Monthly Archives: June 2025
My grandpa, George Byer was, above everything else, a family man. His family was his top priority. Nevertheless, he and my grandmother, Hattie Byer were also givers, and over the years of their lives, especially during the Great Depression, my grandparents fed more people that even they will ever know. The Great Depression found so many people without work, and therefore without food. I don’t know exactly how it got started, but very few days went by without an extra mouth or two at the table. It wasn’t that my grandparents had a ton of money for extra food and no one else did, because that wasn’t the case. They would just add another potato and some water to the soup, and somehow no one ever went away hungry. The only explanation was that it was a miracle.
Grandpa was a man who understood miracles for sure, and he was a Christian man. He; his brother, Cliff; and a number of his kids even helped to build a church in North Casper. They always felt like that was their church after that. Putting your “blood, sweat, and tears” into a building like that would have the effect of a feeling of, if not ownership, then at least connection. Grandpa knew about construction and especially cement work, so it made sense that he would be one of the people involved, but this was not a hired job. It was a volunteer job. That takes a different kind of person…a person who is willing to work without pay to accomplish something for a good cause. That was the kind of person my grandfather was. It wasn’t a money matter, it was a faith matter, and Grandpa had faith. That showed in how many people he and Grandma fed over the years.
Grandpa was a man who knew that when you have a big family, and money is tight, you have to find innovative ways to entertain your kids. You also need innovative ways to gather things like herbs and such that will help feed your family. Grandpa and Grandma knew all the right things to gather, and the kids were taught not only the right herbs to gather, but also the value of working together toward a common goal. In addition, activity 
was different for them too, but there isn’t a one of them who didn’t feel blessed by the activities that got to participate in. My mother, Collene Spencer loved rocks all her life, as did all of her siblings. The family went rock hunting for fun, and it was very fun for all of them. They always felt like the most blessed family on the planet. Today is the 132nd anniversary of my grandfather’s birth. Happy birthday in Heaven, Grandpa Byer. We love and miss you very much.
My great grandnephew, Max Herr is all boy, and as his mom, Katy Herr says, wild and crazy!! He is also Katy’s “little sidekick” and best friend. Those things are common in 5-year-old boys, but what isn’t as common is for a 5-year-old boy to faithfully run with his mom when she is racing, and one of these days plans to actually race with her. Running marathons, as Katy does, is no easy task, since marathons are 26.2 miles and extremely difficult. Nevertheless, Katy can count on her son to get out there and pace her, so she is properly trained. Nevertheless, Max does just that and he is barely five. And by the way, Max’s great training helped his mom to take 2nd place in her first marathon!! A Tough Guy, that one!!
Max loves monster trucks and just this year, he started riding dirt bikes. Max still loves all superheroes and that is not surprising, since he is a real like superhero to his mom. He also loves his cousins, Reece and Asa Balcerzak. While Max is his mom’s best friend, he is also very much his daddy, Dylan Herr’s boy. They like to play golf, and Max is quickly learning the ropes. Max loves both of his parents so much and he is the light of their lives. He is comfortable in any setting and can usually be found doing whatever his parents are doing. Like his dad, I’m sure Max will be a natural athlete, and I can’t wait to see where his talents take him. Max loves to go hiking with hi parents, and like most kids, a place with a waterfall is always a big hit. Max also loves all things car and mechanical, and his cars had better be a tough as he is, because they are quite likely to find themselves going through the water and the mud. Max is a kid filled with adventure and energy, and he’s a sweet as he can be.
He loves plane rides and of course, hanging out with the grandparents and great grandparents. Like most 
people, Max loves the good old American hamburger, and Burger King is one of his absolute favorites. Max is a smiley boy, and when he smiles, his whole face lights up. Every day is a new delight to this kid. There is no such word as boring. He finds excitement wherever he goes. Today is Max’s 5th birthday! Happy birthday Max! Have a great day! We love you!
