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Phillip H. Barnhart
Phillip H. Barnhart, 87, died March 22, 2002.
He was born Nov. 8, 1914, in Greybull, the son of Frank and Minnie Barnhart.
He went to school in Shell and Greybull. In 1937 the family moved to the South Fork area to farm and ranch. There was no electricity so Phil built a wind generator to run his amateur radio equipment, which was his life-long passion.
On June 14, 1941, he married
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Winifred Thayer. They were to spend three years in Alaska with Alaska Communications Systems, but World War II started before Winnie got to Alaska. He spent the war years there while Winnie was in Seattle, Wash. They came back to Cody in 1945.
In fall 1946 he was asked to be chief engineer and build the first radio station in Cody. KODI was born in spring 1947. Chief engineer meant being the "engineer, disk jockey, newscaster and janitor."
He worked there until 1961 when he went to work for Cody Cable TV.
In the 1950s he helped install gear to bring television via antenna from Billings, thereby bringing more of the outside world to Cody. While with the cable TV firm, he helped install mountaintop microwave dishes that brought television from Salt Lake City.
In 1978 he went back to the technical side of electronics, working as a repairman in a Motorola two-way radio shop where he was happier.
He retired in 1996 at age 82.
He was instrumental in starting the first amateur radio club in the area and remained active in it and on the "air waves" until the end. "Over and out. W7PT."
Survivors include Winnie, his wife of 60 years, daughter Judy (Del) Allsop and granddaughter Cassie Allsop, all of Idaho Falls, Idaho, daughter Betty (Wil) Zehr of North Plains, Ore., and sister Sarah Shotts of Powell.
He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Lela Capron.
Memorial services were March 27.
Milford F. Hanson
Milford F. Hanson, 83, died at his Cody home March 25, 2002, after a courageous fight against cancer.
He was born Sept. 19, 1919, in Bison, S.D., to Charles and Hilma Hanson.
At a young age he and his family moved to Spearfish, S.D., where he lived until 1948. He attended school there and learned the bakery trade to put himself through college at Black Hills Teacher's College, which he attended for three years before enlisting in the Navy.
Mr. Hanson was assigned to Pearl Harbor after boot camp. There, he taught a "cooks and bakers" school for two years. He then served on the USS White Marsh and the USS Gosper and saw action at Kerama Bay in Okinawa.
Following his discharge he returned to Spearfish and worked in the bakery.
In 1946 he married
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Imogene Bundy. They had two sons
, Milford Jr. "Butch" and Michael. In 1957 he moved to Cody and opened a bakery which he operated until the early 1970s. He later worked for the Cody School District as the food service supervisor until his 1991 retirement.
Mr. Hanson became interested in archaeology in the late 1950s. This led him to an association with the Wyoming Archaeological Society and University of Wyoming. He served as state treasurer of the organization for many years and was one of the founding members of the Wyoming Archaeological Foundation and served as its treasurer.
The highlight of this interest was the discovery of a Folsom Site (10,700 years old) named the Hanson Site, a trip to France and Spain to tour the caves, and mastering the craft of artifact casting so others could learn about artifacts.
He was a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge, a member of the Kalif Shrine, lifetime member of the Wyoming Archaeological Society and VFW.
Mr. Hanson is survived by his wife Imogene, sons Milford Jr. "Butch" (Josephine) of Powell and Michael (Rebecca) of Cody, grandchildren Wesley (Kylie) Hanson of Cody, Kate May and Bear May, both of Powell, Shad May of Casper, Julie Baker of Riverton, Brad (Dayna) Hanson and Daren Hanson, both of Sumner, Wash., Casey Hanson of North Dakota, great-grandson Austin Hanson of Sumner, sisters Ardis Klundt of Meadville, Pa., Carol Johnson of Spearfish, brother Clarence Hanson of Spearfish and many nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters-in-law.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Charles Jr. and Lester Hanson and sisters Pearl and Mardie.
He will be sorely missed by his family and many friends. Memorials can be made to the Shriner's Hospital, Spirit Mountain Hospice of Cody or the Wyoming Archeological Society.
Cremation has taken place and memorial services will be 2 p.m. April 4 at the Presbyterian Church.
