Robert Eugene McFarlane

Robert Eugene McFarlane

Robert Eugene McFarlane died early the morning of Friday, Jan. 6, 2012 at the Converse Memorial Hospital in Douglas, WY. He was 67 and had been disabled since 1998. Robert was born Dec. 8, 1944 to Ralph and Mary (Kinney) McFarlane in Lusk, Wyoming. He graduated from Niobrara County High School, Lusk, WY in 1963. After graduation, Robert spent a year with U.S. Job Corps in Washington D.C. and San Francisco, CA where he learned to repair typewriters. During the years 1973 through 1980, he took a series of classes at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy in Douglas, WY. On April 4, 1972, he married Pauline Fischer at the Methodist Church in Burwell, Nebraska. They divorced in 1992.

Beginning in Sept 1972, Robert was employed for 10 years as a policeman for the Town of Lusk. For the next ten years he was employed by Neosha, Lamb Construction, and Platte Valley Construction doing road construction throughout the State of Wyoming. During the last five years of his working career, he was employed by the Douglas Golf Course until he was forced to retire in 1998.

During his retirement, Robert took up cooking. He would sit at his table in his apartment at Irwin Towers in Douglas, Wyoming, slicing and dicing vegetables for his stews. Other favorites he was fond of preparing were large batches of chili and salmon patties made with corn, a recipe handed down from his mother. He would place a large kettle of his cooked creation of the day and plastic containers on a rolling cart to deliver servings to his neighbors at the Towers. Robert always took great joy in doing nice things for his friends and family.

In the Summer of 2004, Robert's oldest brother Martin made plans to attend his 50th high school reunion in Lusk. He invited the whole McFarlane clan to come to Wyoming while he was there. Thus began the annual family reunions in Douglas & Casper.

Robert looked forward to these with great anticipation, and he would instigate the planning by sending messages to family members using his small e-mail machine. He usually insisted on providing the main dish for our potluck dinners. His family greatly appreciated his taking the lead in organizing our gatherings because it resulted in closer family ties.

Robert is survived by his daughters, Valerie "Ann" (Marty) Freeman and Annette McFarlane and two grandsons, Jacob Irwin and Traigh Freeman all of Burwell Neb.; one sister Marjorie Sides of Casper, Wyo.; and two brothers, Martin of Culpeper, Va.; and Gary (Joyce) of McMinnville, Or.

A memorial service will be held for family and friends at a later time. Cremation.

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