powell.
Josephine Horne Revelle ~ December 29
Former Powell resident, Josephine Horne Revelle, 78, died Saturday, Dec. 29 in Lewiston, Idaho.
She had been a resident of the Lewiston Rehab and Care Center for the past six months.
She was born Dec. 4, 1923, in Mountain City, Tenn., the oldest of 13 children of Joe G. Norris and Ila Thelma (Reece) Norris. On Dec. 19, 1940, she married Lewis Harvey (Shorty) Horne in Mountain City.
They moved west, and her husband worked in the oil fields in various locations until they eventually settled in Powell. Born to them were two daughters, Ila Jane Barnes of Clarkston, Wash., and Jo Ann Cheatham of Powell. Lewis passed away in March of 1971.
Josephine then married Frank Carlus (Tiny) Revelle on March 15, 1975, in Riverton. In 1978, they moved to Billings, Mont., where they both enjoyed doing needlework and having their grandchildren visit. Tiny died Dec. 12, 1985, leaving Josephine to care for Lewis's sister, Avis, who was ill and living with them at the time. After her sister-in-law's death, Joesphine moved to Clarkston, Wash., to be near her oldest daughter, Jane.
Survivors include her two daughters and their six children: Steven Lewis Barnes of Lewiston, Idaho, Michelle Ann Barnes of Clarkston, Wash., Brian Lewis Cheatham of Gillette, Jamie Lynn Cheatham of Downers Grove, Ill., Kathy Lee Sherman and husband Brock of Laramie, and Kelly Carlus Cheatham of Powell; and Tiny's grandchildren whom she thought of as her own: Julie Baker of Riverton, Katie May of Powell, Shad May of Casper and Gerald (Bear) May of Powell.
She was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, and two brothers in Tennessee. At her request, no funeral services will be held. Private family graveside services will be held at a future date.