Thelma Curry Boyd
Thelma Curry Boyd, 80, died Jan. 31, 2002, at the Villages of Wilkes Skilled Care.
Thelma was born Nov. 28, 1921, in Wilkes County, N.C., to Bryant and Vesta Segraves Mathis. She was a member of Brier Creek Baptist Church.
She is survived by her brother Roy Mathis of Roaring River, N.C., daughters Lydia (Vernon) Tilley of Roaring River, Juanita (Oscar) McNew of Peru, Ind., Elaine (Bob) Silva of Cody, sons Gilbert (Paula) Curry of Cody, Bryant (Goldie) Curry of Roaring River, Dwight (Sandra) Curry of Asheboro, N.C., 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband George Curry.
Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Brier Creek Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Nancy Mickel, 348 Bullard Blvd., Ronda, N.C., 28670.
Carmen Julia Witter
Carmen Julia Witter, 91, died Jan. 25, 2002, at West Park Long Term Care Center.
She had been a resident of Cody since 1952.
Carmen was born Nov. 14, 1910, to Robert Joseph and Ethel Julia Stockton Crocker in Ozark, Ark. Her father was a court clerk and, with her older brother Robert and younger sisters Krystal and Kara, the family moved frequently from Alamogordo, N.M., to Washington, D.C. Her father later had a law practice in Fayetteville, Ark.
Carmen's high school education was completed in Maplewood, Miss., by which time she had decided on a career as a journalist rather than a concert pianist. In the interim, however, she took a job as a horseback riding instructor at a college summer school in Colorado where she met Robert Vern Witter, who was to become her husband.
Carmen obtained a position on a St. Louis newspaper
but on Oct. 4, 1934, was married
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and went to Boston, Mass. Her husband Bob had obtained a job as a technician in the Harvard Vertebrate Paleontology Department. This meant participating in summer field trips to the badlands of Texas and New Mexico to collect fossil bones and then back to the Bostonian literary life, both of which she loved.
Her first son Daniel was born in Boston in 1940. The war years were spent in Dallas, Texas, where Bob was employed in an airplane factory and her second son, Richard Stockton was born in 1944.
She and her family then moved to New York City for one year while Bob worked at the American Museum of Natural History and then to Princeton where he was again employed as a paleotological technician for the Geology Department and she began doing feature stories for newspapers. In addition to writing the stories, Carmen learned to take photographs to go with them. Once again she participated with great pleasure in the literary life of a university town including directing a children's theatre group.
After field work in Cody in 1952 the family stayed on and Bob changed careers to become a chemist for the Husky Oil Refinery. Carmen continued with her interests and wide reading in literature, drama, psychology and anthropology. She was active in the Cody Play-Reader's group and enjoyed friends coming around for regular music evenings in which she played the piano.
She continued with her photography, taking classes in Powell and doing her own black and white darkroom work. Her sports photographs were published in the Enterprise. In later years a stroke greatly impaired her speech and curtailed these activities.
Carmen is survived and remembered with great love by her husband Bob, son Dan, daughters-in-law Alison and Tani, grandchildren Ben, Georgina, Clara, Abby and Julia and great-grandchildren Claire and Hendrik.
She was preceded in death by son Dick in 1983.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, at Ballard Funeral Home. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery.
Blanche I. Kellersman
Blanche I. Kellersman, 80, died Jan. 2, 2002, at Powell Nursing Home.
She was born June 17, 1921, to Harry H. and Myrtle Gayle Blanche Smith Capron in Daniel.
Blanche married
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John Albert Kellersman on Dec. 18, 1945, in Billings. During their 56 years of marriage she helped her husband in their janitorial business, starting in Cody, moving to Casper and then to Powell 10 years ago. They also served as caretakers of Riverside Cemetery in Cody for five years.
She loved being a wife mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She enjoyed her flower garden.
She is survived by husband John, sisters Ella Quick, Betty Stout and Shirley (Dennis) Barbaug, all of Cody, son John (Kathy) Kellersman of Tucson, Ariz., daughter JoAnne (Todd) Evans of Powell, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her parents, and brothers Joe, Bill, Hap and Ken.
