Garland Bartlett, Jr, resident of Saratoga, WY, passed away on November 15, 2023 at the age of 80 years old. He was born on 11/14/1943 in Saratoga Wyoming to Garland Bartlett, Sr. and Elsie Williams. He grew up on the family ranch and attended school in Saratoga. As a teenage boy, he helped to build the Old Baldy golf course. He loved sports and played football and basketball for the Saratoga Panthers. He graduated from Saratoga High School in 1962. He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in New Zealand for 2 years. He then went to the University of Wyoming and studied mathematics and agriculture. While attending college, he met the love of his life, Sue Kunesh. They were married on June 12, 1969 in Saratoga. They are the proud parents of 3 children: Kristin, Greg, and Karin. He received a Bachelor of Science degree and went on to teach Vocational Agriculture in Elgin, North Dakota and Burns, Wyoming. He then returned to Saratoga and became a bus driver and then Transportation Director for Carbon County School District #2. The students loved him and called him Mr. Wonderful. He worked for the school district for over 30 years. However, his love was to work on his family ranch. He was a third-generation rancher in the Platte Valley. He was considered a master hayer, having hayed in over 50 ranches in the Platte Valley. Even after he retired from the school district, he continued to hay with Bartlett Custom Haying. He hayed with his son, Greg, and grandsons. He loved sports, especially football and basketball. He loved to make lists of top 10 teams in the NFL and predict NCAA March Madness brackets. He loved watching his grandsons run cross country and play football and basketball for the Saratoga Panthers. He also loved to watch the weather forecast. He was always available to offer advice to family members who would be traveling through questionable weather and road conditions. He was known as “the weather man” to his family. He was an avid lover of music and would sit for hours with his family watching performances that he loved. He enjoyed wood working and made several pieces of furniture for his children. He loved his 8 grandsons. They were his pride and joy.
He is survived and will be sadly missed by his wife, Sue Bartlett; children Kristin and Kwin Wilkes, Greg and Heather Bartlett, and Karin and Christopher Morley; his eight grandsons Tyler Wilkes, Gage Bartlett, Brady Wilkes, Gavin Bartlett, Grady Bartlett, Grant Bartlett, Mason Wilkes, and Griffin Bartlett.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Garland and Elsie, sister Ellen, and brother David. He is survived by his sisters Marilyn Schroeder and Evelyn Allred.
The viewing/visitation service will be held on December 2, 2023 from 9:00-10:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints at 950 W. Hugus Ave with the funeral following at 10:00. He will be interred at the Saratoga Cemetery.
Casada Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Tributes and condolences may be offered online at www.casadacares.com.
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