Donald R. Amend, Jr.

Donald R. Amend, Jr. died at home in Powell, Wyoming, Aug. 16, 2024.

Don was born April 24, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois to Donald R. Amend, Sr. and Mary Louise Dyson Amend, the first of six siblings. The family lived in New Orleans, Louisiana where Don, Sr. was stationed with the Navy until after World War II, then briefly in Ogden, Utah before moving to Laramie, Wyoming, where Don. Jr. developed his earliest memories. Following his father's graduation from the University of Wyoming the family lived in Superior and Hyattville before moving to Worland.

After two years at the Hyattville school, Don was educated in the Worland schools, graduating from Worland High School in 1962. He attended the University of Wyoming, where he met his wife Karen Olson and completed a bachelor of education degree in 1966. In 1973 he earned a master's degree through summer school at UW.

He and Karen were married in June, 1967. Both of their children, daughter Erica Dawn, born in 1971 and son Joshua Donald, born in 1973 were born in Greybull, Wyoming.

Don began teaching social studies and English in 1966 at Evanston High School, then moved to Greybull in 1969 where he taught for the next 30 years. At various times during his career, he directed plays, coached the girls basketball team for a season and advised the yearbook staff.

He was active in the Wyoming Education Association, serving as an officer in the Greybull Education Association for many years and representing the local at the WEA delegate assembly many times. He also represented the WEA at the NEA representative assembly twice, served on two state commissions and was twice elected to serve on the WEA board of directors as president of the WEA Northwest District.

Don was a member of the Greybull Officials Association for many years, and enjoyed officiating varsity football and countless junior varsity and junior high football and basketball games. He sang in community choirs and performed in community musicals, including his favorite play,

"Fiddler on the Roof." He helped coach baseball at several levels and helped with the Greybull USA Wrestling team. He served as a volunteer EMT and was a member of the South Big Horn Search and Rescue Squad during the 1980s.

Following his retirement from teaching in 1999, Don began working as a writer, photographer and darkroom technician for the Basin Republican Rustler and the Greybull Standard. He began writing a column, "The Amend Corner" at that time and continued to write it weekly until

2006. In 2002, he and Karen moved to Powell when Karen became the children's librarian at the Powell branch library. He worked for a short time at the Shoshone Learning Center and continued to work part-time for the Big Horn County newspapers until 2004, when he joined the Powell Tribune as a writer/photographer. He wrote editorials and continued writing "The Amend Corner" even after medical problems forced him to quit working full-time in 2012.

In August, 1954, Don was baptized at the First Baptist Church of Worland, then affiliated with American Baptist Churches/USA. He attended First Baptist in Laramie while in college and joined the Evanston Baptist Church before becoming a member of First Baptist in Greybull in

1969. He served in a number of offices at Greybull and remained a member of the Greybull Church after moving to Powell. He began attending United Presbyterian in Powell in 2007, but continued to support American Baptist Mission until his death.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Jeffrey, sister Bonnie, in-laws Walter and Helene Olson and niece Janelle Derr.

He is survived by his wife Karen of 57 years and their children and grandchildren: Erica (Vadanak) Try, Mattea and Arun of Rochester, MN. and Joshua (Jennifer Karsner) Amend, Linnaea and Cormac of Accra, Ghana, Africa. Also surviving are his siblings, Patrick (Nancy) Amend of Casper, Christopher (Della Gay) Amend of Gillette and Lorie (Kent) Swenson of Omaha, Nebraska, and Karen's siblings, Christine (Bruno) Jappert, of Grants Pass, Oregon, Adele (Stan) Smith of Torrington and Keith (LaDonna) Olson of New Salem, North Dakota as well as 15 nieces and nephews and their children.

Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held the summer of 2025, when all the family can be together. Memorials may be made to International Ministries, 1003 W 9th Ave., Set A, King of Prussia, PA 19406-1210; Loaves & Fishes, Food Pantry, P.O. Box 992, Powell, WY 82435.