Orval John Dryer

Orval Dryer, 85, Dies Saturday; Services Tuesday

Orval John Dryer, 85, of Manville, died Saturday, May 16 at the Casper Hospital. Funeral services were held Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. from the Peet Chapel in Lusk. The Rev. Dallas Swisher of Casper officiated. Burial was in the Manville Cemetery.

Mrs. Dale M. Bardo, organist, accompanied Mrs. Berry Lee Rumney, soloist, as she sang "In the Garden" and "What A Friend We Have in Jesus".

Casket bearers were William Dryer, Robert Dryer, Edward Dryer, David Dryer, Richard Ladwig and Clarence Pinkerton.

Honorary bearers were Sam Thomas, Earl Hales, Albert DeGering, Ray DeGering, Zeb Ward, Bill Poff, Arthur Thompson and Roy ZumBrunnen.

He was born in Holt County Neb., October 9, 1884, to William and Libbie Dryer. He came to the Manville, Territory of Wyoming, with his father, mother, three brothers and one sister in a covered wagon drawn by one horse and one oxen in July 1886. During the service it was pointed out that he lived in the era "from the ox cart to the rocket."

His parents ran a boarding car for the railroad, and they built the first house in Manville. He attended school in makeshift pioneer quarters at Manville.

He was a ranch hand for awhile at the first "77" Ranch, then owned by Richards and Comstock. Later he operated a livery barn with his brother Frank in Manville. He worked with the U.S. Biological Survey from about 1910-15 when they cleared the grey wolves and the prairie dogs out of the area from Yellowstone Park to Rapid City, S.D.

June 25, 1913, he married Bertha May Eutsler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Eutsler in Manville. They were the parents of five sons. They maintained a home in the area of the corner of South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming, where they were active in the ranching business until 1951. They turned the ranch over to their son, Frank, and moved to Manville where they have lived since.

His parents, four brothers and one sister died previously.

Survivors include his widow Bertha; and five sons, William R., Casper, Donald C., Tacoma, Wash., Orville A., Casper, Frank W. Wolfe Creek, Mont., James H. of Casper; twenty grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren.

Lusk Herald
June 4, 1970
Orval Dryer

Many Come For Funeral Of Orval Dryer

Mrs. Orval Dryer and granddaughter, Miss Elaine Dryer, of Casper have returned home from Casper. Relatives and friends from a distance attending the funeral of Mr. Dryer were Mr. and Mrs. Louie La Bonte Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Mel Kinney, all of Casper; Mr. and Mrs. Tom Eutsler, Torrington; Mr. and Mrs. Ted Eutsler, Linch; Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Pinkerton, Cheyenne; Mr. and Mrs. Orville Dryer and family, Casper; Mr. and Mrs. Jim Dryer and family, Casper; Mr. and Mrs. Bill Dryer Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Bill Dryer, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Bud Daly, Elmer Klandt, all Casper; Mr. and Mrs. George Walker, Newcastle; Sgt. Ed. Dryer, England Air Force Base Louisiana; Mr. and Mrs. Bob Dryer, Sweetwater, Texas; Mrs. Esther Miller, Marion, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Earl Bowlds, Livingston, Mont., and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dryer, Wolf Creek, Mont.

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