Rosella June Fales ~ Jan.
3, 2005
Robert C. Richardson ~
Jan. 3, 2005
Helen E. Wiggam ~ Jan. 8,
2005
Dorothy E. Balkins ~ Jan.
9, 2005
Dorine Blank ~ Jan. 9, 2005
Judith L. Rockhold ~ Jan.
16, 2005
Leo M. Hollcroft ~ Jan.
21, 2005
Lynn Smith ~ Jan. 23, 2005
Gertrude T. Newton ~ Jan.
24, 2005
Robert Kenneth Mackey ~ Jan.
26, 2005
Alicia M. Alaya ~ Jan. 29,
2005
Funeral services will be conducted Monday, Jan. 10 at 11
a.m. at the First United Methodist Church for Rosella June Fales, 87, who died
Monday, Jan. 3 at her home in Powell.
She was born Rosella June Caldwell on June 10, 1917, in Missouri Valley, Iowa,
daughter of Lewis Ellis Caldwell and Mary Adalena (Lovelady) Caldwell.
She attended schools in Greybull and married Carl Meyer on Dec. 11, 1937. They
lived and farmed at Emblem. They had two children, Cora Mae and Shirley Anne,
and raised them until Carl's death on Feb. 5, 1948.
Rosella met Paul Otto Fales in a store at Emblem. They fell in love and were
married Nov. 13, 1948, in Billings, Mont. Paul Otto Fales adopted both children,
Cora Mae and Shirley Anne Meyer, in April of 1952.
They moved to Garland and farmed for many years until Paul retired, moving
into town in June of 1982.
Rosella loved the role of a homemaker, and was fond of cooking and embroidering.
She was secretary of the East End Club at Garland for many years.
Survivors include her daughter, Shirley Anne Fales, of Powell; adbrother, Marcus
(Dorothy) Caldwell of Rancho Palos Verde, Calif.; two grandchildren, Jaylene
Patricia Gossett of Powell and Paul Fales Blakely (Dharlyne); and two great-grandchildren,
Carl Blakely, 6, and Sierra Leigh Blakely, 1 1/2.
She was preceded in death by her husband in May of 1996 and her daughter, Cora
Mae (Fales) Gossett on Aug. 13, 1997.
A special viewing for family and friends is slated from 4 to 5 p.m. Friday,
Jan. 7 at Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home.
Pallbearers at the funeral will be Ray Green, Jack Crumrine, Dick Asher, Ted
Christiansen, Merlin Borcher and Gene Fertig. Honorary pallbearers are Don
Jones, Bill Talbott, Heard Fales, Paul Fales Blakely and Marcus Caldwell.
Burial will be in Crown Hill Cemetery.
Robert Clark (Bob) Richardson, 83, deid Monday, Jan. 3 at
Powell Valley Healthcare in Powell from pneumonia.
He was born in San Diego, Calif., on Feb. 28, 1921, his father's birth date,
to Mary Olive Clark Richardson and Robert Earl Richardson. He grew up in Lovell
and graduated from Lovell High School in 1938.
He attended the University of Wyoming, where in the spring of 1939, he met
his future wife, Evagene (Evy) Davis from Sheridan. They were married in Sheridan
on Sept. 14, 1941.
During World War II, he served as a combat pilot with the Third Attack Group
of the 5th Air Force in New Guinea and the Philippines. While he was overseas,
a daughter, Margaret Dana, was born in Lovell on his 24th birthday.
At the end of the war, he went to work with the family business, The Lovell
Clay Products Company. He lived with his small family in Billings, Mont., where
he re-activated and managed a brick plant that he had helped to build in 1940-41.
A second daughter, Jane Dundas, was born in Billings on Sept. 6, 1946. They
returned to college at Ames, Iowa, in the fall of 1948 to finish school at
Iowa State College (now University); Evy with a B.S., in food and nutrition
(dietetics) and Bob with a B.S in ceramic engineering.
He rejoined Lovell Clay Products, and soon replaced as company president his
father, whose health was failing. Bob held this position from 1951 to 1975,
when the collapse of the market forclay pipe forced the closing of the plant
at Lovell. Upon leaving Lovell Clay, he went to work for engineering and architectural
firms as an inspector and project representative. He was involved in the construction
of public works, including water and sewer systems and various other projects.
He became licensed as a Professional Engineer in Wyoming and Montana in 1980.
He became Town Manager of the Town of Lovell in 1984 and held this position
until he retired two years later. Since retirement, Bob and Evy have wintered
in the Imperial Valley of California at El Centro. They returned to Lovell
each spring and remained residents of Wyoming.
He was a member and past president of the Lovell Chamber of Commerce. He served
for nine years on the Lovell School Board, including one year as chairman.
