Living to 100 is an amazing accomplishment. Lately, here in Wyoming, though, we have lost several of our oldsters, including the state’s oldest, Edna Scott, who died at 109.
I am curious who is the oldest living person in Wyoming.
Edna spent most of her Wyoming years in Powell before living out the rest of her life in Worland near her great-great-great niece. Wow.
Powell publisher Dave Bonner recalls how much Edna and her husband loved to go rock-hunting with Bonner’s parents.
As Edna once said about her secret: “Just live a good life.”
World War II Navigator
William Charles Guenther, 103, recently died in Laramie.
He loved to hike and probably walked thousands of miles. Perhaps he was clearing his head from serving as a navigator on 35 bombing missions over Europe in World War II. His amazing long life must have seemed a miracle to him after surviving all those missions. The life span of crews on those B-17 bombers was extremely short.
He was a distinguished professor at University of Wyoming for 33 years and, ever the perfectionist (his specialty was statistics), he wrote his own obituary, which included the following:
In 1943, he received his BA in absentia. After the war he completed his master’s degree in 1946 (University of Iowa) and received his PhD in 1952 (University of Washington).
In 1955, he married Norma Berry of Riverside, California. William was invited to join the faculty at the University of Wyoming (which he would tell you was very good fortune due to a series of reasonable choices and unforeseen lucky breaks).
Before joining the statistics department at the University of Wyoming in 1959, he held positions at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory (Corona, California), Arizona State, and Fresno State. His refereed articles appeared in a number of journals and five of his self-authored text books were published.
Husband Stormed Omaha Beach
Alberta Hando died at the age of 101 in Newcastle. She was the second of 12 kids and attended the original Elk Mountain School.
Her husband Joe fought in World War II and was part of the Omaha Beach invasion on D Day.
After the war, Joe worked the oilfields of Wyoming and they lived all over the state.
Dorothy Wrote Memoir
Dorothy Reiter Miller Bourbon of Casper died at 100.
She had an interesting and active life, which she wrote about in her memoir at the age of 86. In her memoir, she wrote when she moved to Casper, she found work as a bookkeeper at Montgomery Ward. Stan Miller and Dorothy married in 1947 and welcomed three children.
While her children were babies, Dorothy designed and patented a diaper and diaper holder that was sold around America. Dorothy also designed and started to get a patent for her Inventors Congress award-winning “Save-a-Drape.”
She grew up in Lincoln, NE where she worked at the Gooch’s Macaroni Factory. She was also a prize-winning artist and an excellent quilter.
She Enjoyed A Drink At Goose’s
Roxie E. Shepperd, 100, of Worland recently died. In her obituary it was reported that Roxie taught Physical Education at Worland Middle School for 26 years, inspiring countless students both in the classroom and through coaching volleyball, swimming, and tennis.
Outside of work, Roxie embraced life to the fullest. She was a fixture at the golf course and country club, and she enjoyed good company and a cold drink at Goose’s.
She loved traveling with her best friends and was fortunate to see many parts of the world. With a lucky streak, she also enjoyed many trips to the casino. When seeking peace and quiet, Roxie found it in her beloved cabin in the Big Horn Mountains, where the fresh mountain air and tranquil setting became her sanctuary.
Spike Donated His Body
Everett Wesley “Spike” Spackman, 100, of Laramie, Wyoming passed away peacefully Sept. 8.
He was the State Entomologist for years and was a true Wyoming expert on all things concerning bugs.
His obituary said Everett valued his role as a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He found joy in woodworking, yard work, cheering on Cowboy football and Cowboy/Cowgirl basketball, traveling, and attending his children’s activities. Despite a busy schedule, he never missed a swim meet
In keeping with his generous spirit, Everett donated his body to the Colorado State Anatomical Board for medical research and education.
Two More Old-Timers
In Sheridan, Evelyn McNabb died at 100.
Throughout her life she loved traveling with her husband Dale and visiting family and friends.
Evelyn was an avid cook and even printed recipe books. She was best known for her German Stew. Evelyn also loved her sweets, baking cookies and Texas sheet cake with the frosting being thicker than the cake.
Bettie Jo Seitz Coles, 101, died in Evanston.
She was proud to be one of the first girl’s staters. Bettie taught school at a one room schoolhouse in Hilliard and was the owner of several businesses in Evanston after selling the Coles ranch in Almy.
She loved to travel and visited many countries. After her husband Bud died, she moved South of Robertson, Wyoming, where she lived with her daughter.
Bettie was an accomplished organist and played at many churches, played for dozens of funerals and weddings.
All Over Wyoming
This column includes centenarians from Powell, Worland, Evanston, Casper, Newcastle, Sheridan, and Laramie. Shows that centenarians come from all across the Cowboy State.
Please read the obituaries in Cowboy State Daily. This column does not do proper justice to these folks.
Bill Sniffin can be reached at Bill@cowboystatedaily.com
