DECEMBER 2003
Martha Nazer ~ December 1, 2003
Richard Ray Purcell ~ December 2, 2003
Virginia Newberry ~ December 3, 2003
Timothy M. Hill ~ December 8, 2003
Anna Louise Kasinger ~ December 10, 2003
Robert F. (Bob) Turgeon ~ December 12, 2003
Robert Dohse ~ December 19, 2003
Nicolasa Valles Robles ~ December 21, 2003
Lucille Hogg ~ December 22, 2003
Arthur R. Cline ~ December 22, 2003
George Keesler ~ December 25, 2003
Martha Nazer, 75, died Monday evening, Dec. 1 at Powell Valley Healthcare Center.
She was born Martha Marie Vogel on Sept. 28, 1928, one of 13 children of Michael and Pauline (Feil) Vogele in Harlem, Mont. She was raised in the Park City, Mont., area.
She worked at various jobs in Montana before marrying John C. (Jack) Nazer of Powell on Sept. 5, 1955, in Red Lodge, Mont. He preceded her in death in May of this year.
Survivors include a daughter, Janet Nazer of Powell; a son, Bert Nazer of Powell; a stepson, Jack D. Nazer of Lovell; three granddaughters, Balea and Brittany Nazer and Serena Stapert of Cody; two sisters, Emma Vogel of Billings, Mont., and Lydia Anthony of Oroville, Calif.; three brothers, Jake, Leonard and Herman Vogel, all of Billings; and several nieces and nephews.
According to her wishes, cremation has taken place, and private family services will be held at a later date.
Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Richard Ray Purcell, 64, died quietly at Powell Hospital Tuesday, Dec. 2 after a seven-month bout with cancer.
He was born April 16, 1939, in Coffeyville, Kans., to Helen Pantier and Raymond Purcell. Helen Pantier moved to Laramie and married James Nelson Besack in 1945, and together they raised their son, Rich.
He attained a high school diploma in 1958 at Casper Natrona High School and married Sharon Walker in 1967.
His passion in life was to fish, restore Oldsmobile cars, hunt elk, bowl and spend time with his children and three grandsons.
Family members treasure the memory of him restoring and painting older model cars in a showcase of his extraordinary talent that was truly inspirational. People who conversed with him and shared "stories" of cars understood that he was a private and kind-hearted man.
His strength and acceptance of his illness were demonstrative of his strong and gracious character.
Survivors include his son, Michael Purchell and his wife Virginia of Rapid City, S.D.; two daughters, Tori Purcell and Teri Miller, both of Rapid City; a brother-in-law, James (Mick) Walker of Powell; and four grandchildren, Tristin Martin, 19, Billings, Mont., Nicholas Purcell, 11, and Davis Purcell, 10, of Rapid City and Lane Miller, 9, of Rapid City.
His parents and wife preceded him in death.
In accordance with his request, he will be cremated and no services are planned. For those who wish, a memorial to the Young American Bowling Alliance may be sent in care of Michael Purcell, 127 East Centennial, Rapid City, SD 57701 and would be greatly appreciated by the family.
A memorial service was held Saturday, Dec. 6 in Hutchinson, Kans., for Virginia (Ginny) Rae Sturgis Newberry, 71, who died Wednesday, Dec. 3 at Hospice House, Hutchinson.
She was born March 7, 1932, in Wichita, Kans., daughter of Lester Eugene and Lois Mae Brown Sturgis. She was a 1950 graduate of Wellington High School. She had been a resident of Hutchinson for 13 years, formerly living near Argonia, Kans., for 39 years.
She married Bennie Allen Newberry on Sept. 2, 1951, in Wellington. He died in May of 1990.
Survivors include two sons, Bradley Eric and Barton Blane Sturgis of Hutchinson; three daughters, Cynthia Ann Childs of Powell, Pamela Sue Petrik of Derby, Kans., and Lisa Marie Graber of Hutchinson; and 10 grandchildren.
Funeral services were conducted Saturday, Dec. 6 at Union Presbyterian Church for lifelong area resident, Merl E. Gimmeson, 82, who died Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the Powell Nursing Home, his home for the past 17 months.
The Rev. David Hunter and the Rev. Bill Hassler officiated at services.
Merl was born Aug. 5, 1921, to Earnest and Bessie (Hallam) Gimmeson at their homestead in Garland. He graduated from Powell High School in 1939.