During this time he was appointed to Gov. Hansen's citizens committee on reorganization
of Wyoming school districts. He was a long-time member of the research committee
of the National Clay Pipe Manufacturers Institute and served on the clay pipe
specifications committee of the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM).
He enjoyed most music and was especially fond of grand opera and the classical
music of the Old Masters. He supported and attended the productions of the
Central City Opera Associationin Colorado, The Metropolitan Opera of New York
City and the Intermountain Opera Association of Bozeman, Mont. His mother gave
him a Hawkeye box camera for his 10th birthday, and he indulged in a life-long
affair with photography as a hobby.
Bob and Evy became avid golf enthusiasts and were members of the Powell Country
Club, the Foster Gulch Golf Association and Barbara Worth Country Club of Holtville,
Calif. After retiring, Bob took up lapidary and the making of silver jewelry
and birding. He even learned to enjoy stopping to read all the historical signs
along the highway. He despised yard work and never was awarded "Yard of
the Week."
Survivors include his wife Evagene of Powell; two daughters, Margaret Richardson
of Powell and Jane Richardson and husband Dennis Hejduk of Las Vegas, Nev.;
grandson Robert L. Martinez and wife Yvotte of Helena, Mont.; one sister, Jeanette
Stewart of Woodburn, Ore.; one great-grandchild, Cassidy Lyn Martinez; and
numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters.
Cremation has taken place, with ashes to be interred in the family plot at
Lovell Cemetery at a later date. At his request, there will be no formal services.
Haskell Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. For those who wish, the
family suggests memorial donations to the Lovell Library, Pryor Mountain Mustang
Center, Caring for Powell Animals or the charity of choice.
Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday at 2 p.m. at
Miratsky-Easton Funeral Chapel in Powell for Helen Wiggam, 91, who died Saturday,
Jan. 8 at the Powell Valley Care Center from complications of a stroke.
Pastor Jesse Sauskojus of First Baptist Church will officiate at services and
burial in Crown Hill Cemetery. Visitation will for one hour before the service
at the funeral home.
She was born Sept. 25, 1913, in Pilot Grove, Ill., daughter of Thomas and Carrie
Glass. The family homesteaded in the Garland area where Helen was raised and
educated. She graduated from Powell High School.
In 1939, she was married in Rawlins to Ira (Pete) Wiggam. Through his employment,
they lived and traveled in California, Afghanistan, Iran, Guam, Morocco and
Alaska. Following his retirement, they returned to Powell. He preceded her
in death in 1978 after 39 years of marriage.
She led an active life and enjoyed many activities, including fishing, campaig,
a good game of cards and a ride anywhere to enjoy the beautiful scenery of
Wyoming. She enjoyed needlework and cooking, and what fun she had telling and
hearing good jokes! No matter how busy she was, Helen was known to always make
time to help her friends and neighbors.
Survivors include many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; her brother,
Merlin Glass; and her sister, Elda Shoemaker.
For those who wish, the family would appreciate memorial contributions to Powell
Valley Hospice, 777 Avenue H, Powell, WY 82435, First Baptist Church, 555 Kattenhorn
Dr., Powell, WY 82435 or a charity of choice.
Dorothy E. Balkins died Jan. 9, 2005, at her home in Boise,
Idaho.
She was 80. "Dottie" was born Feb. 7, 1924, in Portland, Ore., to
Joseph L. and Chloe Evelyn (Lickey) McConaughey. Growing up, she lived in Washington,
Montana and Oklahoma, as her father followed his calling as an official in
the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
She made lifelong friends wherever she lived, even as a child. She graduated
from Platte Valley Academy in Shelton, Neb., and LaSierra College in LaSierra,
Calif. Dottie and Almon J. "Dick" Balkins were married July 4, 1948,
in San Mateo, Calif. They moved to Powell, where Dick was a family practice
doctor, and then to Boulder, Colo., where they lived for more than 30 years.
Recently, the couple moved to Boise.
Dottie's life revolved around her family, her church family and her friends.
She consistently found ways for herself and for others to help someone in need.
She often opened her home to those who needed a warm meal, a place to sleep
or a friendly conversation. Dottie took pleasure in quilting and in camping.
Her volunteer activities included teaching health education to high school
students and community groups. She and Dick loved to travel by motor home to
visit friends and internationally to work in clinics and refugee camps. She
was an active member of the Garden Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church.
She is survived by her husband, Dick; sister, Mary Jane McConaughey of Boise;
daughter, Chloe (Norman) Clark of Zimbabwe, Africa; two sons, Jim (Judy) Balkins
of Boise, and Glenn (Jeenie) Balkins and of Corvallis, Ore.; niece, Susan McConaughey
and Keith James of Casper; and four grandchildren, Cora and Colin Clark of
Walla Walla, Wash., and Emily and Amy Balkins of Corvallis, Ore.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Joseph L. McConaughey.
