Mildred Tope, age 97, died Thursday, September 15, 2022, at Belle Estate Assisted Living, Belle Fourche, SD.

Mildred Della (Shepherd) Tope was born on October 2, 1924, to Piney (Pollock) Shepherd and Alf Shepherd. She was the first child born at Edgerton, WY. During her childhood, she lived in numerous homes in the oil patch in southwestern WY until she moved with her family to their ranch near Oshoto, WY.  Mildred graduated from Sundance High School in 1943 and went to college at Spearfish Normal School to become a teacher. Mildred taught at Little Missouri School from 1943-1944, the Poison Creek School from 1944-1945, and a country school in Butte County, SD near the WY, MT, and SD line in 1947.

Mildred married Robert Tope in 1944. To this union 3 sons were born, Robert Jr, Larry, and Jay. They ranched in SD until they purchased the Pollock ranch, on the Grey Road, North of Moorcroft, WY in 1949. They continued to ranch there until Bob's death in 2012. She then lived for several years in the Semlek home on Grey Road, next to her good friends Shawn and Vicki (Semlek) Cook. Mildred and Vicki spent many fun hours shopping in the stores of Gillette, WY. She then moved to the Aladdin WY ranch and lived independently near her son and daughter-in-law until one year ago, when she moved to Belle Estate Assisted Living, outside of Belle Fourche, SD. There she was very well cared for and lived out her last days with comfort and peace.

Mildred spoke often of her early years of teaching when she purchased a small trailer house "the first one invented". She stayed in it alone during the school year, sleeping with the potatoes so they wouldn't freeze, and breaking the ice in the school house water cooler every morning. After having her first son, Bobby, she sometimes rode horseback with her one-year-old in her lap to the neighbors so they could care for him while she rode on to the school to teach.

Mildred loved gardening, and had large gardens for many years, feeding their family year around with the food she canned. She enjoyed working outside, beside Bob, doing the milking, haying, and caring for chickens and calves. Mildred was an avid reader and read thousands of books in her lifetime. In 1986, she won the Pillsbury Bake-Off contest for the region and flew to Florida for the National Competition. She had never been on an airplane before and said she would have to be blindfolded and led on like a frightened horse. Mildred had a very sharp mind and a quick wit. She could converse about any subject and had a fantastic memory. She will be missed by her entire family.

Mildred is survived by her son Jay (Wilma) Tope of Aladdin, WY; grandchildren Jeremy (Dawn) Tope of Dixon, MO, Brian (Anita) Tope, Rozet, WY, Larissa (Mike) Anderson of Kansas City, MO, Molly (Joel) Blair, Zachary Tope, Torrey Tope all of Belle Fourche, SD, Trent Tope of Spearfish, SD, and Taresha Tope (Jeremiah Speckels) of Colorado Springs, CO; two step-grandchildren Brandon (Jessica) Gatzke of Newell, SD and Heather Gatzke of Belle Fourche, SD, sisters-in-law Jeannie Shepherd of Oshoto, WY, Rosie (Tope) Seymour and daughters-in-law Sandy Gatzke and Blinda Tope.  She had ten great-grandchildren and six step-great-grandchildren as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Bob, sons Robert and Larry, her parents, two brothers and their wives, Mike and Edith Shepherd and Roy and Carmen Shepherd, brother Raymond, sisters and brothers-in-law Doug & Fidelia (Tope) Gilger, Emma Jean Mitchell, and Melvin Seymour.

A visitation will be held at Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapel in Spearfish, SD on Sunday, October 2, 2022, from 3:00 to 5:00 P.M. Graveside services will be held on Monday, October 3, 2022, at 11:00 A.M. at Moore Hill Cemetery in New Haven, Wy.

Memorials are being directed to benefit Moore Hill Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Roberts & Isburg Funeral Chapel of Sundance. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com