For my nephew, Garrett Stevens, this birthday brings sad changes, because it is the first one since his mom, Alena Stevens passed away. Since Garrett and his wife, Kayla had their girls, Elliott and Maya, they have been blessed to have his mom be able to come from Casper to Sheridan to watch the girls when Kayla has to be out of town for work. Now, there is a definite void that will be a hard one to fill. Garrett’s Dad, Mike is still with them, but babysitting the girls really was Alena’s thing. This summer finds Kayla taking a few less out of town trips, because her family needs her to help with the emotional transitions of this hard time. Kayla’s career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker has made her uniquely qualified to help her family through this time of grief, but it doesn’t help to fill the void when she has to go out of town. Still, I know that Garrett will manage when the time comes, and the girls are getting older too, so they can help to do more.
Garrett went through some special training that culminated in a very hard test and his promotion to certified welding 
inspector recently, and the whole family is so proud of him. Many people have tried to pass that test, but few do so. Garrett worked very hard, and even then, it was no easy task. His boss was so proud of him too. I don’t really know what all his job entails, but I do know that when a weld fails, it is never a good thing, and it can spell disaster, depending on what things were welded. I can’t say what types of welds are processed at Garrett’s work, but I know that a bad weld has been known to bring down an airplane, so it must be strong, and it must be right.
Garrett tells me that Kayla is the family activity planner, and she has a full summer planned for the family. That is a good thing, because as we all know, when it comes to grief and loss, staying busy is a key part of the 
healing process. Their daughter, Elliott is a very busy girl too, with cheerleading camp, nature camp, parade camp, and many others. Elliott is almost seven years old, so she understands death to a degree. Keeping her busy is as essential as it is for adults. Maya is just three, and I’m sure that the big job with her will be in telling her about her grandmother, so she will somehow know her. Nevertheless, Garrett and Kayla are great parents, and they will manage. Of that I have no doubt. Today is Garrett’s birthday. Happy birthday Garrett!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Growing up during the Great Depression, my aunt, Virginia Beadle knew how it was to have little, and yet, her parents, my grandparents, George and Hattie Byer made sure that their kids had everything they needed. I suppose that kids of today would feel that they were somehow cheated, because they weren’t given everything they wanted, including the moon. The kids of the depression era mostly knew that they were blessed to have anything they were given. That is probably why my grandparents’ kids were very grounded in their philosophy on life. The times demanded hard work and giving.
They spent a lot of time outdoors, and they knew about things like foraging for herbs, hunting for rocks, and snakes to stay away from. When tested, so to speak, Aunt Virginia stepped out the front door of the house when she was living with her son Steve and his wife, Wanda. Then, she immediately stepped back into the house. She told the boys who were there, that there was a rattle snake by the front door, and she said it was huge!! The boys had no idea that their mom might know snakes, and they thought she was a typical girl, afraid of any old snake. They said it was probably a garter snake. Well, it wasn’t a garter snake, and Aunt Virginia wasn’t a typical girl who was afraid of a snake. After Steve had killed the rattle snake and cut off his head and rattle, he measured the snake. Steve is 5’8″, and just holding the snake up, it hit the ground when Steve held 
it just under his chin. That is a big snake. I’m sure they believed that she knew a rattle snake after that.
Aunt Virginia, like all her siblings was used to foraging and even, treasure hunting. One time she found a particular treasure that blessed the whole family, really. Aunt Virginia was about 8 or 10 years old. She was playing outside in the yard with her siblings. For some reason, Aunt Virginia decided to go exploring at the side of the house, between their house and Great Grandma Byer’s house. She looked at the little flower garden there and saw something shiny. She didn’t even have to dig for it. When she picked it up, she saw that his was a man’s wedding ring. Great Grandpa was long dead, and her dad, Grandpa George Byer, had decided to forego a wedding ring so that he could give his bride, her mom and my grandma, Hattie Byer a wedding ring. Obviously, this was an exciting, and quite likely valuable, find. Aunt Virginia took the ring to show her dad. Grandpa looked at it and told her it was a beautiful ring. He put it on his hand and looked at it. Then he took it off and gave it back to Aunt Virginia. She said, “Daddy, you should keep it.” He said he couldn’t, but she insisted, and that is how my grandfather got his wedding band from his daughter. Aunt Virginia was so pleased to be able to give her dad the wedding ring he 
had never had and would not be able to buy for himself, as there were too many other things that his paycheck was needed for. And Grandpa was so pleased that she wanted him to have such a beautiful ring. He wore the ring proudly for the rest of his life. And everyone in the family was pleased that he had been blessed with the ring. It was typical of Aunt Virginia, who was always a kind and loving person, and I can see how that ring made her day, as much as it did Grandpa’s. Today would have been Aunt Virginia’s 95th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Aunt Virginia. We love and miss you very much!!
