All Obituaries

John Roland Venell Jr., 90, passed away in his sleep on October 9, 2019 at the Worland Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center.  John was born December 6, 1928 in St. Paul, Minnesota to John Sr. and Pearl Venell. He was raised in Baker, Montana where he graduated from high school in 1947. His father with family, mother and brother, were transferred to Worland, WY by Montana Dakota Utilities in the fall of 1950. John was drafted into the army in 1950. He served in the 24th infantry...

Isaac Andrew Leyva, 60, died at the Washakie Medical Center on September 30, 2019 surrounded by his loving family. Isaac A. was born on May 1, 1959 in Worland, WY. He was the first born son of Isaac and Josie Leyva. He grew up in Worland and did yard work to save up money for his piano lessons. He started at the early age of 8; working to achieve his ultimate calling of a professional pianist. He graduated from Worland High School in 1977. He married Natalie Alcaraz in 1983. They had two...

               Dee Melin, born Jacquelyn Delores Anderson, died on September 15, 2019 at Worland Healthcare Center.  She was 89.                She was born on November 2, 1929 in Oregon City, Oregon to Myrtle Mae (Grisham) and Chester Elvin Anderson.  She lived in many places growing up as her father was in construction.  She finished...

Rebecca Whittemore Edwards, 65, passed away on Sunday July 21, 2019 in Worland WY from pancreatic cancer. Becky was born in Davenport Iowa on July 22, 1954. She moved to Wyoming in the early 70s then to Texas in the late 70s. She retired from the Department of Justice and moved back to Wyoming in the summer of 2018 to get back to the mountains. She loved going to church and singing. Among a few of her favorite things was enjoying ice cream with her kids and grandkids and watching old...

James Patrick Fassler was born June 15, 1934 in Canon City, Colorado, to Joseph and Frances Konty Fassler, and died July 3, 2019, in Worland, Wyoming.  Jim grew up in a house built by his father and surrounded by his mother’s prodigious garden.  His family taught him to work hard and eat well.  After a stellar athletic career at Holy Cross Abbey in Cañon City, he went on to Regis (Jesuit) College, Denver, where he stumbled into English and Secondary Education, and...

Neil S. Wetherbee passed on June 24, 2019 after a short battle from a heart attack. Neil was born in Ashton, Idaho on June 4, 1925 to Lester and Fern Wetherbee. Neil graduated in 1942 from Powell High School. After graduation Neil joined the Navy and served in the South Pacific in WWII. Upon being discharged Neil began a 34 year career with Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph. Neil’s first job was on a line crew constructing long distance lines across the state of Wyoming....

John Allen Lamb, 65, passed away with his family at his side on May 17, 2019 in Worland. John was a lover of animals, a professor of hard work, and had quite the encyclopedia of mechanics language. He loved his family unconditionally. He showed grace to all with no hesitation. John started his life in Sheridan, Wyoming on December 10, 1953. His family then moved to Gillette, and Casper during his childhood. He ended up in Worland during late grade school where he lived until his passing....

James Neil Wetherbee, 63, of Worland, Wyoming died on May 14, 2019, with the love of his life by his side holding his hand until the very last breath was taken. Jim fought a very long, but short courageous battle of colon cancer.  He was born on February 21, 1956 to Neil and Madelon (Ryan) Wetherbee in Cody, Wyoming. Jim graduated from Cheyenne Central High School in 1974. Jim later became a telephone construction lineman and worked for U.S. West from 1974-1996 and RT Communications...

Ronald Gene Swartzendruber, 82, of Worland died April 7, 2019 in Perry, Utah.  He was born August 20, 1936 in Iowa County, Iowa to Rolla Swartzendruber and Theresa (Hershberger) Swartzendruber.  He was raised in Kalona, Iowa and attended Iowa Mennonite School, graduating with the class of 1955. Ron married Pauline Conrad in 1959.  They later divorced.  Following his first marriage, he lived in Minnesota and attended a lab technician school.  They moved to Wyoming in...

     Roy E Bliss born at home on the farm near Towanda Illinois March 5, 1918 passed away on March 24, 2019 at the age of 101.  Two weeks before he passed, he had renewed his driver’s license for 5 years. Roy attended Illinois State and then a nearby Business College and joined the Army Air Corp in 1941 after a short stint working for a Farm Implement Company as credit manager in Peoria IL. While in the Air Corp Roy excelled at flying.  After flying...