Catherine "Katie" Falconer

Mrs. Katie Falconer, One of County's Pioneers, Dies

Funeral to Be Held in Lusk Friday Afternoon From Congregational Church

Mrs. Catherine Falconer, one of the outstanding pioneer characters of Wyoming, passed away at her ranch home at Hat Creek, on Tuesday evening, May 18, at 6:50 o'clock, at the age of 85 years, after an illness extending over a long period.

Funeral services will be held in Lusk Friday afternoon, from the Congregational Church, at 2:00 o'clock.

Mrs. Falconer, who was almost 85 years of age at the time of her death, came to Wyoming and to the Hat Creek ranch forty-eight years ago to join her husband, the late Andrew Falconer, who came to Wyoming in 1884.

Mrs. Falconer was one of those fine pioneer characters who settled in the new country, and her hospitality has always been one of her reigning qualities. While she was away from the ranch but a few times in her life, having apparently no desire to venture away from her own domicile, she found no greater pleasure than having friends around her with whom she could visit. While she was of Scotch ancestry, she had the wit accredited to the Irish race, and her gift of repartee, accompanied by her strong Scotch accent, was the delight of all with whom she came in contact, and to almost all of the residents of the Hat Creek community, and to all her old-time friends in Lusk, she was affectionately known as "Katie."

Catherine Storrie was born at Edinburgh, Scotland, July 21, 1852, the daughter of Adam and Catherine Storrie, and in 1875 was married to Andrew Falconer.

In 1889 Mrs. Falconer, accompanied by her son, John Storrie Falconer, and her mother, Mrs. Catherine Storrie, Sr., left their home at Penicuick, Scotland, to join Mr. Falconer in the United States.

They came straight to the Territory of Wyoming and to the Hat Creek ranch in the days when the Indians were still plentiful on the plains, and war parties were not an infrequent sight. With the passing of Mrs. Falconer one more of the real pioneers of the West has gone, but the fine Hat Creek ranch which she helped carve out of raw prairie land remains as a monument to to a couple who, through honesty, hard work and intelligent management, made a home that has withstood the hard years of death and depression and has now passed on to the second generation.

Only six weeks after Mrs. Falconer's arrival at the ranch their son, who was 13 years of age, was struck by lightning and killed, and from the shock of this tragedy she never fully recovered.

In May, 1893, a daughter, Mary Jane was born to them, and it has been with this daughter, now Mrs. Dudley Fields, with whom she has live all her life. In the same year that her daughter was born her mother passed away and was laid beside the little boy in a private cemetery on the John Storrie ranch, which was just across the road from the Faloner ranch.

The late John Storrie was a brother of Mrs. Falconer. He passed away in Cheyenne in March of 1915 and her husband, Andrew Falconer, died on April 18, 1922.

In July, 1933, Mrs. Mae Fields had all the remains which were lying in the little cemetery at Hat Creek removed to the Lusk Cemetery.

Those who survive Mrs. Falconer are her daughter, Mrs. Mae Fields, of Hat Creek, and her two grand-daughters, Catherine Mae and Rosalie Ellen Fields, a sister-in-law, Mrs. Mary Storrie Chappell, and a nephew, Walter Storrie, of Denver, Colo.

The Peet Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements, and the services will be held in the Congregational Church at 2:00 o'clock Friday afternoon, with Rev. Jenkins officiating.

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