Carleton Scott Babb: 1944 – 2024
Carleton Scott Babb, 79, of Casper, Wyoming, passed away on June 9, 2024 surrounded by love and music.
The eldest of five, Carl was born to Carleton Wayne and Betty Mae Babb in Marquette, Michigan, after his father was deployed to the Philippines during WWII. Carl was active in Boy Scouts (receiving the Order of the Arrow), Explorer Scouts, and DeMolay. He played the coronet in band and later the soprano bugle in a drum and bugle corps. Carl attended three high schools, graduating from Grand Ledge High School in Michigan in 1962. He went on to earn a master’s degree in petroleum geology from Michigan State University in 1969 (Go green!) and was also an ROTC distinguished military graduate. He married the love of his life, Melinda, in 1967.
After college graduation, he served two years as a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps at Ft. McClellan, AL, and Ft. Douglas, Utah, before receiving an honorable discharge. He then began his career in oil and gas exploration and development, working for Unocal for 23 years in Illinois, Texas, Wyoming, and Michigan. He made a career shift in 1993, earning a master’s degree in hydrogeology from Western Michigan University. He joyfully returned to Casper in 1993, employed by Hydro-Engineering and later Gene George & Associates. In 2001 Carl formed his own consulting company.
Carl loved spending time with Melinda and their three daughters, sons-in-law, and seven granddaughters. Still, he found time to be very active in his community and beyond, including having served as a Junior Achievement Advisor, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Delegate, President and 1st Vice President of the Wyoming Geological Association, member of the Natrona County Planning Commission, Tate Museum Advisory Board Member, adult education instructor and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the First United Methodist Church, Charter Member of Natrona County High School’s Parents’ Advisory Committee, and an Adjunct Instructor of geology and hydrogeology at Casper College.
He had many hobbies and interests: cross country skiing, sailing, tennis, photography, hiking, camping, astronomy, and puttering. He loved to stay busy, frequently telling his exhausted family, “We’re burning daylight!”
Carl is survived by wife, Melinda Babb; daughters: Stacy Needles, Courtney Shosh, and Lindsey Babb Bailey and their families; two brothers; one sister; and many nieces and nephews. He was welcomed on the other side by his mother; father; one brother; and many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
A celebration of life for Carl will be held Saturday, June 15 at 2:00 p.m. at the Casper Senior Center, 1831 East 4th Street, Casper, Wyoming. Casual attire is welcomed. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests a donation made to the organization of your choice in his memory.
John Dennis “Jack” Reddon: 1937 – 2024
We are saddened to announce the peaceful passing of “Jack” John Dennis Reddon, who left us on May 18, 2024, at the age of 87, after a lengthy battle with lung disease.
Born on April 20,1937, Jack was born in Kemmerer Wyoming, attended school in Riverton Wyoming, served in the military, worked younger years in Bairoil & Lander Wyoming and other jobs throughout Wyoming in his youth. He re-married and co-ventured owning and managing A-1 Beauty Supply, he was a long time employee of Becker Olds & GMC of Casper where he started his venture in stock car racing. He owned other businesses with Kathy Reddon, who was the love of his life, he preceded her death in 2021 and had been missing her dearly ever since. He lived a lengthy marriage of 52 years with Kathy always at his side.
Jack had a long productive history with the stock car racing circuit having raced numerous years in 318 modified class throughout the speedways in Wyoming. He also played a major part in the construction of Casper Speedway. He and his wife Kathy, with cherished friends, began the partnership of building, managing, and maintaining the speedway races and derby for several years. He and Kathy were a profound influence in those years for the crowd at the speedway, which they had a great passion for and thoroughly enjoyed having been a big part in that legacy.
Jack was also a devoted outdoorsman alongside the love of racing and after retiring racing he continued his lifelong love for fishing and hunting. He much enjoyed the outdoor sports with Kathy, they shared so many adventures together along with hunting and fishing yearly with his brothers, family, and friends. His dedication to those pursuits was steadfast, hunting and fishing remained his desire until his final days. Jack’s enthusiasm for the great outdoors was contagious, and he inspired so many with his stories and adventures.
Jack will be missed by his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of meeting him. His spirit and zeal in his life will continue to live on in the hearts of those he touched. Some of his final inspiring words to a good friend were, “It’s in God’s hands now.”
Preceding him are his parents: Jack Reddon, father and Victoria Reddon, mother; wife, Kathryn (Kathy) Davison Reddon; and remaining survivors of his immediate family, sibling brothers: Robert Reddon (Patricia) and Jim Reddon (Marlys); his children; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A graveside service will be held in his honor on Saturday June 22, 2024, at the Mountain View Cemetery, 3540 W Main Street, Riverton Wyoming at 10:00 a.m.
Herty Ida Warnholtz: 1928 – 2024
Herty was born in 1928 in Wiesbadenm Germany to Georg and Elisabeth (Anstett) Stuetzel, the youngest of three children.
