Walter "Walt" Ervin Sturman

Walt Sturman, 74, Lusk, WY, passed away on Thursday, June 25th, 2015 at the Niobrara Health and Life Center in Lusk due to diabetes and heart complications.

A Memorial Service will held at the 4-H Shooting Sports Complex at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds in Lusk at 2:00 pm on Thursday, July 2nd. A coffee service will follow and graveside services will be held at a later date.

Walter Ervin Sturman was born on April 28th, 1941. He was the sixth child born to Benjamin and Margaret (DeGroot) Sturman. Walt was baptized at the Congregational Church in Lusk. He attended school in Lusk and graduated from Niobrara County High School in 1959.

During high school, Walt was an outstanding football player and wrestler. He was awarded a football scholarship to the University of Wyoming for football. He also played football and wrestled for Chadron State College.

After college, Walt met his wife Suzanne in Lusk and they were married on December 14, 1964. After living briefly in Wheatland and Riverton, they settled in Lusk and raised two daughters, Kelly and Traci. Walt was active building many 4-H carnival booths and cutting the Christmas tree for the Congregational Church for many years.

Walt worked in the oil field in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, California and many other places. Many water wells in Niobrara County were also drilled by Walt while he worked for D.C Drilling of Lusk. Walt was also in the Ironworker's Union, local 454 from Casper and helped build the Laramie River Power Station near Wheatland. After working in the oil field, Walt worked for Hubbard Milling in Lusk. After retirement, Walt spent the last few years working for the Parks Department for the Town of Lusk.

Walt loved to hunt, often going Elk hunting in the Big Horn Mountains and Laramie Peak. He was also an avid trapshooter. Walt began trapshooting at the Niobrara Sportsman's Club in 1984. He won numerous awards through his trapshooting career, including being inducted into the Wyoming Trap Shooting Hall of Fame in 2007.

After his retirement, Walt resumed creating leatherwork projects. He won several awards at the Niobrara County Fair open class division and made many original projects for friends and family.

Walt is preceded in death by his parents, Ben and Margaret Sturman, sister Marge Grisham, and brothers George, James, Gerald, John and Donald. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years Suzanne of Lusk, daughters Kelly Leichliter of Boone IA and Traci (Shawn) Ellingson of Summit, SD; grandchildren Amanda (Tony) Williams, CJ (Kahola) McKinney, Brittany (Andy) McKinney, Dawnece Leichliter, Jared Storms and Raelee Ellingson and one great-grandson Cash Williams and one brother Harold (Linda) Sturman of Laurel MT.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Niobrara Sportsman's Club or the Niobrara Senior Center.

Pier Funeral Home in Lusk is in charge of the funeral arrangements.

The Lusk Herald
November 4, 2015

Memorial services for Suzanne Sturman, 77, will be held at 1:00 P.M. Sat., Nov. 7, 2015, at the Congregational Church in Lusk. Suzanne passed away Tues., Sept. 29, 2015, in Boone, IA.

Graveside services at Lusk Cemetery following the Memorial service will be for Suzanne and her husband, Walter, who passed away June 25, 2015, in Lusk.

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