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllllandysiliogogogoch…it is an odd name for a village for sure, but it is a real name. The name is actually the long version of the name. Shorter versions are Llanfairpwllgwyngyll or Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll. The name is often shortened to Llanfairpwll and sometimes to Llanfair PG. Interesting facts, those, but what in the world does it mean? Most names mean something, and this one is no different. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllllandysiliogogogoch is a village and community on the Isle of Anglesey, Wales. The village is located on the Menai Strait, next to the Britannia Bridge. It had 3,107 people in the 2011 census. Of those, 71% could speak Welsh. By 2021, the population decreased to 2,900. It’s the sixth largest settlement in the county by population.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a lengthened form of the community’s name, which is occasionally used…in some contexts, anyway. The name has 58 characters, which are split into 18 syllables, and it is said that the small town has the longest name in Europe and the second longest one-word place name in the world. Please, don’t ask me to pronounce it, because I don’t think I could. Nevertheless, the name does have a meaning. Literally translated, the long form of the name means, “The church of Saint Mary 
(Llanfair) of the pool of the white hazels over against the fierce whirlpool and the church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave.” Somehow that doesn’t exactly make any more sense than the village name itself.
I would hate to be the little kid in school who was trying to learn the name of the town they hailed from. They wouldn’t be able to spell it, much less say it, and then to try to tell someone what the name means…not likely. The poor kids might just as well give up before they even start. I have heard of unusual names for towns people have lived in, some of which I would never want to live in, but this one is ridiculous. Still, if a village is going to have such a unique name, in might just as well be ridiculous, right.
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When I consider many of the Hollywood actors of today, I find the pool severely lacking when it comes to the greats. I’m not saying that there are no greats, but in many ways, the greats peaked with people like John Wayne, and when we lost him to cancer on June 11, 1979, we really lost an iconic American film actor. John Wayne who was famous for starring in countless westerns, died at the age 72, after battling his cancer for more than a decade.
Like many actors of that era, John Wayne was encouraged to chance his name from the name he was born with on May 26, 1907, which was Marion Morrison. to a name considered more manly and tough. When I think about it, I don’t suppose a name like Marion would have gone very far in the world of the tough Western cowboy, so I can see the reasoning. John Wayne was born in Winterset, Iowa, and moved as a child to Glendale, California. His notoriety began when he started playing football at Glendale High School. He attended the University of Southern California on a scholarship, but like many kids, he dropped out after two years. He realized that college and the degree it would provide just weren’t what he wanted. John Wayne went to work as a movie studio laborer, and while there, he befriended director John Ford, who was a rising talent. John Wayne’s first acting jobs were bit parts in which he was credited as Duke Morrison, a childhood nickname derived from the name of his beloved pet dog. He apparently wasn’t a big fan of the name Marion either. Rather like the Johnny Cash song, “A Boy Named Sue.”
John Wayne’s first starring role came in 1930 with The Big Trail, a film directed by Raoul Walsh. This was when his name changed from Marion Morrison to “John Wayne,” because director Walsh didn’t think Marion was a good name for an actor playing a tough Western hero. Despite the lead actor’s new name, the movie was a flop, which is likely why I don’t remember that one. The 1930s brought about dozens more of John Wayne’s mediocre westerns. I would say that part of the problem was that in them, he played various rough-and-tumble characters, mixed in with occasional appearances as “Singing Sandy,” a musical cowpoke similar to Roy Rogers…which worked for Rogers, but was a total flop for the more macho John Wayne.
