JUNE 2001
Floetta Pinckard Rickman ~ June 5, 2001
Dale Birdsley Sr. ~ June 13, 2001
Zoeralda J. "Zoe" Johnson ~ June 18, 2001
Marie Lucas Wolff ~ June 19, 2001
Bernice (Bea) Jones Steck ~ June 20, 2001
John William Emmett ~ June 25, 2001
Worrel Ray Emmett ~ June 25, 2001
Floetta Pinckard Rickman ~ June 5
Floetta Pinckard Rickman, 91, died Tuesday, June 5 at the Powell Nursing Home.
She was born Sept. 20, 1909, at Penrose in Big Horn County, Wyo., to Robert Lee and Lily Carr Pinckard. A lifelong resident of Wyoming, she attended school in the Penrose and Byron communities. On Dec. 19, 1925, she married Ora Prentice Rickman in Billings, Mont. To this union were born four children.
Survivors include three daughters, Phyllis Risk of Muskegon, Mich., Roberta Johnson and husband Warren of Cody and Elaine English of Martinsburg, West Va.; one son, Marvin Rickman and his wife Audrey of Billings; 13 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and seven great-great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers and four sisters.
Cremation has taken place, and no services are planned at this time. Memorials may sent to a charity or institution of choice.
Funeral services were conducted Saturday at the LDS Church in Cowley for Dale Birdsley Sr., 76, who died Wednesday, June 13 in Lovell after a courageous battle with cancer.
He was born April 21, 1925, in Maxwell, Nebr., to Asa Earl and Alice Ethel Birdsley. He was raised in the Crystal Creek and Kane area near Lovell.
He worked in the Big Horn Mountains in his early years and then entered the U.S. Army in 1943. He fought in World War II with the 137th Infantry Division and was wounded by artillery shrapnel on Nov. 24, 1944, in France. He was discharged on Dec. 4, 1945, receiving the Purple Heart and earning the European Theatre Ribbon with two bronze stars, the World War II Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Theatre Ribbon, Lapel Button and Combat Infantry Badge.
He married Velda Lee Johnson on March 20, 1947, in Red Lodge, Mont. They were blessed with eight children: Gale Wright of Lovell, Sharon Olson (Jeff) of Cowley, Mary Ann Grall (Bill) of Lovell, Dale Birdsley Jr. (Janette) of Riverton, Richard Birdsley of Cheyenne, Connie Boyce (Mel) of Gillette, Roger Birdsley (Becky) of Cowley and Georgia Leichner (Doug) of Powell. He had 33 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren, as well as many nieces and nephews.
He is also survived by three sisters, Alice (Bill) Durham of Cody, Pearl (Bud) Sayers of Washington and Beulah (Harmon) Franks of Worland.
He farmed for a time and later was in construction, from which he retired as a heavy equipment operator.
His favorite pastime was spending time in the mountains he loved and being with his family. Many grandchildren have memories of staying in his trailer while was working away from home.
He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years; his parents; four sisters, three brothers and one granddaughter, Tracy Dale.
Burial was in the Lovell Cemetery next to his wife.
Zoeralda J. "Zoe" Johnson ~ June 18
A memorial service will be conducted today (Thursday) at 10 a.m. at Michelotti, Sawyers & Nordquist funeral parlor in Billings, Mont., for Zoeralda J. "Zoe" Johnson, 73, of Billings, who died Monday morning, June 18 at St. Vincent Hospital in Billings.
She was born in Michell, Neb., on Oct. 15, 1927, to Norval and Maudie (Newell) Labertew. She was raised and educated in Mitchell where she graduated from high school.
Following graduation, she attended Denver Business College before moving to Wheatland. On April 3, 1949, she married G.W. (Bill) Johnson in Wheatland. They lived in Wheatland until 1974 when they moved to Thermopolis. In 1980, they moved to Puyallup, Wash.
She moved to Billings in 1990 where she worked for the Green Thumb Program, Information and Referral for Yellowstone County and as an ombudsman for the Area II Agency on Aging. She loved working with the elderly as a care giver.
In later years, she enjoyed attending the B29 Bomber's Reunion with her brother J.W. in Wheatland. She loved her family and enjoyed her plants and flowers. She also enjoyed attending the Saturday night worship service at Faith Chapel.
Survivors include her children, Jerry Johnson and his wife Sharon of Thermopolis, Jean Trimbo and her husband Bud of Huntley and Jim Johnson and his wife Gayla of Powell; her former husband, Bill Johnson of Powell; her brother, J.W. Labertew and his wife Doris of Wheatland; her niece, Elaine Ellis, and her husband Gene of Thornton, Colo.; eight grandchildren and one great-grandson.
She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Wilma Nelson and Audrey Bayne.
Cremation has taken place. Interment of cremains will be in the Glendo Horseshoe Cemetery in Glendo on Friday, June 22.
Memorials may be sent to the American Cancer Society, 550 N. 31st #103, Billings, MT 59101.
The mother of a Powell man died Tuesday, June 19 at New Horizons Care Center in Lovell at the age of 105.
