Forrester Lowrey Page and Van Petten Families

Vincent Robert Thar July 8, 2010 Published: Monday, July 12, 2010 12:28 PM MDT Funeral service for Vincent Robert Thar, 89, of Gillette will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the Family Life Church with the Rev. Marty Crump officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Pisgah Cemetery with military honors provided by American Legion Post 42. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Walker Funeral Home. Mr. Thar died Tuesday, July 6, 2010, at Campbell County Memorial Hospital of natural causes. He was born May 3, 1921, to John Henry and Mary Agnes (Thomas) Thar at the ranch south of Rozet. He attended school in Rozet and graduated from Rozet High School in 1939. As a young single man, he was a cowboy for many area ranches before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He married Leola Kottraba on Sept. 16, 1942, in Broadus, Mont., 10 days prior to shipping off for World War II. They had four children. Upon returning home from the war, he returned to Rozet and settled down with his young family to make a living. He was a mechanic for various garages in the Gillette and Moorcroft area while dreaming of his own ranch with a herd of cattle. This dream became a reality when he and his wife bought the ranch on Timber Creek Road, where he raised Black Angus cattle and sold many black bulls. He had a great love of the land and the ranching way of life. He enjoyed going to bull sales, planting crops in the spring, and haying in the summer. He was a hard worker and believed your handshake and your word stood for something. He liked a good game of pool, a fair game of pitch of cribbage, and a good story or a prank. After a hard day of work, you could find him in the recliner with the newspaper and Wheel of Fortune on the TV. He was a strong supporter of the local 4-H and FFA programs and enjoyed watching his children and grandchildren participate in the events. Grandpa could always be found in the stands or visiting with old friends. Mr. Thar is survived by his wife of 68 years; four children, Rebecca Trigg of Golconda, Nev., Gary Thar, Sherryl Lindblom and Rochelle Clark, all of Gillette; 11 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; sister, Mary Bartlett of Albuquerque, N.M.; brother, Francis Thar of Gillette, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, brother, John Thar, sister Elizabeth Horger, and one granddaughter. A memorial has been established in his name to provide a scholarship to the Gillette FFA chapter. Memorials and condolences may be sent in his name to Walker Funeral Home, 410 Medical Arts Court, Gillette, WY 82716. Condolences also may be sent via the tribute site at www.walkerfuneralgillette.com or attached to the obituary on The News-Records website at www.gillettenewsrecord.com.