DRIVING IT HOME Wedemeyer Family Maintains Ranch, Rural Lifestyle for More Than 100 Years
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A1 FEATURING THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE OUR COMMUNITY GREAT! OurFaces DRIVING IT HOME Wedemeyer family maintains ranch, rural lifestyle for more than 100 years The Heritage Issue What’s inside: • Tucker Fagan reflects on 30 years in the Air Force • Mother-daughter pair, Jane Eickbush and Shareen Muldrow, share plans for bloomin’ 37-year-old floral business • Wyoming Bank and Trust marks its centennial year in business and much more! MORE THAN A NEWSPAPER A2 2 a Wyoming Tribune Eagle a Sharon K Eskam, MD David M Lind, MD Gynecologic & Gynecologic & Generations of Excellence, Obstetric Care Obstetric Care Caring For Women. • Routine & High Risk OB COVER • Gynecologic Surgery • Fertility PL Bert Wagner, MD Michael R Nelson, DO Gynecologic Care Gynecologic & SLICK • Birth Control Obstetric Care • Premenstrual Syndrome • State of the Art Ultrasound Imaging • Hormone Replacement Therapy Samantha L Michelena, MD Carlotto A Fisher, MD Gynecologic & Gynecologic & • Menopausal Symptoms Obstetric Care Obstetric Care • Laparoscopic Surgery • Urinary Incontinence • Bone Density Scanning Phyllis A Tarr, CNM Lisa E Meeker, NP-C Gynecologic & Gynecologic & 307.634.5216 Obstetric Care Obstetric Care cheyenneobgyn.com 2301 House Ave • Ste 400 Cheyenne WY 82001 Located next to CRMC Accredited by the American Institute New Patients Welcome! of Ultrasound in Medicine A3 June 2019 a OUR FACES / HERITAGE a 3 FEATURING THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE OUR COMMUNITY GREAT! Sharon K Eskam, MD David M Lind, MD Gynecologic & Gynecologic & GenerationsOur of Excellence,Faces Obstetric Care Obstetric Care INSIDECaring For THIS Women EDITION:. HAPPENINGS • Routine & High Risk OB • Gynecologic Surgery • Fertility PL Bert Wagner, MD Michael R Nelson, DO A century of family at WedemeyerGynecologic Ranch Care . .Gynecologic . 4 & • Birth Control 4 Obstetric Care • Premenstrual Syndrome Tom Annear shares his life’s work while flowing • State of the Art through retirement . 8 Ultrasound Imaging • Hormone Replacement Bouquets Unlimited a mother-daughter partnership . 10 Therapy 12 Samantha L Michelena, MD Carlotto A Fisher, MD • Menopausal Symptoms Gynecologic & Gynecologic & Women’s Club leaves a lasting Obstetriclegacy . Care . Obstetric 12Care • Laparoscopic Surgery • Urinary Incontinence Tucker Fagan’s career in government . 14 • Bone Density Scanning 14 Jeff Wallace builds Wyoming Bank & Trust . 16 Phyllis A Tarr, CNM Lisa E Meeker, NP-C Gynecologic & Gynecologic & 307.634.5216 Obstetric Care Obstetric Care cheyenneobgyn.comEhernberger tracks railroad history . 18 2301 House Ave • Ste 400 Cheyenne WY 82001 Located next to CRMC Accredited by the American Institute New Patients18 Welcome! of Ultrasound in Medicine A4 4 a Wyoming Tribune Eagle a A century of family Wyoming history converges at Wedemeyer Ranch Russ and Karen Wedemeyer pose for a portrait in the hayloft of their barn at the Wedemeyer Gard Schulz Ranch on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. The barn was built in 1912, and Karen’s grandparents had a piano in the loft and used to host dances there. VALERIE MOSLEY/FOR THE WYOMING TRIBUNE EAGLE By Jonna Lorenz Wedemeyer said. “I like the cow/calf operation of about 200 and established the original Karen Wedemeyer remembers outdoors. I like the animals.” Hereford cattle and nearly 8,000 homesteaded 10 miles south of helping her grandfather separate Both sets of Karen Wedemeyer’s acres of dryland pasture. The Chugwater in Laramie County. cream from milk as a child on grandparents homesteaded about couple manages the ranch on Karen Wedemeyer’s maternal their ranch south of Chugwater, two miles from one another in their own, with occasional help grandparents, Peter and Hedwig where her grandfather would Laramie and Platte counties. from their four adult daughters Schulz, immigrated to America exchange cream and eggs for Today, Karen Wedemeyer and – Shelly Van Why, Carrie Gross, from Germany. The Schulzes sugar, flour and other staples. her husband, Russ, both in their Kristy Senn and Cindy Kahl – came to Wyoming in 1912 and The ranch has seen many early 70s, maintain the combined and 11 grandchildren, who take filed a homestead claim at the changes – it no longer has milk ranch that has been in the family part in brandings and other urging of Hedwig’s brother after cows, and the wheat fields the for more than 100 years. projects. living in Hartford, South Dakota. family cultivated for decades have “We love what we do,” Russ The Wedemeyer Gard Schulz The homesteads grew as been turned back to grass for Wedemeyer said. “I’m 73, I’ll be Ranch was established in neighboring homesteaders sold pastures – but the heritage passed 74 years old, but as long as my 1913 after Karen Wedemeyer’s their land or returned it to the down