Marie Lucas Wolff was the mother of Boyce Wolff of rural Powell. She moved to Wyoming in 1998 to live at the New Horizons Care Center.
She was born Dec. 12, 1895, in South Charleston, Ohio, to Rev. and Mrs. John W. Lucas. In her life spanning three centuries, she was among the first group of women to exercise the national right to vote after passage of the 19th Amendment.
She received her education and teaching credential from Spearfish Normal School (now Black Hills State) and later studied at San Diego State. She taught school in western South Dakota until she moved to California, where she taught in many schools throughout the state until her retirement in 1967.
She was a supporter of many religious charities, a champion of education and enjoyed collecting antiques.
In addition to her son in Powell, she is survived by four granddaughters, Marlene Parodi of Sydney, Australia, Karla McAnally of Lincoln, Calif., Kristen Pratt of Rocklin, Calif., and Gretchen Bullock of Roseville, Calif.; eight great-grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Louise Mitchell and Juanita Olmstead.
At her request, her cremated remains will be buried with her parents at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, Calif.
Bernice (Bea) Jones Steck ~ June 20
Funeral services were held June 23 at the Byron LDS Church for former Powell resident Bernice (Bea) Jones Steck, who died June 20 in Lovell at the age of 89.
She was born June 16, 1912, in Byron to Oscar and Estella Jones, the third of nine children. She was raised in Byron and attended schools there.
She married Burdette Erwin (Bud) Steck in Powell, and to this union were born three children: Donald, Nora Lee and Sue. As a family, they lived in Powell, Garland and Ralston. In Ralston, they built her dream home.
She was an active and lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was also a member of Ralston Club and served as president for several years.
When her husband retired, they moved to Palm Desert, Calif., where she became active in golfing. She later moved to Logan, Utah, and worked at Sears for 10 years. Then she retired and moved to Byron.
She loved life and lived it to the fullest. She spent many years cutting hair and giving perms to her family and friends. She also gave many hours service to the residents of the nursing home in Lovell.
Survivors include her three children, Donald Steck of Melboure, Australia, Nora Lee Gotfredson of Pocatello, Idaho, and Sue Abraham of Byron; 20 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; one sister, Zelda, of Cody; and one brother, Calvin, of St. George, Utah.
Burial was in the Byron Cemetery.
Funeral services will be conducted Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Chamberlain Funeral Chapel in Chadron, Nebr., for John William Emmett, 73, who died accidentally early Monday, June 25 in an explosion at the home of his brother in Deaver.
He was visiting from Chadron, Nebr.
He was born to Warren Jones and Nellie Mae (McLemore) Emmett on July 18, 1927, in Lovell. He served with the U.S. Navy.
Survivors include his wife, Carol Mae (Shaw) Emmett of Chadron, Nebr.; a son, John William Emmett Jr. and wife of Aberdeen, S.D.; a daughter, Linda Nitsch and husband of Chadron, Nebr.; four brothers, Ned Carroll Emmett of Tacoma, Wash., Clarence Edward Emmett of Deaver, Charles McLemore Emmett and wife Lois of Glendive, Mont., and Jerry Hugh Emmett and wife Evagene of Shepherd, Mont.; a sister, Elizabeth (Betty) Mae Todd and husband Terry of Cody; and seven grandchildren. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews who loved him dearly.
He was preceded in death by his parents; an unnamed infant brother; and brothers Warren Jones Emmett Jr., Robert Lynn Emmett and Worral Ray Emmett, who was killed in the same accident on June 25.
Burial will be in the Chadron Cemetery.
Funeral services are scheduled today (Thursday) at 2 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cowley 2nd Ward for Worral Ray Emmett, 69, one of two brothers killed in an accidental explosion at his home in Deaver early Monday, June 25.
He was the seventh son born to Warren Jones and Nellie Mae (McLemore) Emmett on Dec. 21, 1931, in Lovell. He served in the U.S. Army.
Mr. Emmett attended college in Montana and completed his degree in chemical petroleum engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.
He married Wanda Sue Brown in Deaver, and they later divorced.
Survivors include his daughters, Phylinda Sue Rapp of Deaver and Colleena Rae Emmett of Laramie; four brothers, Ned Carroll Emmett of Tacoma, Wash., Clarence Edward Emmett of Deaver, Charles McLemore Emmett and wife Lois of Glendive, Mont., and Jerry Hugh Emmett and wife Evagene of Shepherd, Mont.; a sister, Elizabeth (Betty) Mae Todd and husband Terry of Cody; and four grandchildren, Jesse Flynn Dreiling, Raymond Dreiling, Madyson Nichole Dreiling and Rachel Joleen Rapp. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews who loved him dearly.
He was preceded in death by his parents; an unnamed infant brother; brothers Warren Jones Emmett, Jr., Robert Lynn Emmett, and John William Emmett, who was killed in the same accident on June 25.
Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral in the Relief Society Room. The casket will remain closed. Burial will be in the Lovell Cemetery, with arrangements by Miratsky-Easton Funeral Home.
Should friends desire, memorials to the American Red Cross would be appreciated by the family.