Garth Denman Percival Sr.

Garth Percival, Prominent Rancher, Dies Here Monday

Note: Although the Lusk Cemetery records originally stated that the death date was May 2, 1944, that date was changed to May 1, 1944 based on this obituary.

Garth D. Percival, 66, prominent rancher and stock raiser of Niobrara County for the past 35 years, passed away at the Spencer Hospital on Monday, May 1st.

His death came as a shock to his large circle of friends in this community in which he has been an active member for so many years.

Funeral services will be conducted from the Peet chapel on Thursday afternoon at two o'clock with Rev. Lawrence Juell officiating. The graveside services will be in charge of the Masons of Harmony Masonic Lodge No. 24, of which Mr. Percival was a past-master.

A firing squad from the Home Guard will also fire a salute in honor of the deceased, who was a volunteer in the Spanish-American war.

Garth Denman Percival was born at Des Moines, Iowa, November 15, 1877, the second of five children of Henry and Ella C. Percival. The parents were pioneers of Des Moines. His mother came here from Ohio in a wagon drawn by an ox team during the Indian uprising at Spirit Lake. She was one of the pioneer school teachers of that city.

He grew to manhood in Des Moines, having been graduated from a High School there. Shortly after gradution he volunteered in the Army during the Spanish-American War, with his life-long friend, Major Ernest Wright.

After receiving an honorable discharge, at the end of the war, he entered Ames College at Ames, Iowa. He completed three years of college training and then spent eleven years traveling and buying furs and selling butcher supplies. As a traveling man he belonged to the United Commercial Travelers and held membership in this organization for over forty years.

On May 21, 1908, at St. Louis, Missouri, he was united in marriage to Miss Edna Morse of Keokuk, Iowa. To this union were born five children, Garth, Jr., married and now residing on a farm at Powell, Wyo.; Roger, at present in the Army, stationed at New Caledonia; Paul, married and with the U.S. engineers at Denver, Solo.; Ella Rogers, married and living on the home ranch near Hat Creek, Wyo., and Flora, serving in the Army Nurses Corps, stationed in New Caledonia.

He homesteaded on Indian Creek, 24 miles northeast of Lusk, in June of 1909. In August of that year his wife and small son joined him. Many hardships were endured by he and his family during these pioneer days. He fenced against the range and after many years of toil and privations he enlarged his barren homestead to the present productive ranch.

He took an active part in social and community organizations. He was a past master of Harmony Lodge No. 24, A.F.& A.M., a past patron of the Niobrara chapter No. 26, Order of the Eastern Star, belonged to the United Spanish War Veterans, and was a member of the Presbyterian Church and the Wyoming Stock Growers Assocation.

In February, 1944, he retired from active ranch work and he and his wife moved to make their residence in Lusk, leaving the ranch in care of their daughter Ella and son-in-law, Harold Rogers.

On April 10, 1944, he underwent a major operation in Lusk, from which he never recovered. He passed from this life May 1, 1944, at the age of 66 years, 5 months and 15 days, leaving to mourn his passing his devoted and faithful wife, Edna; three sons, Garth, Jr., Roger and Paul; two daughters, Ella and Flora; four grandchildren, Peggy Mae, Dorothy Rae, William Paul Percival, Harold Lloyd Rogers, his only surviving brother, Shirley Percival, of Des Moines, Iowa, a number of nephews and nieces and a host of friends.

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