Sunday's Obituary: Keith Glenn Walker, 1894-1980

KEITH WALKER DIES AT 85 THURSDAY 

     Keith G. Walker, 85, of 1901 Central Avenue died Thursday at Mountain View Towers.
     Born in Arnold, Neb., on Sept. 30, 1894, Walker had been a Cheyenne resident for 35 years. His prior residence was in Dix, Neb.
     He worked in maintenance of way for the Union Pacific Railroad for 38 years until his retirement in 1959.
     A member of the First United Methodist Church, Walker is survived by his children, Mrs. Leroy (Betty) Strasheim, Cheyenne; Mrs. W.L. (Lee) Wistrom, Kimball, Neb.;  Jennifer Cosgriff, New York City, N.Y.; Violet Walker, Omaha, Neb.; Arthur D. Walker, Cheyenne; Paul Walker, San Lorenzo, Calif.; Wayne Walker, La Crescenta, Calif.; nine grandchildren; nine great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren.
      He was preceded in death by his wife, Mattie, in 1938, a daughter, Dorothy, in 1948, and a son, Ralph, in 1969.  He was also preceded in death by two infant sons.
     Friends who prefer may contribute to the charity of their choice.

This newspaper clipping was found unsourced in the possessions from my aunt Jenifer's estate.  But it is clearly from the Cheyenne, Wyoming paper.

(And yes my aunt Jenifer did spell her name with only one "n" although it appears the only people who know this are the people who knew her.)


Copyright © 2016 by Kevin W. Walker

Gyle "Dean" Haney (May 14, 1946 - December 6, 2014)

Longtime valley resident Gyle "Dean" Haney died December 06, 2014 at his home in Jackson, surrounded by his entire family. He was 68. His family and friends provided the following. 

Dean was born in Emporia, KS to Jefferson Haney and Jeanne Fleming (nee Irwin) on May 14, 1946. As children, he and his four siblings learned to appreciate the art of travel early. 

While his father pursued his own education and then later worked as a school administrator, Dean's family moved from Kansas to Japan, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Michigan and finally to Worland, Wyoming in 1960. There he devoted his energy to basketball, hunting and fishing. After graduating from Worland High School in 1964, Dean traveled extensively throughout the West, Mexico, and Alaska before meeting his wife, Patty Strasheim, in Jackson in 1973. Jackson would remain a base for the rest of his life as he balanced his love for the hills of Wyoming with a passion for the ocean and sailing. 

Dean always sought hard, challenging work as a commercial fisherman, logger, driver, and road construction supervisor. He worked on jobs from the Alaska Pipeline in the 1970's to the Jackson Lake Dam in the mid 80's and the Mystic Seaport Museum in 2002. And between those jobs he worked in every corner of Wyoming building dams, roads and runways. 

He was gifted with a profound intellect and was a voracious reader who was passionate about ideas, books, music, politics, and sports. 

Above all, Dean was immensely proud of and devoted to his family, including his parents, wife Patty, daughter Jessica (born 1980 in Juneau, AK) and son Josh (born 1983 in Ft. Smith, AR). He felt fortunate to have spent his last month enjoying the company of friends and family from Colorado, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Utah, Oregon, and Hawaii. And the highlight of that month one last road trip to his sailboat in CA with Josh, Jessica and her husband, Paul. 

As one lifelong friend put it, "Here's the thing about Dean: He lived life as few people do. A man with not much higher education, he was one of the most intelligent guys I have ever known, truly a Renaissance man in the sense of having a powerful curiosity, an engaging wit and an all consuming passion for life. Oh, yeah, he was also one of the best friends a person could ever have." 

We will miss him. We are glad we knew him. 

He was preceded in death by his father in 1988 and a brother, James Jay in 2000. 

He is survived by his wife Patty, daughter Jessica Haney Wireman (Paul) of Jackson, son Josh of Brooklyn,NY., his mother Jeanne I. Fleming, sisters Carol Carden (Pat) and Mary Kay McCoy, a brother Joe Haney (Elaine) and Sister-in-law Ginger Haney Burnham and numerous nieces, nephews and great nieces and great nephews. 

A small celebration of Dean's life was held on December 13th at the Old Wilson School House. 

A Memorial Fund has been established through Jackson Youth Hockey and charitable donations may be made online in Dean's honor to the Dean Haney Memorial Fund at jyhockey.org. Donations may also be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society online at donate.lls.org or by phone at (888) 557-7177.

This obituary was obtained at the website for the funeral home here: http://www.valleymortuaryjackson.com/fh/print.cfm?type=obituary&o_id=2857141&fh_id=13508

Dean was my first-cousin Patty Strasheim's husband.  Patty's mother Betty Jo was my dad's older sister.

Copyright © 2015 by Kevin W. Walker

Family at the Funeral

Here is a picture of the Walker family relatives in attendance at the funeral for my uncle Ralph Keith Walker (1918-1969), in early March of 1969.

