~~A funeral service for Nila Rebekah "Becky" McCartney, 90, was conducted at 2:00 P.M., Monday, October 20, 2008, at the First Christian Church in Wheatland, Wyoming, with Pastor Andy Gudahl officiating. Interment was in the Wheatland Cemetery.
She died Thursday, October 16, 2008, at the Davis Hospice Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Becky was born October 18, 1917, in Sedalia, Missouri, the daughter of Marion and Lydia Jane (Turner) Mills. She was raised in Orrick, Missouri, on the family farm. She was active in 4-H and completed Normal Schooling at Orrick. About 1936, she moved to Wyoming where she had family and obtained her teaching certificate at Laramie, Wyoming. Becky taught in one-room schools at Tie Siding and Esterbrook, Wyoming. While teaching at Esterbrook, she met James Bertram McCartney. They were married in Douglas, Wyoming, on June 8, 1938. They later moved to Wheatland where they worked on the Gus Graeffe and Bill Ryff farms. They rented the Ben Hall farm west of Wheatland and when the farm was sold they moved to another farm southwest of Wheatland. During the drought, they moved to a farm at Glenrock, Wyoming. From there they moved back to Wheatland and rented the Gus Graeffe farm and farmed there until the time came they could buy their own farm. While doing all of this, they raised four sons.
Becky was very active in genealogy, sewing, millinery, and gardening. She was an organizing member of the Indian Paint Brush Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and served as the Wyoming State Regent from 1990 thru 1992. She was also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary and a member of the Southern Baptist Church in Orrick. Becky and James celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this past June. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Survivors include her husband, James of Wheatland; three sons and their wives, LeRoy and Mary L. McCartney, Robert and Mary J. McCartney all of Wheatland, and Marion and Debbie McCartney of Elk Mountain, Wyoming; eight granddaughters; four grandsons; eleven great granddaughters; seven great grandsons; two great-great granddaughters; four great-great grandsons; and numerous nieces nephews, friends, and neighbors.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Grethel Black and Lena Bellis; a brother, Harley Mills; a son, Thomas Joel McCartney; three great granddaughters; one great grandson; and one great-great granddaughter.
Serving as pallbearers were Bill Kernan, Brandon McCartney, Brett McCartney, Darel Brown, Huey Dawson, and Brad Campbell. Honorary pallbearers were Mike Turner, Robert Harshbarger, Charles Woolsey, George Woolsey, Loyd Shindelbower, and Bill Coble.
Memorial to the Elizabeth Ramsey/Indian Paintbrush Chapter D.A.R., 305 Bordeaux Road, Wheatland, Wyoming 8201 would be appreciated by the family.
Gorman Funeral Homes - Platte Chapel of Wheatland was in charge of the arrangements.~~