Long time Crook County resident, Fern Grubb, age 95 passed away on Friday, January 31, 2020 at the Crook County Long Term Care Facility in Sundance, WY.

Memorial services will be held on Monday, February 10 ^th at 1:00 p.m. at the Greater Hulett Community Center in Hulett, WY with private family graveside services following the service. In lieu of flowers, a memorial to the American Legion Auxiliary Unit #80 of Hulett has been established in Fern's name.

Grace Fern Eaton Grubb was born on January 21, 1925 in Crook County to parents Gerald and Velma (Steinkamp) Eaton. Fern was born in a log cabin on her grandfather Steinkamp's homestead on Sunny Divide, west of Sundance. Her parents moved often with her father working on ranches and construction jobs in the area, one of which the family lived in a tent at the foot of Devil's Tower where her dad worked on the first river bridge in 1927 using horses to do all of the dirt work. She had two younger siblings, Clara Mae and Leonard.

Fern attended rural schools in Crook County mainly in the Moorcroft/Sundance area and lived through hardships of the great drought in the 30's with grasshoppers and mormon crickets and times of ranchers having to their have livestock purchased and disposed of by the Government. She graduated 8 ^th grade from Moorcroft schools and later attended high school in Sundance where she graduated with the class of 1942. The country was at war at this time and teachers were in short supply so she attended the University of Wyoming Extension classes the summer she graduated high school to receive a "War Emergency Permit" to become a teacher. She taught at various country schools from 1942-1945 riding horseback to teach school.

Fern married Fredrick Donal Grubb on August 11, 1944 in Broadus, Montana. Don was home on leave from the Navy at the time. Don returned from the service in October of 1945 and the couple purchased a ranch east of Devil's Tower. While at the ranch, they built a new home and also experienced the blizzard of 1949 and raised their three children Kenneth; Donna; and Joyce. Due to Don's failing health, the couple sold the ranch in 1974 and moved to Hulett to retire. Don passed away on August 17, 1976 and Fern continued to live in Hulett and work for the Hulett Schools as a library assistant until she retired. Fern was an avid card player that loved playing Cribbage; Pinochle; and Bridge. She was an active member of many organizations including the Shamrock Homemakers Club; American Legion Auxiliary; the Hulett Development Corporation; the Senior Center Board in Spearfish and many more.

Fern married Lorin Harper of Sundance in June of 1995 and they moved to Spearfish, SD. The couple traveled the world together and shared many wonderful memories going back as far being high school classmates in Sundance. Lorin passed away January 27, 2007. Fern continued to live in Spearfish and after selling her home in 2013 moved into Edgewood Vista Assisted Living for many years before moving to the Sundance Nursing Home in August of 2019 due to failing health and dementia. Fern turned 95 on January 21 ^st of 2020 and had one of her "better days" sharing memories of every person who had sent birthday card wishes to her.

Fern is survived by her children Kenneth (Janet) of Sundance, WY; Donna Kiewel of Rapid City, SD and Joyce (Dave) Hall of Buffalo, WY. Grandchildren Lisa (Shawn) Osborne; Scott (Bobbi) Grubb; Jason (Stephanie) Grubb; Fred (Teri) Kiewel; Karen (Brett) Foreman; Amanda (Greer) Monterastelli; and Joe (Tara) Hall. She had 18 great grandchildren and numerous great, great grandchildren. She is also survived by sister-in-law Joyce Eaton of Gillette, WY and numerous nieces and nephews.

Fern was preceded in death by her parents; her two husbands Donal Grubb and Lorin Harper; siblings (ClaraMae Shannon and Leonard Eaton) and son-in-law Ken Kiewel.