Forrest Aline Petrich, 92, resident of Byron, Wyoming passed away on the 19th of July 1995 at the North Big Horn Hospital in Lovell, Wyoming of natural causes. She was born the 21st of January 1903 in Wichita Falls, Texas the fifth of seven children of Thomas B. and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Humphries Cockburn. She attended schools in Texas and Oklahoma. As a child, she traveled with her family by wagon to Old Mexico to settle. The trip proved to be disappointing and they soon returned to Texas. There, soon after her last child was born, Forrest's mother passed away, leaving father Thomas alone with his young family to raise. Forrest had much of the responsibility of the younger children from the time she was 6 years old. She learned to cook and care for them with the help of her older brothers while their father was away at work. Their father insisted that the family stay together even though several people thought the children would be better off divided amongst willing families.
She graduated from Chickasaw Business College in 1920 and moved to Houston to work as a legal secretary. On the 26th Jul 1923 she married Arthur Henry Petrich in Houston, Texas. They moved to Byron in 1934. Arthur died in 1977. Forrest remained at her home in Byron, except for trips to visit various family members until 19 months ago, when she suffered a stroke and moved into New Horizons Care Center in Lovell, Wyoming. She received wonderful care while she was a resident there. Forrest was a member of the Church of Christ in Powell, Wyoming, the Eastern Star, and the VFW Auxiliary. Survivors include three children: Arthur Forrest (Bud) Petrich of Byron, Charmaine P. Bailey of San Francisco, California, and John D. Petrich of Byron, 13 grand-children, 18 great-grand children, and numerous relatives and friends. She was known affectionately by many as "Granny P." and "Great Granny". Funeral services were held at 10 A.M. Saturday, the 22nd of July 1995 in the LDS chapel in Byron, Wyoming. The service was conducted by Kenneth Baker of the Church of Christ. Burial was at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Powell, Wyoming. Haskell Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Family traveling from out of town to attend the service included: daughter Charmaine, granddaughters Ann Bailey, Bridget and Gary Yarbrough from California, and Connie and Tim Shaw from Riverton, Wyoming. Grandsons Scott Petrich from Powell, Wyoming, and Wade Bailey from California. Great-grandchildren Sean Hoppes, Rachel Yarbrough from California, and Christopher Petrich from Greeley, Colorado.