A memorial service will be held at Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel on Saturday,
Jan. 15 at 2:30 p.m., with burial to follow at Dry Creek Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Overseas Medical and Health
Education Foundation (OMHEF) c/o Mary Penner, 224 Woodside Road, Brunswick,
ME 04011. OMHEF is a tax-exempt foundation that supports an orphanage in Harare,
Zimbabwe.
Services are pending for Dorine Blank, who died Jan. 9, 2005,
in Lovell of natural causes.
She was 87. She was born April 3, 1917, in Burlington. She married Elmer Blank
and the couple farmed on the Emblem Bench for many years. Survivors include
one son, Neale, of Powell; one daughter, Lana Morris, of Emblem; four grandchildren
and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Elmer.
A native of Powell, Judith L. Rockhold, died Sunday, Jan.
16 in Swanton, Ohio at the age of 58.
She was born in Powell on Aug. 10, 1946, daughter of Robert F. and Thelma Rockhold.
She graduated from Powell High School in 1964 and attended Northwest Community
College.
She lived in Ohio since 1966 where she was a technician for a small glass company.
Survivors include her mother, Thelma, in Ft. Collins, Colo.; and two brothers,
Richard F. Rockhold in Park City, Utah, and Larry Rockhold in Ft. Collins.
She was preceded in death by her father.
No services are planned at this time. Memorial services will be announced sometime
in the spring.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, Jan.
21 at 10 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Buffalo for former
Powell resident, Leo Marion Hollcroft, who died Sunday, Jan. 16 at Amie Holt
Care Center in Buffalo. He was 89.
He was born June 9, 1915, on the family ranch on Powder River in northeast
Johnson County to Samuel and Goldie Hollcroft. He attended country school near
Micekleberry Draw and worked on ranches as a youth.
He entered the U.S. Navy in March of 1937 and spent nine years as a radioman
and was promoted to Radioman lst Class. His assignments were to the Naval Air
Patrol in California and Puerto Rico.
He was also assigned to the naval base in Port of Spain, Trinidad, where he
served two years. He was the radioman on duty in New Hampshire and handled
the original SOS and emergency messages when when the submarine Squalus was
lost. He also served on the USS Chachalaca, a mine sweeper, the USS Drexler,
a destroyer, and the USS Inflict, a destroyer escort.
While serving in the navy, he met and was married to Claire Carroll in Boston,
Mass., on June 25, 1944. After the war, they returned to Wyoming, and he went
to work for Pure Oil and became a tool pusher. He was offered a position in
Texas, which he declined because his heart was in Wyoming.
The family moved to Powell in 1948 where he successfully farmed for 17 years.
They returned to Buffalo and the family ranch on the Powder River in 1967 where
he ranched until his retirement in 1983.
The Hollcroft ranch on Powder River has been in the Hollcroft family for 105
years.
The couple enjoyed many winters in lake Havasu City and Bullhead, Ariz. He
was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus,
the VFW and the American Legion. He was a well-liked, trusted man and a hard
worker his entire life. His family will miss him.
Survivors include his wife Claire of Buffalo; one son, Leo M. Hollcroft, Jr.
of Hawthorne, Nebr.; three daughters, Marilyn Ann Vercimak of Rawlins, Carol
Marie Key and her husband Terry of Missoula, Mont., and Kathleen Anne Hollcroft
of Arvada, who is now on the family ranch; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and a sister.
A Rosary will be recited tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m. at the church. Visitation
will be from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Adams Funeral Home. Burial
will be in Willow Grove Cemetery with military graveside rites.
For those who wish, memorial donations to Amie Holt Care Center in care of
the Adams Funeral Home would be appreciated by the family.
Funeral services for Lynn Maurine Smith, 52, Buffalo, who
died Sunday, Jan. 23 following an heroic fight with cancer, will be conducted
Friday, Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. from the Adams Funeral Home in Buffalo.
She was born May 3, 1952 in Powell to Delbert adn Maurine Bader Hollcroft.
She attendined kindergarten and first grade in Powell while living on a Heart
Mountain farm. The family moved into town where both her parents worked, then
moved to Gillette in 1957. In 1959, the family moved to Buffalo.
She graduated from Johnson County High School in 1970 and was married in 1971
in White Hawk, S.D., to Albert Smith. They made their home in Buffalo where
he worked for Reeves Concrete and she worked at the Mansion House Motel. Lynn
later managed the Indian Campground.
She was a legal assistant to attorney Bill Holland and also owner of her own
ceramic and craft store. She also worked for the Soil Conservation Service
for seven years and for Dianne Urruty's Learning Tree preschool for seven years.