On Nov. 15, 1941, he married Colette Steck at the home of her parents, Bert and Eva Steck, in Garland. To this union were born five children: Larry Gene, Gary Steck, Carol Marie, Greg Richard and Ray Eldon.
He loved farming and farmed all his life in the Garland community until his health failed him. His son, Ray, now follows in his father's footsteps and runs the farm.
He took a lot of pride in his farming and won the Top Ten sugar beet growers award many times.
During his younger years, he worked at Walrath Bean Mill, the sulfur plant at Elk Basin and the oilfields during the winter months until he started feeding cattle and sheep. In his later years, he enjoyed snow skiing, motorcyling and fourwheeling with his family and friends.
Merl served two teams as Elder of the Presbyterian Church. He was a member of the Eagles Lodge, a charter member of the BPOE Elks Lodge 2303 and a former Mason.
His family is comforted in the knowledge that Merl had a heart of gold. He was always there to help friends and neighbors in their time of need.
Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Colette Gimmeson of Powell; sons Larry and Ray of Powell and Gary of Connell, Wash.; daughter Carol Huff of Orlando, Fla.; 16 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; brother Gene Gimmeson of Casper; and sisters Mary deHaan of Powell and Lucille Crane of Sierra Vista, Ariz.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Greg; two grandchildren, Dusty Gimmeson of Powell and Travis Gimmeson of Connell, Wash.; and two brothers, Willard and Bill of Powell.
For those who wish, memorial contributions may be made to the Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 906, Powell, WY 82435 or to the memorial of donor's choice.
Memorial services and a reception will be held Saturday, Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Worland for Timothy M. Hill, 29, of Worland, who died Monday, Dec. 8 in a truck-train accident between Cheyenne and Laramie.
Pastor Clyde Seifert of Hope Lutheran Church in Powell will officiate.
A reception will follow at the Office Lounge, with the family welcoming friends to gather and celebrate Tim's life.
He was born July 2, 1974, at South Big Horn County Hospital between Basin and Greybull and lived with his family on a ranch near Hyattville. He moved with his family to Powell in 1976 and received his education there, graduating from Powell High School in 1992.
In school, he participated in baseball, little guy wrestling and USS Swimming, but his biggest love was FFA. He completed many projects and won many awards during his FFA career. He was named the Star State Ag-Businessman of the Year in 1992.
During the summers and on weekends while in high school, Tim worked on the ranches of Tom and Bud Shirran, his uncle and grandfather respectively, obtaining an ag driver's license at 14 so he could drive back and forth from Powell to Hyattville. After high school, he leased a ranch near Hyattville for a year.
He went to work farming for Mitch Vigil and farming and driving truck for Martin Mercer of Hyattville. He then went to work for Hi-Ball Trucking of Billings, Mont., as an over-the-road truck driver.
He has worked for McGarvin-Moberly Construction as a transport driver for the past five years.
Tim's interests included golf and toy collecting, particularly John Deere, Caterpillar and semi-truck items. He also liked to talk trucking, and would climb down from his rig after hours on the road and spend hours more telling truck driving stories.
Survivors include the love of his life, Shannon R. Hall, her parents, Don and Joan Hall and a sister, Erica, all of Worland, and an older sister, Jennifer (Brian) Czarniak of Germantown, Md.; his mother, Christine Lawrence, a brother, Charley (Heather), and a sister, Maggy Short, all of Powell; a sister, Heather (Jim) Dye of Stanford, Mont.; a special uncle, Tom Shirran, four nephews, Spencer, Justin, Preston and Connor, and a niece, Shelby. Tim is also survived by his and Shanon's black lab, Ace.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Buster and Marie Hill, and his maternal grandparents, Bud and Margaret Shirran.
Memorials may be made to the Tim Hill Ag Scholarship, in care of American National Bank, P.O. Box 790, Worland, WY 82401.
Atwood Family Funeral Home of Basin is in charge of arrangements.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated today (Tuesday) at 10 a.m. at St. Barbara's Catholic Church in Powell for Anna Louise Kasinger, 87, who died Wednesday, Dec. 10 at Powell Valley Care Center.
Father Pete Johnson will officiate at services and burial in Crown Hill Cemetery.
She was born Oct. 30, 1916, to Otto and Katherine (Ganz) Retzer. She completed a high school education and married Paul Kasinger Nov. 19, 1935.
They moved from Illinois to Powell in 1946 and have lived in Powell ever since. She was a homemaker and a member of Willwood Women's Club for over 50 years.
