Historical Details

Pfister, Thomas Edwin

Courtesy of Our Heritage: Niobrarans and Neighbors, 02/08/2021

THOMAS EDWIN PFISTER

by Mildred Pfister McGee

Thomas Edwin Pfister (1895-1967) was a ranch owner of Niobrara County. He had lived in that county his entire life and was a ranch operator north of Hat Creek on Old Woman Creek. Before this, Mr. Pfister lived south of Lusk at Peazal, and, in 1916 came to the present location, which then consisted of 280 acres. He had only a few cattle, but increased his herds and bought additional land. In 1930, he started in the sheep business along with his cattle opera­tion.

His cattle brand was Lazy E P, estab­lished in the 1920's and recommended by Tom Bell. He also owned Reversed D Bar D, the old Solon Clark brand, which he gave to his daughter Mildred; Reversed G Bar X, estab­lished in 1914 and belonging to his son James and daughter Mildred Pfister McGee.

He owned cattle branded Round Top Hat one time. His sheep brand was Trapezoid En­closed Bar.

In the 1920s and 1940s, he added con­siderable land to the Old Woman Creek ranch, which is 35 miles north of Lusk and a mile south of the old Red Bird store. Later on, he bought over 23 sections, piece by piece, all in one body, on Cottonwood and Oat Creeks. Finally, in 1963, the Dean Ranch, a few miles east of Lusk, which at one time belonged to Mr. Pfister's parents, was add­ed to the ranch operation. At the time of his death, Mr. Pfister ran commercial Here­ford and Black Angus cattle and Rambouillet sheep.

Edwin Pfister was born on the home ranch near Node, Wyo. April 17, 1895, to John and Ellen Arnold Pfister.   His parents came to Wyoming from Kansas, by train and covered wagon, in 1884, and settled near the Rawhide Buttes; in fact, between the Running Water and the Rawhide country.

Later, they moved to a locality southwest of Node, where they ran both cattle and sheep, 200 of the former and 4500 of the latter stock. Mr. Pfister had seven brothers, Vincent, Valentine, John, Richard, William, and Leo and Arthur (who died in infancy), and five sisters, Jane Joy, Ella Dean, Frances Anderson, Anne Wasserburger and Margaret (Maggie) Olinger. There were three sets of twins. He was educated in a country school at Node, and in Lusk, and Junction City, Kan.

Mr. Pfister and Martha Elizabeth Huey were married in Junction City, in May 1915. They became the parents of one daughter, Mildred Elaine and two sons, John James and Jack Edwin. Mildred, married to Robert L. McGee, both graduates of the University of Wyoming with the class of '41, lives in Cheyenne. John James has his own machinery and is a construction operator. He attended the University of Wyoming and is a resident of Lusk. Jack Edwin is in the ranching business on the home ranch.

There are five grandchildren: James Edwin Pfister of Lincoln, Nebr.; Jack Edwin, Jr. and Patrick Ray Pfister of Hat Creek; and Kathleen Louise and Michael Lee McGee of Cheyenne.

Mr. Pfister passed away July 31, 1967, at the home ranch after a long illness.

Mr. Pfister was a former member of the Elks, early member of the school board for a number of years, a member of the Farm Bureau since its beginning in Wyoming, a member of the Niobrara Pioneer Association, and of the Catholic Church. He was an ex­ cellent judge of livestock. His usefulness to the stock-raising industry of Niobrara County was widely acknowledged, and his ability  and solid  worth  made him one of the outstanding ranchers of this  section  of Wyoming.

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Related/Linked Records

Record Type Name
Obituary Pfister, Thomas (04/17/1895 - 07/31/1967) View Record
Obituary Pfister, Martha (03/17/1892 - 12/13/1974) View Record