Ray F. Bredthauer, 82, of Pinedale, Wyo., passed away peacefully in his sleep at Shepard of the Valley Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Casper, Wyo., on Dec. 13. Ray was born in Lusk, Wyo., on April 7, 1943. He attended school K-12 in Lusk.
He graduated from Niobrara County High School. He obtained a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Wyoming. He attended Agricultural Engineering School in Chadron, Neb. He married Dixie Miller in Lusk in 1964 at St. Paul Lutheran Church. He was hired as an Agricultural Engineer for International Harvester in Chicago. They moved back to Wyoming after their first child was born.
He worked for the BLM in Pinedale as a civil engineer. While working for the BLM, he designed the roads in the Scab Creek Campground, among other roads in Sublette County. He was also involved in creating the BLM logo. He later worked as a surveyor for SCS in Pinedale. Ray also owned Active Electric, a TV repair business. Later, he owned a contracting business. He was also in the rental business. He raised cows and owned his own brand.
Ray was the owner-operator of a tractor-trailer. He hauled Wildland firefighting equipment to major fires in California, Idaho, and Wyoming, including Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks.
He held his pilot’s license, an engineering license, and he had a commercial driver’s license.
He was an active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and the church council since moving to Pinedale. He was an elder for many years and held the office of vice president for the past 15 years. He also taught confirmation classes and Sunday school.
Ray’s hobbies included wrestling in high school and college. He earned the bronze medal in wrestling in college. He and Dixie loved to go boating, camping, and snowmobiling with family and friends. Every fall, they would go for a drive up to Elkhart Park to enjoy the foliage. He enjoyed watching football. He raised and broke wild mustangs that he adopted from the BLM. He enjoyed trail riding in the mountains. In his younger years, he raced snow machines.
He was active and supportive of his kids’ and grandkids’ extracurricular activities, such as 4H, football, and mudbogging. He was involved with the One Lunger snowmobile races that occurred annually for 25 years.
Ray is survived by his three children Troy Bredthauer, Darwin Bredthauer (Amy), Teresa Bredthauer (Jon); three grandchildren Saria (Bredthauer) McLean-Brandon, Malak Bredthauer-Sophia, and Jarak Bredthauer; two great-grandchildren Rossi McLean and Ryler McLean; his brothers David Bredthauer and Charles Bredthauer and their families, as well as numerous nieces and nephews from both sides of the family.
He was preceded in death by his father, Bill Bredthauer, his mother, Vera Bredthauer, his brother Ralph Bredthauer, and his wife, Dixie Bredthauer.
The funeral Service will be held Dec. 20, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 512 N Tyler St., Pinedale, Wyo., at 1 p.m. A private family viewing will be held from 11 a.m. to noon. An open viewing will be held from noon to 12:40 p.m. Following the graveside service, a reception will be held at the church. Family wishes memorial contributions go to the (LWML) associated with Our Savior's Lutheran Church, in Pinedale.
Ray has been joyously reunited with his wife of 61 years, Dixie! They will never have spent Christmas apart and will be together forever! Ray was a good Christian man, a loving father and husband. He will be missed beyond words.
