Mrs Rachel Busskohl

Rachel Mae Busskohl, 79, passed away on April 15, 2015, at the Weston County Manor, in Newcastle, Wyoming. She was born on December 18, 1935, to Bill and Hilda Beastrom, in Harrold, South Dakota. Rachel was one of nine children born to the family.
In 1951, Rachel and her family moved from Harrold, South Dakota, to a ranch in Minnekahta, South Dakota. She attended High school in Edgemont, South Dakota. After graduation from High School she attended Teacher's College at Chadron, Nebraska for one year. Rachel became a Country School Teacher and taught at the Minnekahta School in Fall River County. She picked up additional classes during the summers to complete her teaching degree. She taught for 9 years in Fall River and Custer Counties.
Throughout Rachel's life she had a passion for horses and riding. She broke and trained many horses through the years, for ranch work and barrel racing. During her young adulthood she worked in the summer for several different trail riding organizations: Bluebell Lodge, Sylvan Lake, and the Boot Hill Trail Riders. It was during this time that Rachel met Art Busskohl. They had many things in common, especially their love of horses and rodeo.
Art and Rachel were married on March 20, 1959, in Hot Springs, South Dakota. From this union were born two children: a son, Lynn and a daughter, Brenda. Art worked in the logging industry and the family lived in Custer, South Dakota until March of 1967. At that time they moved to a Buffalo Ranch, just north of the current city of Wright, Wyoming. During the next eight years, Rachel wore many different hats, and usually more than one on the same day. She was a mother, a country school teacher, a school bus driver, a ranch hand, and on certain days the lone cook for a large crowd of hungry ranch hands.
Over the next few years, the family moved around to several ranches in Wyoming. Eventually Art and Rachel left ranching and moved to Edgerton, Wyoming in 1976. There, Art worked in the oil field for a few years and eventually went to work in the coal mines near Wright, Wyoming. Rachel retired from teaching and in 1981, she and Art moved to Newcastle, Wyoming, where they remained for the rest of their lives.
Rachel took great pleasure in watching her grandchildren and teaching them to ride horses. There were many enjoyable horseback hunting trips to Jackson. Some of her other hobbies included: cooking, crossword puzzles, and music. Occasionally she would entertain the family with singing and yodeling. The door to Rachel's home was always open and no one ever left her house hungry. She kept a calendar of everyone's birthdays and anniversaries, and never failed to send a card or letter to everyone on it.
Survivors include her children: Lynn Busskohl (Brenda D.) of Newcastle, Wyoming, and Brenda K. Busskohl-Gray (Adam) of Seattle, Washington. Five brothers: Bud (Thelma) Beastrom , Darwin Beastrom, Bill (Gloria) Beastrom, Boyd Beastrom, Mason (Charlene) Beastrom, and one sister Carol (Dave) Cooper. Three Grandchildren: Melissa (Matt) Stroh, Christin (Saylor) Brubaker, and Sydney Busskohl. Four Great Grand Children: Josiah, Morgan, & Calad Stroh, and Piper Brubaker.
Proceeding Rachel in death were her husband, Art Busskohl; her parents, Bill and Hilda Beastrom; one sister, Beatrice Skurdal; and one brother, Conrad Beastrom.
In lieu of a Memorial Service, a Photo Memorial is being developed, which will be sent to family members and posted on Rachel's Facebook page. A DVD will be sent to those family and friends who are not connected to the Internet. The memorial will include: photos of Rachel throughout the years, her family, and a few of her recipes (such as Swiss Lackerli cookies and butterscotch brownies).