Wallace Chesbro

Wallace Clark Chesbro (Wally), 92 years old, passed away peacefully on January 25th, 2023, at Amie Holt Care Center in Buffalo, Wyoming. He was surrounded by his family.

Wallace Clark Chesbro was born April 27^th, 1930, in Waterloo, Iowa to Eathel and Wallace Chesbro.  His mother passed away from pneumonia when he was a little boy, and his father later married Ruth Wickwire.   Wally attended schooling in Casper, Wyoming, and graduated from Natrona County High School in 1949.

Wally joined the United States Navy in 1951. He served on the USS Rowan during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in 1954. After the Navy, Wally attended college and received a bachelor’s degree in science with a major in forest range management from the University of Colorado in 1957.

He met and married Docia Carroll and together they had seven children. Wally worked as a forester for the United States Forest Service. Wally, Docia, and their children spent many wonderful and adventurous years stationed in various remote forest service cabins around Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska. Wally enjoyed nature and the Forest Service provided him with the opportunity to work outdoors. Wally was a devoted and loving father and loved being able to raise his children in the mountains. The forest service relocated them to Saratoga, Wyoming in the late 1970s where Docia and Wally later separated.

Wally met Bonnie and married on January 7th, 1989, in Laramie, Wyoming.  Wally retired from the Forest Service in 1995 and they spent their retirement years traveling around the country, fishing, hunting, and visiting family.  They were active members of the Grace Chapel church and Quadra Dangle Square Dance Society in Laramie. He and Bonnie spent many happy years together. They continued living in Laramie until Bonnie’s death in 2019.  Wally then moved to Buffalo, Wyoming to be closer to family.

Wally loved being in the mountains. He was an avid backpacker and fisherman and enjoyed elk hunting every fall.  “Just a few more miles over that ridge” to Wally ended up being 8 miles to the rest of us. This is why he instilled the 5 P’s into all of us “Prior, Planning Prevents Poor Performance;” We always had to be prepared for an adventure in his presence.  He spent his whole life instilling endless amounts of outdoor wisdom into all of us.

Wally was a past member and officer of the Kiwanis Club in Chadron, NE. He was heavily involved in Boy Scouts as both a chairman and scoutmaster, as well as a member of the Order of the Arrow. He received the Silver Beaver Award for over 35 years of faithful service to the Boy Scout program. He was also a member of the Grace Chapel (Laramie) board of directors.

He was very active well into his late 80s.  He loved to play cribbage, travel, and visit with his family. He always had a big smile on his face.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Wallace and Eathel, stepmother Ruth, wife, Bonnie, son, Alan, sister, Joann Sorenson and her husband Scott, and son-in-law, Ed Katen.

He is survived by his daughters Vicki (Jay) Ward of Encampment, Wyoming, and Peggy Katen of Glenrock, Wyoming. His sons Cameron (Shirley) Chesbro of Buffalo, Wyoming, Clark (Belinda) Chesbro of Buffalo, Wyoming, Bryan (Michele) of Harrison, New York, and Brant Chesbro of Sedona, Arizona. His niece Michelle (Sean) DeVore of Casper, Wyoming and her sons Dakota and Darion, have 13 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, three stepdaughters, five step-grandchildren, and six step-great-grandchildren.   No formal services are planned, but there will be a family camping trip in his memory above Saratoga, Wyoming this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be mailed to Alzheimer’s Association-Wyoming Chapter 2232 Dell Range Blvd. Ste. 101 Cheyenne, WY 82009 or alz.org/wyoming/donate