Edna Mae DeCastro

Edna May Howard DeCastro

May 8, 1991
Edna Mae Howard DeCastro

Edna DeCastro, long-time Lusk resident, died Monday, May 6, 1991. Services are pending at Peet Mortuary in Lusk. A complete obituary will follow.

Lusk Herald
May 15, 1991

Services for Edna Mae Howard DeCastro, age 84, were held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 11, 1991, at the First Baptist Church in Lusk with Rev. Muriel Michaels and Dr. George Osborne officiating. Burial was in the Lusk Cemetery.

DeCastro died Sunday evening at her home in Lusk. She was born Dec. 29, 1906, in Fairfield, Neb., the third child of Harry and Neletta Howard. The Howard family moved to Atkinson, Neb., in 1910 and to Manville, Wyo., in 1918. She lived in Manville until her marriage to Abdon DeCastro on Jan. 18, 1930.

She and Ab made their home in Lusk with the exception of four years during World War II, when they moved to Bremerton, Wash.

She attended grade school and high school in Manville, graduating in 1924. After graduation she taught school in several places throughout Niobrara County.

In 1932, she was elected County Superintendent of Schools and served for one term. Following that one term, Edna and Ab built their motel which they operated together until Ab's death in 1981. Edna continued to operate it until the time of her death.

She was active in the First Baptist Church of Lusk. Over the years she taught Sunday School, sang in the choir and played the piano and the organ for church services.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and two brothers, Ransom and Ralph Howard.

Survivors include two brothers, Robert and Ross Howard; two sisters, Emma Richardson and Erma Keenan; three children, Dolores Welty, Howard DeCastro and Edward DeCastro; five grandchildren, Ryan and Dara Welty, Catherine and Howard DeCastro Jr. and Cris DeCastro; one great-grandchild, Amanda Marie DeCastro; plus numerous other relatives and friends.

For those who wish, memorials to the First Baptist Church will be appreciated by the family.

Peet Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.

The Lusk Herald
May 17, 1989
Edna DeCastro continues the family business

Edna DeCastro, 82, of Lusk continues to run the business she and her husband established in 1937, DeCastro Court, on the east edge of Lusk.

DeCastro was born Dec. 29, 1906, in Fairfield, Neb., one of seven children. The family moved to Atkinson, Neb., and stayed there until 1918 when they moved to Manville.

Her parents built a large home in Manville in 1918, during the oil boom there. The house was recently sold, DeCastro said. She lived in Manville until she married Abdon "Ab" DeCastro of Lusk in 1930. Ab was one of 12 children.

DeCastro graduated from Manville High School in 1924 and attended the University of Wyoming. She returned to the Manville area, where she taught country school for two years, taught at the Carbon Plant for two years, and taught in the Manville school for two years.

After their marriage, the couple moved to Lusk in January 1930, where he worked as a mechanic.

In 1932, DeCastro ran for county superintendent and won. She served the county for two years. She said she did not run fro re-election because she wanted to stay home to raise her family.

"I went in at the same time Roosevelt went into office," she said with pride.

She did some substitute teaching while she was raising her family, she said.

In 1937, the couple started DeCastro Court, and then leased the business while they were living in Bremerton, Wash., near Seattle, during the war. Ab was working in the shipyard during that time.

DeCastro said she taught school in Washington during the four years they were there.

The family came back to Lusk in 1946 and took over the business again.

DeCastro has been active in the Baptist Church for many years, playing the organ and piano. She also used to sing some, but does not do that any more.

"I am involved in church work, taking care of my family and my business," she said.

She has three grown children - Delores Welty, of San Diego, Calif.; Howard Lee, of Alexandria, Va.; and Edward Austin of Fallon, Nev.

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