Finally, in 1939, John Wayne got his breakthrough when his old friend John Ford cast him as Ringo Kid in the Oscar-winning “Stagecoach.” Wayne went on to play larger-than-life heroes in dozens of movies and came to symbolize a type of rugged, strong, straight-shooting American man. What John Ford saw in John Wayne and put into his directing of John Wayne brought about some of his best-known films, including “Fort Apache” (1948), “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” (1949), “Rio Grande” (1950), “The Quiet Man” (1952) and “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (1962).
Another aspect of John Wayne’s charm was his off-screen conservative political views. John Wayne produced, directed, and starred in “The Alamo” (1960) and “The Green Berets” (1968), both of which reflected his 
patriotic, conservative values. Then, in 1969, he won an Oscar for his role as a drunken, one-eyed federal marshal named Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” one of my favorites of his movies…my all-time favorite being “McLintock.” John Wayne’s last film was “The Shootist” (1976), in which he played a legendary gunslinger who was dying of cancer. The role had particular meaning, as the actor was fighting the disease in real life. When John Wayne passed away on June 11, 1979, the world lost an amazing man and actor, the caliber of whom has never been matched.
During World War I, as with other wars, people have had to find creative ways of reducing the costs of things to help save money. Some people, such as President Woodrow Wilson and his wife, Edith found a unique way to cut the cost of running one of the most expensive houses in the nation. It seems like a low-cost task, but in reality, mowing the White House lawn would very likely be a costly undertaking. President Wilson got the bright idea to basically “farm out” the mowing of the White House lawn.
President Wilson talked to his friend, Dr Cary T Grayson, about the idea of using sheep to keep the lawn in good shape. Grayson bought 12 sheep and four lambs from a farm in Bowie, Maryland at the request of the president. Over time, the flock grew to number 48. By having the flock of sheep grooming the lawn, it reduced the cost of cutting the grass and also, earned $52,823 for the Red Cross through an auction of their wool. The sheep were Shetland sheep. This is a breed normally kept for meat and its excellent wool.
Of course, President Wilson used other ways of cutting costs, but the sheep were one of those ways in which President Woodrow Wilson and his wife, First Lady Edith Wilson, showed fellow Americans that they were practicing rationing in support of the war effort too. In addition, according to The White House Historical Association, the White House also observed “wheatless Mondays” and “meatless Tuesdays,” the Wilsons sometimes rode in a horse-drawn carriage to save fuel, and Edith knit and sewed clothes for soldiers and volunteered with the Red Cross in the Union Station train hub.
While having the sheep groom the White House lawn was a noble idea, the White House lawn wasn’t actually an ideal home for the flock. Apparently, the ever-growing presence of cars in Washington, DC scared the sheep, causing them to get sick with pneumonia and something called “the dips.” in addition, the sheep went too far in their grass-trimming duties, actually tearing up the entire back lawn and necessitating a move to the front lawn where flowers and trees were fenced in to keep the sheep from devouring them too. The whole “experiment” got to be so problematic that after three years, the flock was sold off in August of 1920. While the “experiment” 
was a failure, it is nevertheless, a fact of history, and so has been preserved in the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum of Staunton, Virginia. In another tidbit of information, West Virginia engineer JP Brunschwyler bid on some wool as part of a group and saved in it a safety deposit box where it stayed for 100 years. His daughter Judith Donakowski inherited the wool and donated it to the museum in 2018.
This has been a difficult six months for my sister, Alena Stevens, family and for her daughter-in-law, Kayla and son, Garrett, Alena’s passing has left a specific void, because with Kayla’s job as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, comes periodic travel around the state and even the nation. That has not been a problem, because whenever Kayla had to go out of town, Alena would travel to Sheridan to take care of Kayla and Garrett’s girls, Elliott and Maya. There is nothing more comforting for a parent who must travel for work, than to know that their children are well cared for, and especially when it is the grandparents who take care of them. Children love to spend time with their grandparents, and they always have a great time.