She was a lifelong gardener and a past superintendent of horticulture exhibits at the Park County Fair. She was recipient of numerous ribbons and awards for her needlework and agronomy entries at the fair over the years.
Survivors include her husband, Paul Kasinger, of Powell; two sons, Donald (Donna) Kasinger of Sheridan, Ore., and Dale (Billie) Kasinger of Powell; a daughter Vicki (Tim) Huxtable of Dublin, Calif.; three brothers, Robert (Ione) Retzer of Kansas City, Mo., Joseph (Annie) Retzer of Jerseyville, Ill., and Gene (Nona) Retzer of Peoria, Ill.; five sisters, Mary (Don) Lonergan of Jacksonville, Ill., Teresa Adams of Paris, Ill., Bert Follis of Illinois, Helena (Harold) Roth of Michael, Ill., and Marty of Herrin, Ill.; six grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Kay; and three brothers, Otto, Jr., Ed and Frank.
For those who wish, memorials to the activities center at Powell Valley Care Center would be appreciated by the family.
Robert F. (Bob) Turgeon- Dec. 12
Robert F. (Bob) Turgeon, 74, Cody died Friday, Dec. 12 at West Park Hospital in Cody.
He was born March 18, 1929, in St. Onge, S.D., son of George and Alice Turgeon. He made his career in building construction.
He was a member of the Cody Elks Lodge where he enjoyed playing gin rummy and cribbage. He was an avid hunter and fisherman.
Survivors include one brother, Fred (Bud) Turgeon of Casper. He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and three sisters.
Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at the Elks at a later date.
Bob Dohse, long-time Cody area resident, died Friday, Dec. 19 at West Park Long Term Care Center in Cody.
He was born in Sioux City, Iowa, on Oct. 25, 1921. As a young man, he lived in Battle Mountain, Nev., and worked at the McCoy Mine. He later joined the U.S. Navy and was a veteran of World War II. He married May R. Kewen, and they had a daughter, Leslie.
He retired as Chief Petty Officer after 20 years of service and moved to Cody, where he met and married Ruth Johnson Cornett and lived on the North Fork at their home "up the river" until the past three years.
He was a cattle rancher at heart, an outfitter and also a successful businessman. In his career, he owned the Irma Hotel, which he worked hard to restore and designate as a Registered National Historic Place. His other ventures included the Green Gables Pancake House, Four Winds Supper Club, Eagle Valley Inn and Wapiti Valley Inn.
He served as an active member and past president of the Cody Chamber of Commerce and the Wyoming Hotel and Motel Association.
Having traveled the world over and being an international wild sheep hunter, he is ranked Number 17 in the world for his Super Slam and other trophy sheep he hunted. He was a member of the VFW, the Masonic Lodge, the Kefar Shrine and a longtime member of Eastern Star.
His greatest loves and enjoyment came from his family, extended family of friends and his cattle.
Survivors include his devoted wife, Ruth; loving daughter Leslie Dohse (Gary Brown); stepsons, Thomas Cornett (Margo) and Michael Cornett (Jill Hensley); his sister, Betty Sue Jennings; and brother, Richard (Bill) Dohse; 11 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews and other family members.
He was preceded in death by his father, Claus Dohse; mother, Clara Parfett; and stepson, David Cornett.
Cremation has taken place. A celebration of his life was held Tuesday, Dec. 23 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Irma Hotel.
Memorial services will take place July 3, 2004, at the Red Pole Ranch (the first place he owned in Wyoming) at 3 p.m. For those who wish, memorial donations to the Kefar Shrine at 2238 Rumsey, Cody, WY 82414 would be appreciated by the family.
Nicolasa Valles Robles - Dec. 21
Nicolasa "Nicky" Valles Robles, 82, of Kenosha, Wisc., died Sunday, Dec. 21, 2003 in Weslaco, Texas after a battle with cancer.
Born in Gallup, N.M., on Dec. 6, 1921, she was the daughter of the late Jose and Marie (Salazar) Valles. She came to Kenosha from Powell, Wyo., in 1954.
She married Domingo Mata Robles on Feb. 26, 1955, in Waukegan, Ill.
She worked as a dietary aide for 16 years at Washington Manor, retiring in 1992.
