Cloudy, 40° F
(Nov. 24, 1933 - April 20, 2011)
Charles “Charlie” Richard Scheeler died Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at North Big Horn Hospital after a long illness.
Born Nov. 24, 1933 at Kane, Wyo., he was the son of George Scheeler and Marie Schneider. He was the middle son of three, with brothers Robert born in 1928 and Herb in 1937.
Charlie attended school in Kane through the fourth-grade, and then finished his education at Lovell, graduating from Lovell High School in 1952. After graduating, he married Donna Harvey and one son, Glenn D. was born in May, 1953. This marriage ended in divorce shortly after. He joined the National Guard and served in active duty in Korea from Nov. 20, 1956 to Oct. 16, 1958. He returned home after being honorably discharged as Private First Class.
While working in Belfry, Mont., he met and married Clara Zo Bailey. To this union, four children were born. Steven J. in August of 1962, Debra L. in June, 1964, Todd R. in June of 1970 and Toreasa Z. in March of 1974. Charlie and Zo divorced in February 1976.
Moving to a house near Sand Draw on U.S. 14-A E, he lived there until 1980, and then moved to Byron, where he lived until his death. While living in Byron, he met Alice Langdon in 1988 and they became friends and later companions. This relationship lasted 19 years, until Alice’s death in November 2008.
With declining health, he wasn’t able to get out to do the thing he loved the most – farming. But with the help of many compassionate caregivers, he was able to spend many hours riding in the car, checking out all the fields in the area.
Although he did work at Great Western Sugar during the fall and winter for about 15 years and fed cows for Bischoff’s, his passion was to be self-employed. Because of this passion, C.R. Scheeler Enterprises was born. He worked many long hot days in the summer doing custom haying and later, all aspects of farming were added.
He was a longtime member of VFW, Elks, Eagles, American Legion and Lion’s Club.
Charlie was preceded in death by his father, George and daughter, Toreasa. The family assumes his brother Robert also precedes him. Robert disappeared in 1959, while serving in the military.
He is survived by his mother, Marie, age 102, brother Herb (Wilma) of Lovell; children Glenn (Coleen) of Cowley, Steve (Meadow) of Byron, Debra (Brent) of Soldotna, Alaska, and Todd (Julie) of Lovell; 15 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren with number 17 expected in July.
Viewing and visitation will be Thursday, April 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Haskell Funeral Home in Lovell. Services will be held Friday, April 29 at 1 p.m. at the Cowley LDS Church, with burial in the Lovell Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to the Byron Lion’s Club or any of the organizations that Charlie was a member. Haskell Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
