Obituary: Georgia M. Lewellen

Georgia M. Lewellen, age 92 of Encampment, died Dec.30, 2013 at Regional Hospital in Spearfish, S.D.

A memorial service will be held an 11 a.m. Jan. 13, 2014 at the Encampment Presbyterian Church in Encampment.

Pastor Miki Laws will officiate the service. There will be no visitation. Inurnment will take place in the Rawlins City Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements are with Funeral Home of Northern Hills in Belle Fourche, S.D.

Georgia M. Wray was born Aug. 26, 1921 in West Plains, Mo. She was the daughter of Charles Oliver and Alta Ann (Raney) Wray. Georgia grew up on a farm near West Plains, Mo. She attended school at Renfrow Country School, near West Plains.

It was during a Sunday School Social that she met her future husband, William Joseph Verplancke. He was visiting relatives in Missouri and went with them to the ice cream social. They wrote to each other for six months before "Butch" returned to marry her on June 30, 1936.

Georgia and Butch spent the next 47 years together. To this union there were born two children, Rita Wray and Roger William. Georgia and Butch worked in the timber industry for R. R. Crow and Co. They also owned and operated the Side Saddle Inn in Encampment for several years. They enjoyed many fishing, hunting and camping trips with their family and enjoyed a good hot game of Bridge with friends. Butch died on Jan. 7, 1984.

On Nov. 2, 1991, Georgia was united in marriage to Bafford E. Lewellen,(Rear Admiral, Ret.) They enjoyed nine years of marriage before "Lew" died in June of 2000. They traveled to Belgium, France, Germany, England and even fished in New Zealand. Summers were spent in Encampment and winters in Oceanside, Calif.

Georgia knew what it was like to go without and she never forgot to help those in need. Her kind and compassionate nature will be remembered by many. She was a Christian woman with a strong faith in God. Fishing, hunting, camping and gardening, as well as a hot Bridge game were a few of her favorite things. Her infectious laugh will be sadly missed. She was a great cook and gracious hostess. Her specialty was pie-baking and what a treat it was to enjoy her fresh rhubarb raspberry pie.

She worked for several years in Saratoga for Ralph Crow & Sons, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County and for the Encampment Schools.

Georgia is survived by her daughter Rita (Dennis) Craiger, of Spearfish; two grandchildren, Loree (Jason) Schlichtemeier, of Sturgis; Steve Anderson, of Spearfish; five great grandchildren, Kaleb and Connor Anderson, of Spearfish; Kassi and Lauren Anderson; of Rawlins and Kathryn Anderson, of Okinawa.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, William Joseph Verplancke, Bafford E. Lewellen, her son Roger Verplancke, son-in-law Lyle Anderson, and her sisters Hazel Van Hook and Blanche Bess.

Friends may leave written condolences and view Georgia's video tribute at http://www.funeralhomeofthenorthernhills.com.