Barbara Jean Rapp

SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT   

Barb Rapp, age 70, of Lusk, Wyoming, died Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at the Niobrara Community Hospital in Lusk. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 10:00 A.M. at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Lusk, Wyoming.

Interment will follow at Lusk Cemetery.

Barbara Jean Rapp, 70, passed away peacefully February 25, 2025, at Niobrara Community Hospital after a two-year courageous and determined battle with pancreatic and colon cancer. A Catholic Rosary is being held Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 5:00 pm and a funeral service Monday, March 3, 2025, at 10:00 am at St. Leo’s Catholic Church with overflow for the service directed to the Niobrara County High School Auditorium in Lusk, Wyoming. Please feel free to choose which venue is most convenient. Interment will follow in the Lusk Cemetery.

Barb was born March 8, 1954, to Rex and Catherine Heth at the Niobrara Memorial Hospital of Lusk, Wyoming, and later was adopted on December 17,1956, by Leslie and Flora Huff of Lusk, Wyoming. This loving home and family provided many opportunities for Barb that defined her as a young adult. The first was flying with her dad, Leslie. The pair enjoyed flying day to day operations of his light aircraft business. The second was rodeoing. During her rodeo days, Barb enjoyed chasing barrels and bending poles and even became a Rodeo Queen during her time spent in the arena.

Barb attended elementary through high school in Niobrara County where she graduated with the class of 1973 from Niobrara County High School. May 5, 1974, Barb married Edward Rapp. Though this couple separated, they had three amazing boys, Bailey, Brandon, and Ryan. Bailey Rapp lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Brandon (Kerri) Rapp reside in Lusk, Wyoming and Ryan (Farrell) Rapp call Laramie, Wyoming, home, and Barb had two grandchildren, Jaxson and Braxson Rapp of Laramie, Wyoming. Barbara was extremely proud of her three sons and two grandsons, even when they provided ample opportunities and ornery antics for her not to be. She honed her rule-making skills with her boys, and they tested her patience often. She publicly supported them, but she often corrected their behaviors privately. Although those rules became a bit laxer with her grandsons. Barb fervently followed them in whatever activities they were doing, which primarily consisted of 4-H or sports activities through the Niobrara County High School. Her support for her boys led to many of additional activities she would be a part of later in life. She was an active 4-H leader in Niobrara County where she helped with horse, sheep, and beef projects, and she even convinced one of her sons to participate in horse projects. Later, some of her 4-H activities included driving a big bus full of 4-H kids to judging competitions, camps, and fun trips.

She was also a life savior for peace of mind for parents during state fair and drove athletes back and forth for sport practices that typically took place at the same time.

Barb had many jobs throughout her life, working for the Covered Wagon Motel, Southside Cafe, Fireside Restaurant, Town of Lusk and Niobrara County School District. Over the last 10 years Barb has worked for the Town of Lusk, primarily helping maintain the parks and cemetery. She took great pride in the cemetery and thoroughly enjoyed her time working out there. She also enjoyed being ornery to and keeping many of the city crew in line!

In 1995, she was hired by Bill Dockery to start driving a school bus, first as substitute bus route driver and then, driving the activities bus. It was a well-known joke in the house that her boys weren’t good enough at sports, so she needed paid to have to drive and watch them. Eventually, she took a full-time bus route and continued to drive activities trips. It was no secret, Barb liked driving the football, wrestling, and track teams. She was so consistently a part of these trips that oftentimes, it seemed like she was a coach more than a bus driver. She developed many of her closest friendships from driving buses, mostly with the coaching staffs within the school district, but also other drivers and coaching staffs from the opposing teams. In fact, this will be the first State wrestling tournament that she has missed in 35 years! The miles that she drove can be measured in the 100’s of thousands! However, that number does not even touch or gauge the impact she made on so many across the state of Wyoming. She loved high school athletics, and the opportunities sports and activities provided the youth of Niobrara County.

The last two years of her life are the greatest examples of how she lived. She faced problems head on and with grit, determination and faith that God would lead her. She believed everyday was a gift and she was going to fight for just one more day. She loved John Wayne movies and his no-nonsense attitude. However, her favorite movie quote is from the film, The Shawshank Redemption. Barb lived each day by the main character’s words and they fit her perfectly. The quote says, “Get busy living or get busy dying.” That philosophy overflowed into many aspects of her life. Her life was filled with family, friends, and activities she chose to do, and she refused to allow setbacks prevent her from doing anything she wanted to do.

Barbara is survived by her three sons, two grandsons, her immediate siblings Jane Ann Huff (Lander) Loren Heth (Robyn) of Lusk, Wyoming; David Heth (Kathy) of Casper, Wyoming; Roxie Heth Houston of Casper, Wyoming; Kathleen Heth Lobato (Pete Lobato, deceased) of Broomfield, Colorado, Pamela Heth Pridgeon of Casper, Wyoming; numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded into death by her parents and siblings Kaye Marie Huff; Leslie Huff Jr; Christopher Heth; and Robert Heth.

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