Helen Straight

Funeral services for Helen Straight, 92-year-old Buffalo resident who passed away Tuesday afternoon at the Johnson County Health Care Center, will be held Friday, June 17^th at 10:00 a.m. at the Harness Funeral Home Chapel in Buffalo with Pastor Anne Knighten officiating. Visitation will be held at the funeral home chapel on Thursday from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and on Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. Interment will be in Willow Grove Cemetery with graveside services to follow the funeral. Online condolences may be made at www.harnessfuneralhome.com

Helen Elaine Straight was born on May 21, 1930, in Jo Davies County, Illinois to Clifford and Bessie Broge.  She grew up and went to school in Winslow, Illinois, and graduated from Winslow High School with the class of 1948. When her sister Nelda graduated from high school two years later, they decided to move west and would drive until they ran out of money and that is where they would live.  That spot was Buffalo, Wyoming where they met brothers, Lee and Pete Straight.  Nelda married Lee and on October 27, 1951, Helen married Pete Straight and they made their homes side by side on the mountain where they lived the rest of their lives.  Helen worked in the laundry at the Johnson County Health Care Center for 25 years.  Pete passed away in May of 1990. Helen retired in 1994 and continued living in Buffalo until her death.

Helen was a member of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church.  She was an avid reader, she loved working in her garden and always had to keep her wild birds fed. She is survived by two sons, James Straight and his wife Marcia of Billings, Montana, and Neal Straight of Buffalo, Wyoming; one daughter Janice Gray and her husband Robin also of Buffalo; two brothers Allen Broge and his wife Phyllis of Monroe, Wisconsin and LaVern Broge and his wife Linda of Winslow, Illinois; four sisters-in-law, Marrianne Broge of Monroe, Wisconsin, Ursie Broge of Freeport, Illinois, Nancy Straight of Buffalo and Kathy Calloway of Riverton, Wyoming; three grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one son Robert Straight, two sisters, Virginia and Nelda, two brothers, Bill and Gene, one infant daughter and one infant son.