She went to work for Johnson County Family YMCA in 1989 where she worked until
the time of her death. She attended Sheridan College for two years while she
was working in Buffalo.
Her hobbies included crocheting, crafting of any sort, baking, making fudge,
reading, listening to music, daydreaming, travel, people, pansies, her work
and especially spending time with her family.
Survivors include one son, Max Smith of Gillette; one daughter, Heather Kelley
and her husband Bill of Brookings, S.D.; her mother, Maurine Hollcroft; one
brother, Tilden Hollcroft, and his wife, Sue, of Arvada, Colo.; and three grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her father, Delbert Hollcroft; and one infant
daughter, Katie Lynn Smith.
The Rev. Susan DeBree will officiate at services. Visiation at the funeral
home chapel will be from 1 to 9 p.m. Thursday and from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Burial will be in Willow Grove Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to
Johnson County YMCA in care of the Adams Funeral Home.
While visiting her daughter and friends in Woodland, Calif.,
Gertrude (Gert) T. Newton, 81, died unexpectedly and peacefully in her sleep
on Jan. 24, 2005.
A vigil service is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at St. Mary's Catholic
Church in Malta, Mont. Funeral mass will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2 with
burial in Malta Cemetery. Adams Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Gertrude T. Majusiak was born Nov. 14, 1923, in Malta to Peter and Cecelia
Majusiak. She graduated from Malta High School in 1940. She entered the Havre,
Mont., nursing program in the fall of 1940, graduating with her RN degree in
the spring of 1944. On Nov. 4, 1944, she married Leslie (Les) Newton. They
lived and farmed in Glasgow, Saco and Dodson, Mont., before moving to Malta
in 1959. She lived in Malta until August of 2004 when she moved to Powell,
where she resided at the Rocky Mountain Manor.
She had eight children, 22 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren with two
more on the way. She devoted her whole life to being a loving wife, mother
and grandmother. She was a member of the Roman Catholic Church and had a devout
love for God. She will be greatly missed by her family and many friends.
She is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Art (Clarabelle) Newton
of Cheyenne; Pete (Elaine) Newton of Malta, Mont.; and Pat (Alita) Newton of
Havre, Mont.; four daughters and sons-in-law, Char (Gary) Augustin of Woodland,
Calif.; Betty (Dennis) Bennett of Great Falls, Mont.; Lesley (Russ) Boardman
of Frannie; and Marlene (Warren) Sisson of Tualatin, Ore.; and two sisters,
Agnes Sutton of La Mesa, Calif.; and Veronica (Ronnie) West of Eureka, Mont.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Les; daughter, Lucille; grandson,
Rusty; two brothers, Barney and George; and two sisters, Margaret and Mary.
Robert Kenneth Mackey - Jan. 26
Long-time Powell resident Robert (Bob) Mackey, 71, died Wednesday,
Jan. 26 at the Powell Nursing Home.
He was born May 26, 1933, at the oil camp in Dry Creek, Mont., to Kenneth and
Mary Mackey. During his growing up years, Bob and his sister, Joan, and their
parents lived in oil camps at Oregon Basin and Elk Basin.
He was a graduate of Powell High School and then served in the U.S. Army from
1953 to 1955.
He graduated from Carroll College (where he played football) in Helena, Mont.,
with a degree in Business Administration. Bob went to work for the State of
Montana, serving as Deputy State Fire Marshall. He worked for the Fire Marshall's
office until 1968 when he retired for medical reasons.
Survivors include four sons, Mike of Powell, Mark of Reno, Nev., Robert of
Rhonert Park, Calif., and Brian of Napa, Calif.; his sister, Joan Gillett of
Cody; and six grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ken and Mary Mackey.
The family will recall that Bob was generous with what little he had to give
and was known for his great sense of humor.
For those who wish, the family would appreciate memorial donations to the Powell
Nursing Home.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 31 at St. Barbara's
Catholic Church, with burial to follow at Crown Hill Cemetery. Rosary will
be said at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 30 at St. Barbara's.
Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Alicia Martha (Lopez) Ayala, 37, formerly of Powell, died Saturday, Jan. 29 at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Primera, Texas. She was born and raised in Powell, but had lived in Primera, Texas, for the last 20 years. She will be missed very much by her family. She was preceded in death by her husband. Survivors include her three children of Primera, Texas; her parents, Manuel and Irma Lopez of Powell; her brother, Norberto Lopez and his three children of Billings, Mont.; her sisters, Edna (Lopez) Snyder and husband Mark and son of Clark, Maria Lopez and her three children of McMinnville, Ore., and Amanda (Lopez) Godard, her husband Marty and her two children of Eugene, Ore.