Visitation will be noon-1:30 p.m. and funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Patrick Montgomery officiating. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery.
Nelle Viola Coley
Nelle Viola Coley, 85, died Feb. 6, 2002, at St. Vincent Hospital in Billings. She was a mother, mentor and friend.
Nelle was born Nov. 21, 1916, in Bartlesville, Okla., and attended schools in Oklahoma and Texas.
She married
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Ralph Hilton in 1937 in Bartlesville. They later moved to Enid, Okla., where their son Ralph was born. During World War II, the family moved to Albany, Calif., where their second son Ron was born. They then moved in the early 1950s to Powell where their third son Rex was born.
Nelle was preceded in death by her first husband Ralph in 1964 and her second husband Mike Coley in 1993. She continued to live in the Powell/Cody area where she married
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Mike in 1968. They owned and operated the Irma Hotel until their 1971 retirement. The couple kept a cabin on the North Fork and owned a condominium in Arizona.
In 1984 they retired to Powell where she was a member of the Methodist Church.
Nelle is survived by her sons, nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Private graveside services will be conducted.
Andrew Ralph Wantulok
Andrew Ralph Wantulok, 40, died Feb. 11, 2002, in Roseau, Minn., as a result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident.
He was born June 19, 1961, in Cody, the son of Harry J. and Bonney J. Branam Wantulok, Sr.
Andy graduated from Cody High School and later attended airplane mechanic school.
For the past 18 months, he was employed by America West Airlines in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, as an airline inspector.
He enjoyed woodworking, riding horses, backpacking, golf and fishing, especially ice fishing. He loved the outdoors and playing jokes on people. He loved his job with America West and the Canadian people. Andy loved his family and friends and enjoyed cooking for them.
He is survived by his parents Harry and Bonney of Cody, brothers Lee Wantulok of Riverside, Calif., and John Wantulok of Boise, Idaho, sister Candy (Mark) Farwell of Powell, several aunts, uncles and cousins and a special friend, Marcia Robb of Dauphin, Manitoba.
Visitation was Monday at Ballard Funeral Home. Funeral was Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Pat Montgomery officiating. Interment followed in Riverside Cemetery.
Ruth Sidwell Legg
Ruth Sidwell Legg, 85, died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2002, at North Big Horn Hospital in Lovell.
She was born Sept. 28, 1916, in Rooks, Kan., the daughter of Edward N. and Maysie Johnson Sidwell. She was raised in Rooks and graduated from high school in Codell, Kan.
Ruth attended Barnes Business College in Omaha, Neb., and upon completion moved to Casper and worked at the Army air base. In 1949 she moved to Cody and worked at the Cody Enterprise until 1950 when she moved to Billings to work for the chamber of commerce.
Ruth met Cecil Legg in 1949 in Cody. They married
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in Cody on Aug. 31, 1952. The couple lived in Powell for two years before they built their home on the North Fork in 1954.
In 1955 the couple went to Afghanistan where Ruth was an administrative assistant for Columbia Teachers College and Cecil was hired by the University of Wyoming and loaned to Columbia Teachers College. They returned to Cody in 1958 and began working on the ranch. In 1965 they bought Skytel Ranch which they operated until 1993.
Ruth was one of the organizers of the Cody Newcomers Club. She prided herself in never meeting a stranger. She was also a life member of the Order of Eastern Star and Daughters of the American Revolution, a member of the Methodist Church and a past president of the Methodist Women's Society.
Ruth loved to paint and decorate at the ranch and was a wonderful cook. She loved music and played the piano and organ. She always needed a cat or two around. Always a positive person, Ruth was never one to complain and enjoyed life. She developed Alzheimer's and became a resident of New Horizon Care Center on Sept. 29, 1998.
She is survived by her husband Cecil of Cody, sister Naomi Gaston of Frisco City, Ala., three nieces and three nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Forrest and Faye and sister Norva Hutchins.
Memorial services will be at the Methodist Church at a later date. Cremation has taken place.
Memorial donations in Ruth's memory may be made to New Horizons Care Center in Lovell or the Alzheimer's Association, P. O. Box 851, Casper, 82602.
