Mostly Cloudy, 30° F
(Sept. 24, 1951 - May 6, 2012)
Richard Wayne Schrage died Sunday, May 6, 2012, at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. He was 60.
Rick was born Sept. 24, 1951, to John and Elsie Schrage in Powell, the sixth of six children. He grew up on his dad’s farm and took an active interest in farming — serving as state treasurer for Future Farmers of America where he won trophies for livestock judging before graduating from Powell High School in 1970.
Rick married Joni K. Christopherson in December 1974, and raised two children for a few years in Meeteetse, and then in Thermopolis.
Rick drove truck for several years before landing a job with Texaco at its Black Mountain field in 1980, where he worked for nearly 20 years. He went on to become a pumper/tester for EnCana near Parachute, Colo. But he got the most satisfaction from his years as an electrician for JadeCo, despite the occasional singed eyebrow.
Rick is remembered as a born storyteller — always able to recount some event in a very lively and humorous way. He’s also remembered as a very strong willed man. He astonished doctors not only by surviving a major stroke and two heart attacks in quick succession, but also regaining much of his mental and physical capacity.
Rick is survived by his daughter Ami (Randy) Phetteplace of Cheyenne; son Sloan (Cara) Schrage of West Valley City, Utah; his two grandchildren, Sophia and Peyton Schrage; his brothers Bill Schrage of Thermopolis and Jim (Pat) Schrage of Kalispell, Mont.; and his sister Diana Krahenbuhl of Tampa, Fla.
Rick is preceded in death by his parents and his sisters, Helen Gebhart and Shirley Ann Yonts.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, May 11, at Schrader Funeral Home in Cheyenne. Condolences may be made by going on line to www.schraderfuneral.com.
Memorial donations may be made to Cheyenne Animal Shelter.