Her childhood in Germany was overshadowed by the events of World War II. She experienced that time as a civilian in a war torn country, including the death of her mother when Herty was only 14 years old, the death of her sister the following year, and being trapped in the cellar when their apartment building was bombed flat over her head in February 1945. Herty chose to always move forward throughout her life and to not allow herself to be frozen or stopped by tragedy or difficulties.
While studying for “one year” in Chicago at the Ray-Vogue Design School, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Northwestern University, she met Werner E. Warnholtz. The sparks flew, and they married in December, 1950. Together, they enjoyed long road trips, ballroom dancing at every opportunity, hiking with the TVC, attending Illinois Bar Association events, supporting the Northwestern University football team at games, welcoming friends and friends of friends and friends of their children into their home, participating in their church and community, and visiting their first grandchildren. Their house was always welcoming.
In 1955, Herty became a proud citizen of the United States of America, a country she loved, deeply appreciated, and never took for granted.
Werner and Herty made their home in Chicago with the exception of an adventurous six-year interlude in Medford, Oregon from 1956 to 1962. There, she was introduced to camping, wildlife, carved a beautiful garden out of a barren lot, and enjoyed the Pacific Ocean.
In 1988, after 35 years of marriage and Werner’s death in 1986, Herty relocated to Casper, Wyoming where she enjoyed the wide open spaces and nearby Casper Mountain. She hiked extensively with the Happy Trails Hikers throughout Wyoming and the Rocky Mountains, cross country skied, snow shoed, organized get-togethers and outings, and continued to identify wildflowers and an array of wildlife, sometimes while watching sunsets in the foothills above Casper.
Consistently during her life, Herty was an energetic, talented, and caring person. She had a love of life that she shared as a wife, mother, grandmother and friend. This was often demonstrated through cooking, knitting, dress designing, creative handiwork, and listening. Her words of wisdom are still treasured by many.
Volunteering was always a major part of Herty’s life.
CHICAGO – First Congregational Church of Forest Glen (officer and Guild member); Forest Glen Community Club and Teen Canteen; PTAs; Columbia Club of Chicago (President); German Aid Society of Chicago (President); Women’s Auxiliary of the Germania Club of Chicago; Germania Club Choir; Technical Society of Chicago (TVC); and election judge. Herty organized a young girls group that met weekly in her home where she taught them to dance, speak German, crafts, sewing and games for her youngest daughter and friends. This group also took field trips around Chicago. Herty accomplished all of this while she assisted in her husband’s law firm and raised three daughters.
MEDFORD – Congregational Church (Sunday School teacher); March of Dimes; United Way; PTA (vice-president and room mother); Civic Music; Junior Service League; Red Cross; Polio Clinic; Brownie Leader; introduced German and sewing to neighborhood children..
CASPER – First United Methodist Church; Natrona County Public Library (30 years, Local Hero’ Award, and Volunteer of the Year); nominated for RSVP Volunteer of the Year; Meals on Wheels; Casper Geo Wives (Treasurer and Program Chair); G. Michael Perry Memorial Special Olympics Softball Tournament; Wyoming Historical Society; Side Walkers; Casper German Stammtisch; Water Project for children at Casper College; Let’s Ride (Wyoming special horsem*n); Caps for Kids’; organized an Elder Hostel about the Oregon Trail at Casper College; Platte River Trails; Blue Envelop; Casper Symphony Guild; Jefferson Award nominee; Natrona County Republican Women.
The past six years, Herty enjoyed living in her lovely courtyard apartment at Mountain Plaza Assisted Living where the staff and other friends became very special to her and her family.
Herty was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her brother, Karl Stuetzel; her sister, Maria Stuetzel; and son-in-law, G. Michael Perry.
She is survived by her daughters: Margo Perry of Casper, Wyoming; Heidi (Drew) Walker of Casper, Wyoming; and Marilyn Warnholtz (Craig Sterkel) of Longmont, Colorado; grandchildren: Hilery (William) Lindmier; Clinton (Alecia) Walker; Allison Perry; Cody (Jaz) Cardwell; Elisabeth Perry; Faith Cardwell; and Christopher Perry; great-grandchildren: Amelia, Penny, Zoe, Wyatt, Natalie, and Sierra.
A memorial service will be held in Casper, Wyoming at the Oregon Trail State Veterans’ Cemetery chapel on Monday, June 17, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. followed by a simple “Kaffeestunde” (German coffee hour) reception at the Tate Pumphouse along the North Platte River where we can share memories of Herty.
Herty passed away at the Kloefkorn Home at Central Wyoming Hospice and Transitions in Casper on Thursday June 6, 2024.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Central Wyoming Hospice and Transitions or to the Werner Wildlife Museum at Casper College would be appreciated.
