C. Dale Wickham

C. Dale Wickham, age 78, of Torrington, WY, formerly of O'Neill, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, at the Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff.

Memorial services were held on Saturday, March 2, 2013, at 10 a.m. at the First United Wyoming Presbyterian Church in Torrington, WY. Military honors were conducted. Cremation has taken place.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Colyer Funeral Home and friends are invited to send condolences to the family at www.colyerfuneralhome.com.

Dale was born Clarence Dale Wickham on Nov. 28, 1934, in Torrington, WY, the son of Carl and Lillian (Robbins) Wickham. He grew up and received his education;  graduating from Torrington High School in 1952. In April 1953 he entered the U.S. Army and served until 1956. He married his high school sweetheart Edith 'Edie' Henman in Bridgeport on Nov. 25, 1953.

He worked as the assistant manager of Safeway food stores in Cheyenne, WY, for 11 years and then as manager for the next nine years at the Torrington, WY, and Alliance stores. In 1975 the family moved to O'Neill where Dale and the family had a dream and were inspired to build their own grocery store; which they did and called it "Dale's I.G.A." Then in 1987 they bought the local Daylight Donut shop in Torrington which they operated for eight years. They sold the shop and retired in 1995.

Dale was very active in the Torrington community with memberships in the Rotary Club, the Lions, American Legion Post and the VFW Post. He was a member of the EWC Board for 12 years, with six of those serving as president. 

Dale loved working with young people. He taught Sunday school and was a Valley Christian School volunteer where he found real enjoyment working with the children. They in turn loved him so much that they affectionately referred to him from time to time as "Bunka."

He enjoyed fishing, camping and hiking and golf. He also loved watching and talking about his Green Bay Packers, Boston Red Sox and the Wyoming Cowboys. He was a woodworker and made wooden doll houses for all of his granddaughters and wood barns for all the grandsons.

Dale is survived by his wife, Edie; two daughters, Wendy (Stan) Buller and Holly (Mark) West, all of Torrington; a son, Robin Wickham and his fiance Dori of Douglas, WY; his half sister, Katherine "Kathy" (Ted) Bryant of Conrad, Iowa; seven grandchildren: Sarah (Buller) Hatch, Brandon Buller, Carla (Wickham) Palomo, Becky Wickham, Marshall Wickham, Whitney (West) Stolen and Mason West and 15 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Carl.

Those who wish may direct memorial contributions in Dale's honor to either the Valley Christian School or to Eastern Wyoming College, both in Torrington.