In front is Ralph's daughter, my living cousin.  Behind her, left to right, Arthur D. "Bud" Walker (1916-1985), my living father, the patriarch Keith G. Walker (1894-1980), Ralph's widow Florence "Betty" Walker (nee. Spurrier, 1920-2009),  Beulah "Lee" Wistrom (nee. Walker, 1907-1980), Judith "Judy" Walker (nee. Hawes, 1939-2012), Betty Strasheim (nee. Walker, 1924-2002), and lastly Ralph's youngest brother, my living uncle.

Copyright © 2014 by Kevin W. Walker

Wordless Wednesday: Keith G. Walker Family (Circa 1971)

Pictured (left to right) Arthur "Bud" Walker (1916-1985), Sister Violet Walker (1920-present), Beulah "Lee" Walker Wistrom (1907-1980), Keith G. Walker (1894-1980), Paul Walker (1929-present), Betty Jo Walker Strasheim (1924-2002)  [not pictured: Dorothy Grace Walker Nitzsche 1912-1948; Frances "Jennifer" Walker 1909-1993; Ralph Walker 1918-1969, Wayne Walker 1931-present].

Remember you can always click on the picture to enlarge it.

Copyright © 2011 by Kevin W. Walker

Obituary: LeRoy Strasheim 1922-2011

From the January 20, 2011 issue of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle --

LeRoy Strasheim

1922-2011

LeRoy Strasheim, 88, of Cheyenne passed away Jan. 19 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease.

He was born July 4, 1922, in Kimball, Neb., to John and Katherine Strasheim. He married Betty Jo Walker on Nov. 19, 1943, and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. They owned and operated a liquor store in Kimball before moving to Cheyenne in 1948 to work for Civil Service at WAFB and the VA. He retired from the Wyoming Liquor Commission after 28 years of service.

LeRoy's life was dedicated to his family. He was a loving caregiver to his wife, Betty, during her lengthy illness.

He was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church. LeRoy enjoyed sports, antique cars, woodworking, was an avid Wyoming football fan and pool player. He collected Jim Beam decanters, and in earlier years, enjoyed league bowling. He was an all-state athlete in football and track at Kimball High School.

He is survived by a son, Bob (Kim) Strasheim of Cheyenne; two daughters, Patty (Dean Haney) Strasheim of Jackson, and Nancy (Russ) Nagel of Cheyenne; five grandchildren, Kiphany (David) Hof of Kearney, Neb., Jessica (Paul) Wireman of Jackson, Joshua Haney of Manhattan, N.Y., Devin Strasheim and Maddison Strasheim, both of Springfield, Mo.

Mr. Strasheim was preceded in death by his wife, Betty; his parents; and his siblings, Katherine Hofferber, John Strasheim, Emma Switzer and Alex Strasheim.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church with the Rev. John Christensen officiating. Interment will follow at Cheyenne Memorial Gardens.

Pallbearers will be Russ Nagel, Dean Haney, David Hof, Joshua Haney, Paul Wireman, Jared Melton and Jeremy Payne.

Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, or the Laramie County Seniors Activity Center, Attn: Kim, 2101 Thomes Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001.

Friends may sign the online guestbook for LeRoy at www.wrcfuneral.com

Copyright © 2011 by Kevin W. Walker

Obit: Betty Jo Strasheim, 1924 - 2002

The following obituary is transcribed from the March 15, 2002 edition of the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle --

Betty Jo Strasheim

1924-2002

Betty Jo Strasheim, 77, of Cheyenne died March 12 at 3128 Boxelder Dr. in Cheyenne.  She was born Sept. 30, 1924, in Dix, Neb., and had lived here for 54 years with prior residence in Kimball.  Mrs. Strasheim had retired after 15 years as the secretary at Trinity Lutheran Church.  She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.

Mrs. Strasheim is survived by her husband, (LIVING) of Cheyenne; a son, (LIVING) of Cheyenne; two daughters, (LIVING) of Jackson and (LIVING) of Cheyenne; two brothers, (LIVING) of San Lorenzo, Calif., and (LIVING) of Yorba Linda, Calif.; a sister, (LIVING) of Omaha, Neb.; and five grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Keith and Mattie Walker; two brothers, Ralph K. Walker and Norman Walker; a half-brother, Arthur Walker; and two half-sisters, Beula Mae Wistrom and Jenifer Cosgrif.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Trinity Lutheran Church with the Rev. David Caspersen officiating.  Interment will be in Cheyenne Memorial Gardens.

Friends may contribute to Trinity Lutheran Church or the Alzheimer's Association.

Note: It is "Beulah Lee Wistrom" not "Beula Mae."

Note: The obituary informant forgot Dorothy Grace Nitzsche, who was Betty's half-sister, and died in 1948 decades before any of the other siblings.

Note: It might seem silly for me to replace the names of the living in a published obituary, when that information is readily available from the newspaper itself.  But I am endeavoring to protect the privacy of my living relatives on this blog, and if someone wants that information bad enough they can work to get it.

 Copyright © 2010 by Kevin W. Walker