Verne W. Browder

Verne W. Browder - Death Notice

Verne W. Browder, age 85, of Lusk passed away Friday night at the Niobrara Health and Life Center in Lusk. A funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28, in the afternoon at the Cicmanec-Pier Funeral Home in Lusk with Pastor Delbert Dick officiating. Interment will follow at the Kirtley Cemetery. A full obituary will be published.

January 3, 2007
Verne W. Browder

Verne W. Browder died at the age of 85 at the Niobrara Health and Life Center in Lusk, Dec. 22, 2006 around midnight due to natural causes.

Verne W. Browder was born to Eugene Arthur and Ethel (Benshoof) Browder April 28, 1921 at Prairie Center, Wyoming. Verne attended first through tenth grade at Arlington School that was located just south of the family ranch in the Prairie Center area. He attended Jay Moore school which was located between Moore Springs and Jay Em for one year. He finished high school and graduated in 1940 from Torrington, Wyoming. Verne also attended the Prairie Center Congregational Church.

In 1942 Verne was inducted into the infantry. After training he was in the 89th Division when he went to England. One month after D-Day, in the middle of July, 1944, Verne's company landed on Normandy Beach. At this time he was transferred from the 89th Division to the 30th Division, where he was in a mortar crew when they caught up to the battlefront near St. Lo, France. Verne was in "The Lost Battalion" which captured a hill site on August 6th then spent the next 6 days surrounded by Germans without food or water, but held off a full German army onslaught. While in the 30th division he was involved in the rescue of the 89th Division from the Battle of the Bulge. Verne was decorated with five Campaign Ribbons, The Combat Infantry Badge, Rifleman Medal and Good Conduct Medal. Since returning from Europe after the war Verne has been a member of the American Legion Post #1 of Van Tassell.

Verne married Marian Thompson on Oct. 16, 1955. They had two children, Elizabeth Anne born Aug. 4, 1956 and Terrance Arthur born Oct. 29, 1958. He worked on the family ranch in Prairie Center for 10 years. In 1965 Verne and Marian moved to Marian's father's ranch (Arthur Thompson). Verne and Marian worked this ranch and eventually called it the Browder Ranch after Arthur and Inga Thompson passed away. Verne and Marian remained on the ranch until they retired in 2003.

Verne had a favorite saying for every time things would get difficult, whether it was a physical hardship or a stressful, mental, or spiritual problem, he would say "It's a wonderful life if you do not weaken". Throughout his life Verne always had a twinkle in his eye, a charming and witty way about him. And because he never weakened, he was always pleasant to visit with.

Verne was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene Arthur and Ethel Browder, and his sister Helen Bower.

Verne is survived by his wife Marian Browder, his daughter Elizabeth Anne McQuery, his son Terrance Arthur Browder, granddaughter Terry Ann Browder, his grandson Michael Verne Arthur Browder and wife Kira Browder, great-grandson Bowen Albert Arthur Browder, two nieces, Connie Thomas and Dee Shannon, and one nephew, Dale Bower.

Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m. on the 28th of December 2006 at Cicmanec-Pier Funeral Home in Lusk. Graveside services followed at Kirtley at the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, with coffee and cake afterwards at the Melvin Zumbrunnen home.

In lieu of flowers please send memorials to either the Niobrara Health & Life Center, PO Box 780, Lusk, WY 82225, or the Lusk/Niobrara Ambulance Service, PO Box 390, Lusk, WY 82225.

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