Penrose Reflections: James Brooks Wasden

James Brooks Wasden

GRAVE LOCATION - Block C Lot 4 Grave 5

on the same stone as Tilda Christina Wasden
STONE SAYS married 9 Mar 1898

James Brooks Wasden
Born 16 July 1870, Scipio, Millard, Utah
Son of John Brooks Wasden & Sophia Olsen
Md Tilda Christensen, 9 Mar 1898, Manti, Sanpete, Utah
Died 25 Feb 1966, Lovell, Big Horn, Wyoming (Lovell Nurseing Home)
Buried 1 Mar 1966

James B. Wasden Services Held

Funeral services were held Tuesday morning for James Brooks Wasden, 95, retired Penrose farmer, in the Gold Chapel of the Big Horn Stake Center. Bishop Scott Welch conducted the program which opened with a vocal solo "O Divine Redeemer" sung by Mrs. Phil Reasch and accompanied by Carma Allred. Arthur Asay gave the invocation and Dwight Blood, a grandson, gave the obiturary. Josephine Sorenson played an organ solo which was followed by the sermon given by Ernest Jensen of Byron.

The Closing song was sung by Art, Ford, Klaes and Scott Welch. Their selection was "Jesus, My Savior True." The benediction was pronounced by Orin Jones. Interment was held in the Lovell Cemetery under the direction of Haskell Funeral Home. Max Lowe of Ten Sleep decidcated the grave. Mr. Wasden died Friday in the nursing wing of North Big Horn hospital. Where he had been a patient for three and a half years. Although he farmed for many years in Penrose and served as Bishop of the Penrose Ward for 13 years, he moved to Lovell in 1955.

Mr. Wasden served as a teamster and later construction foreman on some of the first roads that were built in Yellowstone Park. An early pioneer in the area, he first heard of the Big Horn Basin from Buffalo Billl Cody whom he met while he was working on the railroad in Sheridan.

Col. Cody described the opportunities to Mr. Wasden, drawing him a map of this country and telling him of the two routes to the Yellowstone Park, over "Dead Indian hill into Cooke City and up the North Fork of the Stinking Water."

Hightlights of Mr. Wasden's work in the Park were the dedication of the arch at the Gardiner entrance when he was privileged to meet and shake hands with President Theodore Roosevelt, and construction of the Chittenden bridge in 1903.

Mr. Wasden was an active member of the LDS church and had filled a mission in his youth. He was married to Tilda Christensen in the Manti LDS temple Mar. 9, 1898. His parents were Mr. and Mrs John Brooks Wasden of Scipio, Utah.

Survivors include two sons, David of Cody and Brooks of Medford, Ore.; four daughters Mrs. Alvin Johnson of Lovell, Mrs. Russell Blood of Garland, Mrs. Elna House of Cody and Mrs. Norman Sorensen of Lovell; 35 grandchildren, 92 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.

James Brooks Wasden, age 95, died Friday in the nursing wing of the North Big Horn hospital, where he had been a resident for three and a half years. He was a former resident of Penrose.

Mr. Wasden was born July 6, 1870, at Scipio, Utah, the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Brooks Wasden. His earlier years were spent in Gunnison, Colo. On Mar. 9, 1898, he married Tilda Christensen in Manti, Utah.

Interment was in the Penrose Cemetery.