Gerald Lavonne Pfeifer

Gerald Lavonne Pfeifer

One of the last Niobrara County Pioneers, Gerald Lavonne Pfeifer, passed on at an early hour on August 7, 2000. Gerald Lavonne Pfeifer, son of Charles William and Margaret Atkinson Pfeifer, was born in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana, on February 20, 1905. The family came to Jireh, Wyoming, on April 1, 1909, having filed on a homestead three miles west of the new town of Jireh, in1908. Lavonne attended several normal schools in the neighborhood and attended his first year of high school at the Jireh College Academy. He graduated from Lusk High School. He attended a summer session at the University of Wyoming then taught two years of rural school in Platte County. Later he taught in rural Niobrara County schools. He graduated from the University in 1928.

In 1932 Lavonne and Bessie Rogers (daughter of W. Crawford and Julia Rogers) were married and settled on the original Pfeifer homestead for about 12 years engaging in farming and livestock activities. He was employed with the Agricultural Adjustment Administration in 1937 doing mapping and field compliance, surveying and water resource planning.

He was appointed to the office of County Treasurer in 1945 and was returned to that office six terms, serving 25 years in that capacity and retiring in 1974.

Over the years he has been interested in many activities, serving eight years on the school board and on the Niobrara Public Library Board for 20 years. G.L. was government appeal agent for 12 years on the County Selective Service Board. He was a 4-H project leader and community chairperson, involved in Boy Scout activities, Farm Bureau member, member of the Congregational Church, past noble grand of the Odd Fellow Lodge, chairman of the School District Reorganization committee when Niobrara became the first county in Wyoming to form county wide for administration and financial support.

Mr. Pfeifer is survived by his wife Bessie and two sons, Charles (and wife Judy) of Quartz Hill, and Gerald (and wife Gail) of Simi Valley in California. Mr. Pfeifer is also survived by six grandchildren, Miles, Mark, Erik, Julia Lyn, Melanie, and Erin. There are six great-grandchildren to date.

G. L. loved the prairies and mountains of Wyoming. He loved camping, hunting, and fishing. After retiring he remained in Lusk, doing yard work, gardening and keeping a hand in the ranch. Numerous trips were made to California with his sons and their families. The Pfeifers celebrated their golden anniversary in 1982 and their 60th in 1992.

Funeral services will be at the Congregational Church in Lusk at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 12. Burial will be in the Pfeifer site at Lusk Cemetery.

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