Mrs. Joan Lesmeister

Joan Delores Lesmeister, 83, of Newcastle, Wyoming died Sunday, July 8, at Weston County Health Services, Newcastle, Wyoming.
She was born January 31, 1929, in Cheyenne Agency, South Dakota, to Robert and Eunice Simon. As a young girl, she lived with her family on a farm near Parade, South Dakota, where she attended grade school. She played on the girls high school basketball team and graduated from Eagle Butte High School in 1947. After graduation, she taught school in La Plant, South Dakota for a year.
On July 17, 1948 she married Arnold Lesmeister in Ridgeview, South Dakota. Their early married years were spent working on ranches in the Sheridan, Wyoming area.
In 1952, they purchased a ranch near Parade, South Dakota, where they ranched until 1956, at which time, they worked on the Gier Polled Hereford Ranch at Banner, Wyoming for a year.
The couple moved back to their South Dakota ranch in 1957, where they raised their family. Joan taught school again in La Plant for a short time. She was a member of the Parade Extension Club and the Eagle Butte Catholic Church. She enjoyed sewing, crocheting, knitting, needlework, and rock and arrowhead hunting. Joan was a 4-H leader for many years with the Kountry Kuzzins 4-H Club.
Selling the ranch in 1967, they purchased the Coal Creek Ranch at Locate, Montana, on the Powder River, where they raised cattle and operated a hunting outfitting business. She was a member of the Locate Knowlton Extension Club, Miles City bowling teams, and Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Due to Arnie's health, they sold the ranch in 1984 and moved to the Pine Hills near Miles City, Montana. Joan and Arnie worked in the Bob Marshall Wilderness of Montana until 1989, where Arnie was a hunting guide and mule skinner and Joan was a camp cook and worked in the Sun Canyon Lodge restaurant. She had numerous bear experiences to tell about, and rode a mule to the mountain hunting camp.
They enjoyed this lifestyle until Arnie's health failed. They had celebrated 42 years of marriage at the time of his death in August 1990, Joan returned to the mountains for one more season, but without Arnie it wasn't the same. The following summer Joan worked as a cook at Blue Bell Lodge in South Dakota's Custer State Park. Followed by 16 years working at the State Game Lodge Gift Shop. Living in her camper trailer every summer, she had many interesting buffalo and tourist stories to tell.
Her German heritage and country lifestyle made Joan a strong woman, whose family meant so much to her.
To be near her children and grandchildren, she made her home in Newcastle, Wyoming from 1994 until her death. She was a member of Corpus Christi Catholic Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, Sonny, one sister, Jean, her husband, four nephews, and two nieces.
Surviving are her daughter, Linda (Ed) Mathews, and son, Steve (Sheryl) of Newcastle, Wyoming, sister, Alva Schneider of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, six grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, six great grandchildren and eight step-great grandchildren.
Rosary will be 7 pm Thursday at Worden's Funeral Home and a Funeral Mass will be 11 am Friday, at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Newcastle, Wyoming.
Graveside Rites and Burial will be 11:30 am Saturday, at Custer County Cemetary in Miles City, Montana. The family suggests memorials to the American Cancer Society.

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