Shirley May Hawkins

Shirley May Hawkins

This obituary first appeared in the Casper Star Tribune Obituaries.

Funeral services for Shirley May Hawkins, 71, will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007, at Faith Assembly of God church in Casper. The Rev. Billie Cochran and Jeffrey Dodson of First Congregational Church will officiate. Interment will be in Lusk Cemetery.

She died Aug. 9, 2007, at Wyoming Medical Center.

She was born Jan. 24, 1936, in Crawford, Neb., to Herman F. Thayer and Inez Wolff.

Survivors include a daughter, Richelle Kennedy and her husband of Casper; a sister, Luella Judd and her husband of Casper; one grandchild, Kelsea Kennedy of Casper; one nephew, Shane Judd of Casper; and numerous cousins and friends.

Memorials may be made to Meals on Wheels of Casper, 1760 E. 12th, Casper, WY 82601; or to Casper College in care of LVC, 125 College Dr., Casper, WY 82601.

Newcomer Family Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

The Lusk Herald
October 24, 2007
Shirley May (Thayer) Hawkins

Services for Shirley May (Thayer) Hawkins were conducted at 10 a.m. on Aug. 14, 2007 at Faith Assembly of God Church in Casper with Rev. Bill Cochran officiating. Graveside services were held at 2 p.m. on Aug. 15 in Lusk Cemetery and Jeffrey Dodson officiating. Shirley May (Thayer) Hawkins 71, died Aug. 9 at the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper of complications of a long illness.

She was born Jan. 24, 1936 to Herman F. and Inez M. (Wolff) Thayer in Crawford, Neb. The family moved to Lusk in 1937 where she spent her adolescence. She attended Lusk Grade School and graduated from Lusk High School in 1954. She attended Parks Business School in Denver and returned to Lusk where she was the secretary for the Superintendent for the Niobrara County Schools. In 1959 she attended college at the University of Wyoming where she graduated with honors and earned a Bachelors Degree in Education. She again returned to Lusk where she taught English and Speech in high school for two years. She then accepted a position as caseworker for the Department of Public Assistance and Social Services in Casper. In July 1970 she married Richard Hawkins whom she later divorced. She continued with Social Services and retired as Administrative Assistant in 1993.

In life she believed you make a community better by being involved in it and demonstrated this by being a Board member and volunteer for many organizations in Casper. She was on the board for the self-help center, Board member and volunteer for Meals on Wheels of Casper, Board member for Literacy Volunteers of Casper, as well as a Deacon of the United Congregational Church. She accepted people for who they were and tried to help in anyway she could. She also had a strong belief in the good of people and encouraged them to find that goodness within themselves.

Some of her favorite things she enjoyed were traveling with her family to various places in and out of the United States, collecting old bottles and books, and most importantly spending time with Kelsea, her granddaughter, reading stories or playing dominos and cards.

Her survivors include an aunt Mabel Thayer of Scottsbluff, Neb., her sister Luella Judd and husband Ben of Casper, daughter Richelle Kennedy and husband Tim of Casper, nephew Shane Judd of Casper, granddaughter, Kelsea Kennedy of Casper and numerous cousins in Wyoming and Nebraska, as well as all the adults and children she considered family.

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