The family is slowly adjusting to Alena’s April 23rd passing, but it was particularly hard, because when they found out, Kayla and Garrett were on vacation at Disney World with their girls. That definitely put a damper on the trip. Garrett tells me that they are doing ok, and that it has been a very busy summer, which has helped too. This summer has held fewer trips for Kayla, because they are still adjusting to having no one to come and stay with the girls. Nevertheless, she will be taking a few as the summer goes on. She has turned down some of the trips so she can help her family get through this tough time. Kayla, as a social worker is very good at helping people wade through grief, and that is so helpful for her family. The girls are young, but they know that Grandma isn’t there anymore. Kayla felt like it would be had on Garrett to try to handle the girls alone while she is out of town. As time goes on, they will figure out a new way to deal this those trips, and as the girls get older, they will be able to help their daddy more, but this summer, they all need time to adjust. Kayla usually stays overnight for the events that are more than a couple of hours away. Garrett and the girls usually had Alena come up to help with the kids during those times so now, there is a definite void. In addition to Kayla’s ability to help with the grief of her own family, she is very skilled at her job too. Garrett says, “She has more credentials than I can even remember, and she is one of the go-to people in her field. She is so incredibly smart and skilled at what she does.” He is very proud of his sweet wife. and all she has accomplished.
Kayla is a great planner. She has been busy planning out the summer camps that Elliott will be in this summer. It’s setting up to be a busy summer for Elliott, with cheerleader camp, nature camp, parade camp and many others. She is very organized. Kayla loves to make sure the kids have great activities to keep them busy and to stimulate their young minds. Garrett says, “She has been such a great support to me during this time. Anything I needed she was there, and she has sacrificed a lot.” Garrett, Elliott, and Maya, as well as the rest of the family, have been very blessed by Kayla and her caring heart. Today is Kayla’s birthday. Happy birthday Kayla!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
The Old West was a volatile time. When someone was killed in a gunfight, there were always repercussions. The Gunfight at O.K. Corral in October 1881 was no different, and Morgan Earp’s murder on March 18, 1882, in a Tombstone, Arizona pool hall, made matters even worse. After the gunfight, Wyatt and Warren Earp, along with Doc Holliday, “Turkey Creek” Jack Johnson, and Sherman McMasters moved the Earp family out of Tombstone to Tucson, Arizona on March 20, probably in an effort to keep them safe. Once in Tucson, Wyatt spotted Frank Stillwell, the man he suspected of having been involved in the killing of Morgan and was also thought to be seeking revenge on Virgil Earp. The following day, the bullet-ridden body of Frank Stillwell was found on the tracks next to the depot. This was the first death in what would become known as the Earp Vendetta Ride.
The Earp family was furious, and they were determined to have their revenge for their brother’s murder. Later, while writing his book, Wyatt told his biographers that he had spied Frank Stillwell and Ike Clanton lying prone on a flatcar with their shotguns and so, he had killed Stillwell, but he said that Ike had escaped. Following the killing, the Earp group quickly returned to Tombstone. Nevertheless, by March 21st, a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Wyatt Earp, Warren Earp, Doc Holiday, “Turkey Creek” Jack Johnson, and Sherman McMasters as suspects in the murder of Stillwell. It seems they decided that the killing was a conspiracy.
Charles Meyer, justice of the peace of Pima County, sent a telegram to Sheriff Johnny Behan indicating that the 
men should be arrested. A friend of the Earp family, the telegraph office manager showed the message to Wyatt before delivering it to Behan. Then he agreed to hold on to it for a while, so the Earp group could get out of Tombstone. Unfortunately, as they were leaving, Behan approached Wyatt, saying he wanted to see him. Wyatt replied, “Johnny, if you’re not careful, you’ll see me once too often,” and the group left. Later, it was reported that Earp’s group had resisted arrest and pulled their guns on Behan.
