Mrs. Ella Rawhouser

Ella E. (Raudsep) Rawhouser passed away July 25, 2012 at Weston County Health Services, in Newcastle, Wyoming, following a brief illness. She was born August 19, 1915, at Moorcroft, Wyoming to Hans and Emilie Raudsep, the fifth of nine children.

She attended Moorcroft High School, working for room and board during the school year since the family lived so far from town. After graduation from high school, she received Normal Training at the University of Wyoming to become a teacher. Ella taught at the Pine Ridge School between Moorcroft and Carlile and the West End school north of Moorcroft before teaching at the Boyd School near Four Corners.

Ella met Jack (Harold G.) Rawhouser at Four Corners and they were married June 8, 1936 in Deadwood, South Dakota. The couple had two children, Marvin born in 1937 and Marilyn born in 1939. They farmed and ranched on the Canyon Springs Prairie north of Newcastle near Four Corners. In addition, Ella drove the school bus for 16 years. During some of those years, she also worked as a janitor at the Newcastle High School.

Ella loved to dance and ride horseback. She had an amazing "green thumb" - she could grow anything and raised a garden most of her life. In addition, she was an awesome cook and had cooked for many large threshing crews.

She was a member of the Weston County Cowbelles, Retired Teachers Association and the First United Methodist Church. After moving to town from the Prairie, she volunteered at the Visitors Center for several years.

Ella was preceded in death by her parents; husband Jack; three sisters - Selma, Hilda, and Leida; five brothers - Hugo, Alexander, John, Arnold and Albert; infant grandson, Jack Lee Arnold; and son Marvin.

She is survived by daughter Marilyn (Tom) Arnold of Newcastle; four grandchildren - Tammy (Raymon) Turk of Kaycee, Wyoming, Julie (Jim) Pederson of Newcastle, Wyoming, Hannah Rawhouser of Peoria, Arizona and Hans (Monica) Rawhouser and her great-grandchildren Conrad, Riley, Amelia, Quinn and Zane all of Las Vegas, Nevada; and her long-time companion, Loyd Reimer of Newcastle.

Services will be held at 2:00pm, Thursday, August 2nd at the First United Methodist Church in Newcastle. Visitation will be prior to services from 12:30pm to 1:45pm at the Church. Burial will follow services at the Greenwood Cemetery. Family and friends can return to the First United Methodist Church for refreshments and fellowship provided by the Methodist Women.

A memorial fund has been set up to benefit the Newcastle Retired Teachers Scholarship Fund, contributions may be mailed in c/o of the family to PO Box 98, Newcastle, WY 82701.

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