Frank W DeCastro

Colorful Life of Frank DeCastro at Trails-end

The long, interesting and colorful career of Frank W. DeCastro is ended. He died peacefully at his home in Lusk Monday evening, February 10, after an illness of several years.

Mr. DeCastro was 88 years of age, and up until the last few years had been very active and mentally alert and his memory of the early days in Wyoming has added much to the historical data gathered by different persons in this section of the State in these later years.

Coming to Wyoming in 1870, Mr. DeCastro first engaged as a teamster at old Fort Laramie. More than ten years before the railroad came through this section of the State, Mr. DeCastro had filed a preemption on land some 30 miles north of where Lusk now stands.

Many people, both north and south of Lusk, still remember Mr. DeCastro and his faithful ponies, when they carried the U.S. mail from Lusk to Torrington for some 18 years, and then for many years from Lusk to the Cheyenne River. He missed very few trips, making the long hard drive through good weather and bad, usually with a buckboard, but when the snow was too deep he went horseback.

Later he moved his family to Lusk so that his children could attend school and he served as a peace officer for many years.

Born in Massachusetts

Frank W. DeCastro was born at Charleston, Mass., December 16, 1860, and on the date of his birthday in 1891 he was married to Miss Anna May Bennett. On December 16, 1946, they celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary with a family reunion.

Mr. and Mrs. DeCastro are the parents of 14 children, 11 of whom are living, and all but two will be here for the funeral service, which will be held at the Peet Chapel at two o'clock on Thursday afternoon with Rev. Lawrence P. Juell officiating.

Surviving him are his wife, four sons --Frank W., Jr., of Buffalo, Wyo., Dr. Addison of Hay Springs, Neb., and Abdon and Chad of Lusk; and seven daughters-- Mrs. Francis Reed of Taft, Calif.; Mrs. Gladys Alley, Crockett, Cal.; Mrs. Dora Osborne, Hemingford, Neb; Mrs. Esther Fancher, Scatpoose, Oregon; Mrs. Eda Gay Woods, Portland, Ore.; and Mrs. Lila Johnson and Mrs. Olive Gallup of Lusk.

Twenty-one grandchildren also survive him.

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