Survivors include her husband of Kenosha; four sons, James of Weslaco, David of Wauwatosa, Wis., Steven of New Berlin, Wis., and George of Menasha, Wis.; a daughter, Margaret Desarmo of Kenosha; three brothers, Joseph S. Valles, Frank S. Valles, and Jesse Aguirre of Idaho Falls, Idaho; three sisters, Mary V. Grijalva and Rosie V. Bustos of Powell and Elsie A. Napper; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Preceding her in death were two brothers, Mark and Fred Valles.
Arthur R. (Bob) Cline- Dec. 22
Retired postal worker and farmer Arthur R. (Bob) Cline died Monday, Dec. 22 at the Powell Hospital. He was 87.
Mr. Cline had lived at the Beehive Home in Powell for the last five years.
He was born March 1, 1916, in Vernon County, Mo., son of Jesse Cline and Bertha Epperson Cline. He came to Wyoming with his family in 1931.
He was a veteran of World War II, serving with the U.S. Army in North Africa and European theaters. He took part in five different invasions, two in Africa, one in Sicily and two in Italy. He received the Purple Heart when he was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge.
He married Lois E. Maxey in Cody in 1950. She died in 1998.
He was a member of the Presbyterian Church and enjoyed motrocyle trips, boating, hunting and fishing, taxidermy, woodworking and camping.
Survivors include a son, Gordon W. Cline (Sue) of Payson, Ariz.; two daughters, Rhonda Kirkenslager (Rick) of Powell and Kim Sandidge (Bill) of Fallbrook, Calif.; two brothers, Charles (Bud) Cline and wife Lillian of Powell and Cecil Cline of Powell; a sister, Velma Sivey of Quincy, Wash.; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois; his brother, Orville; and son-in-law, Ben Garcia.
Memorial services will be conducted Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 10 a.m. at Union Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. David Hunter officiating.
Honorary pallbearers will be Rob Sandidge, Chris Urbanski, Nick Urbanski, Kelly Diess, Mike Arneson, Brandon Matthies and Dallas Clifton.
For those who wish, memorials to a charity of choice would be appreciated by the family.
Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Meeteetse for Lucille Hogg, 82, who died Monday, Dec. 22 with her family nearby.
She was born March 28, 1921, to John and Emma Peterson and was a lifelong resident of Meeteetse.
In May of 1937, she married Barney Roussan. They had three children together before his death. In 1944, she married Dorsey Coale. They also had three children together before divorcing. On Sept. 23, 1957, she married John R. Hogg. They also had three children together.
At the age of 56, she opened Lucille's Cafe in Meeteetse. She was still running the cafe at the time of her death.
She enjoyed playing cards and embroidery work until her eyesight failed. She was a member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, the Meeteetse Community Club, the American Legion Auxiliary and was a charter member of Meeteetse Cowbelles.
Her favority hobby was her extensive doll collection.
Lucille holds a record of having had children in the Meeteetse schools for 45 consecutive years.
Survivors include her husband John of 46 years; her children: Barney and Connie Roussan, Pete and Sandy Roussan, Bill and Kathy Roussan, Emily Coale, Lynn and Sarah Coale, John L. and Ronee Hogg, Allen and Kriss Hogg and Julie and Mike Sax; 22 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild; cousins Isabell Young, Elizabeth Fornengo and Ruth Pulley and several other cousins, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; four brothers; a sister; and one son, Iver Coale.
The family suggests memorials to the Meeteetse Partners in Education, P.O. Box 218, Meeteetse, WY 82433.
A Powell man, George Keesler, 68, died on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, while visiting in the home of his brother, Richard Keesler, in Cape Coral, Fla. He was born Oct. 23, 1935, in Peekskill, N.Y., and was proud to have been an army veteran. He worked for the Town of Cortlandt, N.Y., for many years as a parks department foreman. He took early retirement to move to Cody in 1981 and worked for the Olive Glenn Country Club for 10 years before retiring.
He was the first skeet director for the Cody Shooting Complex and helped to get the Cody and Powell skeet fields started. He loved to travel the country, shooting competitive skeet with his shooting partner, Don Blaylock, and wife Jackie. He greatly loved his family and friends, skeet shooting, hunting and fishing and the outdoors.
Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Jacqueline Keesler of Powell; daughter Erica (Matt) Walker; grandsons Zared Hall and Tate Walker; brothers Charles, Leonard, Richard, Fredrick and Thomas; sisters Joan, Carol and Barbara; and many nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place, and a celebration of his life will take place at a later date at the Cody Shooting Complex.
Donations in his name may be made to the Hope Hospice, 2430 Diplomat Pkwy, E. Cape Coral, FL 22909; or a hospice of choice.