John Wood Agnew

John Agnew, 91, Dies Thursday; Funeral Sunday

John Agnew, 91, died early Thursday morning. Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon. Mr. Agnew, who was usually called "Uncle John" even by people who were not related to him, had been a resident of this area for 76 years and a resident of Wyoming for 69 years.

Mr. Agnew had been in ill health for sometime and was cared for at home by his family until last Wednesday when he was taken to the Niobrara Memorial Hospital.

Rev. James Davis of the Congregational Church officiated at the service which was held from the Peet chapel. Active pallbearers were: Roy Johnson, Richard Barnette, James E. Barnette, Robert Templeton, James Thompson, Arthur Dalgarno. Honorary pallbearers were: Russell Thorp, Jessie Hall, Andrew Christian, Jack Pierce, Harry Henderson, Frank Chambers, Hans Gautschi, James Donoghue, Fred Willson, Wm. (Scotty) Jack, Andrew McMaster, Fred Stanzel, William Millikin, William Miller, Max Bird, Richard Pfister, John Wesley Wolfe, George Mill, James Griffith.

A quartet of Bob Reichert, Dale M. Bardo, Donald Hahn and Gerald Bardo sang, "Lead Kindly Light" and "Abide With Me." Mrs. Gerald Bardo was the organist.

Burial was in the Lusk Cemetery and graveside services were conduced by Harmony Masonic Lodge. In 1906 Mr. Agnew was the first candidate to be initiated into Harmony Lodge and by special dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Wyoming.

He was also a member Consistory and Shrine.

John Wood Agnew, Son of William Agnew and Lydia Wood Agnew, was born March 3, 1874 in LeRaysville, Pa. He came with his parents to Marsland, Nebr., in 1889 where his father and older brother homesteaded. Later, the family moved to Chadron, where John and his sister, Mayme, attended high school.

In 1895, John and his brother Grant came to Wyoming and bought a herd of sheep near Casper. In 1902, John and his brother-in-law. Robert Charles Ord, bought the Thorpe Ranch at Rawhide Buttes. Through the years, he extended his ranch interests and branched out into the sheep and cattle feeding business in Kansas City, Omaha and a ranch he owned near North Platte, Nebr. Mr. Agnew often worked days and traveled nights in a Pullman car on a train to manage his operations in Kansas City, Omaha, North Platte and this area.

In 1914, Mr. Agnew and Jessie Callandar were married and established a home in Omaha. Mr. Agnew returned to Wyoming, often, to look after his interests, here.

In 1918 and 1919, during the oil boom in Lusk, Mr. Agnew helped to organize the Buck Creek Oil Company and Tom Bell Royalty Company. He continued to be a director of these companies until he was 90 years old.

During the depression, Mr. Agnew worked in the Federal Farm Loan program in Wyoming. Many ranchers, throughout the state today still remember his helpful advice and kind consideration during this critical period.

During the boom days Mr. Agnew was an active promoter of buildings in Lusk. He worked with Alex Beck to build the Ranger Hotel. He was also active in the promotion to build the Silver Cliff Hotel and after the boom died he and a partner moved the Bungalow Hotel to Torrington. The Bungalow Hotel still stands just south of the railroad track in Torrington. Mr. Agnew was also a partner in the Austin, Elquest and Slack Hardware Co., which originally was housed in the former Hi-way Garage building. The Midwest Hardware in Lusk today is an outgrowth of that hardware firm.

During World War II he served on the Niobrara Selective Service Board.

He is survived by three nieces, Marjorie Kaan, Gertrude Chamberlain, and Jeanette Sager, all of Lusk, and three grandnephews, George Darrow of Billings, Mont., Robert Darrow of Lusk, and Harry Charles Sager of Briarcliff manor, New York, and also five great-grandnieces and four great-grand nephews.

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