The revenge continued over the next three weeks, while Wyatt and Warren Earp, along with several of their friends, namely Doc Holiday, Sherman McMasters, “Turkey Creek” Jack Johnson, and “Texas Jack” Vermillion, would form a “posse” of sorts and go after those they thought were responsible for Morgan’s death, as well as others that supported the Clanton gang. More men, including Dan Tipton, Charlie Smith, Fred Dodge, Johnny Green, and Lou Cooley, were also thought to have supported the Earps in their revenge.
Wyatt Earp’s revenge was sometimes called the Arizona War or Cochise County War, because Earp had been deputized as a US Deputy Marshal, which meant that he was operating under federal jurisdiction, and with a warrant for William “Curly Bill” Brocious. This did not stop Earp’s “posse” from being pursued by a Cochise County sheriff’s posse consisting of Sheriff Johnny Behan, deputies Fin Clanton and Johnny Ringo, along with some 20 other Clanton “Cowboys,” to arrest the Earps for the killing of Frank Stillwell. Strangely, the Behan posse deliberately left Pima County Sheriff Bob Paul, out of the posse, even though he was the one who actually had jurisdiction for the Tucson killing of Stillwell. Behan’s group never caught up with the Earp faction.
After three weeks and a number of killings and knowing that they could not get a fair trial in Tucson for killing Stillwell, the Earp posse finally gave up and headed to Colorado around April 15. Though the Earp’s Vendetta Ride appeared to be over, Johnny Ringo was found dead on July 18, 1882, and some say the killing was at the hands of Wyatt and Doc Holliday, who had returned to kill him. Other “cowboys” also began to die randomly, including Billy Grounds, who was killed by Billy Breakenridge, and Billy William “Billy the Kid” Claiborne by “Buckskin Frank” Leslie. Nevertheless, officially, the Earp’s Vendetta Ride was over.
My grandnephew, Chris Spicer has been busily working very hard on his future. Since moving to Casper from Rawlins, Wyoming following his high school graduation, Chris has been working at Ace Hardware while pursuing his degree in Graphic Design. Chris was a great student. He loved his classes and almost never miss school. He worked very hard and carried a 4.0 average for most of his two-year college career…an amazing achievement while holding down a job too. Chris is well liked at Ace Hardware, and I’m sure they will be sorry to see him leave, when he gets a new job, but by the same token, they will want him to excel in his chosen field. Graduation is such an exciting time, with all the future possibilities opening up and knowing that the formal schooling is done now. When a kid starts school, it seems like they will be in school for years, and suddenly they are finished, and you realize that they are an 
adult. It’s a bit of a shock for parents and grandparents. Chris, who has been lovingly called Topher by his family is just that…all grown up and ready to embark on his exciting future.
Right now, Chris is looking for a job as a graphic designer. At present, he is still at Ace Hardware, but he also has an online business commissioning his own personal art. The cool thing about graphic design is that the artist can easily sell their own work and make good money at it too. I’m sure he will always have that online business presence to fall back on or just as a great side hustle. That is one nice thing about graphic design. It is multi-faceted, and gives a person a number of possibilities, both online and in an office. We are all very excited to see where his future takes him.
Chris is really into all things retro these days. He loves playing music on an old album and turntable setup. His dream car…a Volkswagen van, of course. I wouldn’t be surprised if the old flower power van ended up being what he drove for quite a while. It’s funny how so much of the old stuff comes back into popularity when the future generations take notice of it. Chris has plans to move into town soon. He and his mom have been renting 
an apartment on his grandparents’ ranch outside of Casper, but for Chris it will be better to be closer into town and all the activity he will want to be a part of. The plan is a late summer or early fall move, also giving him time to get a new job and get settled in. Chris doesn’t just jump into things. He has grown into a very responsible adult and so makes his plans carefully and with purpose. He is very kind and thoughtful to people and tries to see things from their perspective. He is a true blessing to his mother, Andrea Beach; grandparents, Mike and Caryl Reed and Warren and Diane Beach; as well as the rest of the family. Today, we celebrate the wonderful young man Chris Spicer has become. Congratulations on your college graduation, Chris!! We are very proud of you and all you have accomplished!! We can’t wait to see where the future takes you!!
