Ernest E. Stevens

E. E. Stevens Died Suddenly Monday

Lusk friends were greatly shocked and grieved Tuesday when word reached here that E. E. Stevens had dropped dead of a heart attack at his home in Torrington Monday.

Mr. and Mrs. Stevens had been residents of the VanTassell community for the past 20 years, until about two weeks ago when they moved to Torrington to make their home. Mr. Stevens was a man of unusual culture and refinement and an artist of much ability.

Funeral services were held in Van Tassell this (Wednesday) afternoon with Rev. George Jenkins of the Congregational church of Lusk officiating. Two brothers and two nieces of Mrs. Stevens arrived in time for the funeral services.

A complete obituary will be found in next week's issue of The Herald.

The Lusk Herald
June 9, 2013
OBITUARY

E. E. Stevens, 65, noted Wyoming artist, died suddenly at his home in Torrington at 2224 West B street Sunday, May 30, following a heart attack.

Mr. Stevens two weeks ago had come to Torrington to have charge of the Torrington federal art gallery there.

Born at Aplington, Iowa, August 29, 1872, Mr. Stevens spent many years of his life in Montana and Washington. When nine years of age his father died, leaving the mother with four growing children, Ernest the oldest. He gave up his high school studies to help his mother make a living. Later, he pursued the study of art in Cincinnati and in Pratte Institute, Brooklyn, and then for two years studied in the Julen Academy in Paris, France, where he contacted the noted teacher of perspective, Max Boehm.

Returning home, he took a position as draftsman with the Snow Patent Attorneys, Washington, D. C., where he worked for six years. Recovering from a severe typhoid attack while there he resigned office work to go on the Montana range where his health was restored. He was married in 1914 at Billings, Montana to Miss Maud Belle Rice, with whom he had become acquainted while in Washington.

In 1916, they took up farming in northeast Goshen county, Wyoming, where Ernest engaged in both stock raising and general farming. The old urge to express himself in form and color claimed a mastery over him and he sold off his personal property and went to Denver. For the past five years he has devoted most of his time to the work he loved best; creating beauty of landscape and portraiture. He was a craftsman in everything which he undertook, whether it were planting seeds in the soil, drafting an intricate design in patents, or recreating beauty of nature.

Funeral services were held at the Colyer mortuary in Torrington at ten o'clock last Wednesday morning and then the remains were taken to Van Tassell where another service was held at 2:30 p.m.

Rev. George D. Jenkins of Lusk officiated at both services but was assisted by Rev. Joseph Cowman at Van Tassell.

Burial was made in the Van Tassell cemetery and the pallbearers were: Leonard Seegrist, Ray Gagstetter, Ferd Price, Carl Dalam, Jack Magoon, and C. E. Lewis.

Images & Attachments

Related/Linked Records