through the generations health holds up, I’m gonna do paternal grandparents, Homer U.S. government. remains strong. what I’m still doing.” W. and Theresa Gard, moved “A lot of people didn’t endure “I love the ranch,” Karen That involves maintaining a to Wyoming from Nebraska and stay,” Karen Wedemeyer said. A5 June 2019 a OUR FACES / HERITAGE a 5 “So, my grandparents picked up dances. The kids would fall asleep, land, a little corner here and a and they’d put us in the back Wedemeyer Gard Schulz Ranch timeline little corner there, to add to their room and just pile coats. When 1877 – Homer Willard Gard is born in Crown Point, Indiana homesteads.” our kids were there, they had 1877 – Peter Schulz is born in Hamburg, Germany The homesteads were Halloween parties. The adults and 1880 – Theresa Massoth is born in Cordova, Nebraska combined in 1946, when Karen kids and everybody would dress 1901 – Peter Schulz immigrates to America, making his way to Wedemeyer’s parents, Francis up. We just had a ball.” Hartford, South Dakota Gard and Hildegard Schulz, were The ranch straddled the 1902 – Peter Schulz marries Hedwig Pensold in Hartford, South married. They raised their two Yellowstone Highway, and Karen Dakota daughters, Karen and Patricia, on Wedemeyer recalls dashing 1906 – Homer Gard marries Theresa Massoth in Geneva, Nebraska the ranch. across the highway as a child 1907 – Homer “Francis” Gard is born History is rich on the from her parents’ house to visit 1908 – Hildegard Schulz is born Wedemeyer Ranch, including the her grandparents in the original 1912 – Peter and Hedwig Schulz move to Wyoming with their Cheyenne-Deadwood stage route, Gard homestead. Now, the daughters, Meta and Hildegard, and file for a homestead claim which ran through the property, Wedemeyers live on the original southeast of Chugwater and later the Yellowstone homestead site, and daughter 1913 – Homer Gard moves to Wyoming to homestead 10 miles Highway before Interstate 25 was Shelly Van Why lives with her south of Chugwater and work as a carpenter, building homes built. The ranch’s large barn has husband, Michael, and three and businesses in Chugwater long been a landmark along the children, ages 4 to 14, in the 1914 – Homer Gard’s wife, Theresa, and children, Francis and route. house where Karen Wedemeyer Regina, join him in Wyoming During the blizzard of 1949, grew up. 1925 – Francis Gard is among the first graduating class of Karen Wedemeyer was an infant, “When I got pregnant with our Chugwater High School and her parents hosted some first child, we just wanted to move 1931 – Hildegard Schulz receives a teaching degree from the travelers who were stranded in back home,” Van Why said. “So, University of Wyoming the storm and also had an infant we went ahead and we bought 1942-45 – Francis Gard serves as a sergeant in the Army during with them. the house here, my grandparents’ World War II “Dad followed the fence line place, and then 40 acres that 1945 – Russ Wedemeyer is born and grows up on a ranch west of along to hold onto something were just right with it so that we Wheatland on the Laramie River so he didn’t get lost to get over could come back home here. 1946 – Francis Gard marries Hildegard Schulz, joining the Schulz to milk the cow for milk for the This was always home. You can and Gard ranches babies,” Karen Wedemeyer said. go a million different places and 1948 – Karen Frances Gard is born, 16 months after her sister, She remembers social visit all over the world, but this is Patricia gatherings at the Grange a few always home.” 1954 – Hedwig Schulz dies miles south of the ranch, and She remembers growing up 1954 – Homer Gard dies Ladies Club meetings hosted at with her three sisters, helping 1958 – Peter Schulz dies people’s homes and organized feed cattle, pick up hay bales, and 1967 – Theresa Gard dies through the Extension Office in learning the value of hard work 1970 – Karen Gard marries Russ Wedemeyer Cheyenne. and integrity. 1972 – Russ and Karen Wedemeyer move back to the Gard Schulz “I remember as a child going to “They’re very independent and ranch, where they raise daughters Shelly, Carrie, Kristy and the Grange,” Karen Wedemeyer very hard working,” Van Why Cindy said. “That’s where our social life said of her parents. 1976 – Rebecca Wedemeyer dies in childhood was. The folks played cards. The Van Why is a teacher like her 2003 – Hildegard Gard dies kids played with each other. … mother and grandmother before 2004 – Francis Gard dies, and Russ and Karen Wedemeyer assume They had a dance hall and a filling her, and her husband runs a ownership of the ranch station there. We’d go there for See Wedemeyer Ranch, 6 6 a Wyoming Tribune Eagle a Karen Wedemeyer plants tomatoes in her garden at the Wedemeyer Gard Schulz Ranch on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Karen's grandparents homesteaded there over 100 years ago, she grew up on the ranch, and she and her husband still live there and operate it.