Carla Mae Macartney

Carla Mae Macartney, 91, (born Carla Mae Hampton) passed away on January 10, 2024, in Denver, her life taken by cancer. She died peacefully, surrounded by family. She would like to be remembered for how much she loved her family, her Native American heritage, her roots in Worland and Ten Sleep, and horses. Carla Mae led a remarkable life and was a remarkable woman. She was independent, curious, outspoken, and very loyal to her family and friends.

Carla Mae was born in 1932 in Worland, the daughter of Carl Hampton, a prominent sheep rancher and Mattie "Wanda" Hardwick, a former vaudeville sharpshooter. Her early years were spent on the ranch in Worland, their place south of Ten Sleep on the Nowood River, and on the mountain above. She graduated high school in the Worland HS Class of '50, where among other accomplishments she was selected for Girls' State, a prestigious leadership program. She thrived at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, where she studied Geology and honed her organizational and secretarial skills. She was a member of the Prince of Wales Club, the nation's oldest college equestrian program.

After graduating Stephens, Carla Mae worked in Casper at Stanolind Oil Company where she met her future husband, Mac, a geologist who went on to become a senior oil executive. She raised five children and lived around the world. In each new location, Carla Mae immersed herself in the local community. In Caracas, Venezuela, she became fluent in Spanish, won obedience trials with her champion black Labrador Retriever, Satan, and led the local cub scout troop. In Sevenoaks, England, and in Chicago, then Houston, she maintained a stable of horses and took pleasure in riding with friends and family. She and Mac retired to Denver in 1980 and established a family ranch south of Ten Sleep that will be a legacy for generations to come. Carla Mae loved and supported her husband until his early death at 57.

Undeterred by widowhood, Carla Mae travelled a great deal, including traversing Italy on horseback, where she "didn't have to open a single gate". She dove into genealogy, the Denver Area Stephens alumni club, and clogging. She loved music - playing piano and accordion, all by ear. She was an expert photographer, creating and maintaining photo albums for her retirement community residents to enjoy. She made lobby posters to drum up attendance for visiting live entertainers. She took advantage of the Covid pandemic lockdown to write her memoirs. Carla Mae became very computer savvy - amazing friends and family with custom photo portrait puzzles. She was a force of nature and remained so until the end.

Carla Mae was pre-deceased by one of her sons, a half-brother and sister, and her husband. She is survived by her brother Sam Hampton, four of her five children, ten grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a sizable herd of nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held this summer in Worland. Donations in lieu of flowers can be sent in her memory to a charity of your choice or to the Wyoming Woolgrowers Association to support Wyoming sheep ranching, at WWGA, 811 N Glenn Rd, Casper, WY 82601.