Howard Haas

TORRINGTON, WY . . . . Funeral services for HOWARD ADOLPH HAAS, 84, will be held at 2pm on Friday, October 29, 2010 at the First Wyoming United Presbyterian Church with Reverend Curtis Hill officiating. Burial with Military Honors will follow in the Valley View Cemetery. Howard passed away on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at the Goshen Care Center in Torrington. Visitation hours will be held at the Colyer Funeral Home on Thursday, October 28 from 3pm to 7pm and the casket will be open at the church service. Memorials have been established at Eastern Wyoming College for either the Vet Tech Program or the Welding & Machine Tooling Program. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Colyer Funeral Home and friends may send condolences to the family at www.colyerfuneralhome.com Howard was born on July 28, 1926, in Torrington, Wyoming the son of George Fredrick and Edith Emma (Arnold) Haas. He was raised on the family homestead located near Veteran, Wyoming and he attended school at Veteran; graduating Veteran High School in 1944. In September of that year, Howard was drafted into the Army. He served his country with the US Army during WWII from 1944 until October 1945 where he was mainly with the occupational forces in Japan. While on a leave from duty, Howard married Mary Joyce Hacker on June 20, 1945 at the Presbyterian Church in Torrington. Following his discharge from service in Japan, Howard and Joyce lived at Veteran, Wyoming where they worked on the farm and ranch with Howard’s father and two older brothers. In 1961, a corporation was formed and it was known as "Haas Farms, Inc.", and in 1968 Howard was the successor to his father as President. Howard and Joyce continued to farm and ranch for many years before moving to Torrington in 1986, but Howard continued to work out at the farm until his retirement in 1995. Howard was active in the Veteran community with the Volunteer Fire Department, the Boy Scouts, 4-H, and he was a 65 year member of the American Legion, Marlyn B. Anderson Post #56. He was also a member of the Presbyterian Church and was an Elder and Clerk of Session for several years. Howard served on the Goshen Irrigation District Board for 30 years and received the Headgate Award for Wyoming from the Four States Irrigation Council in 1989. He was on the Wyrulec Company Board from 1973 to 1987 and served as President for one term and held other offices as well. Howard was a Farm Bureau member and served as President of the Board for several years. He was also a member of the Wyoming Angus Association, as well as the Wyoming Stockgrowers, and he was listed in the 1970-1971 edition of "Who’s Who in the West". Howard was a true man of the soil. He enjoyed farming; always looked forward to another spring when he could jump on the tractor and start plowing. A perfectionist - the beet and corn rows had to be straight and even. Howard enjoyed irrigating the crops and watching them respond to the water. Howard truly loved and enjoyed his six grandchildren and five great grandchildren. It was not unusual for him to hand them some money whenever they came to visit; saying, "maybe this will buy some gas for your car." Howard is survived by his wife of 65 years, Joyce of Torrington; his two sons, Dr. Galen Haas and his wife Maryann of Lewiston, Idaho; and Glen Haas and his wife Janet of Torrington; a daughter, Dorothy Nash and her husband Audie of Torrington; grandchildren, Dr. Cody Haas and Desiree Haas both of Lewiston, Idaho; Scott Haas and his fiancé, Dr. Lacey Erickson, of Hooper, Utah; Erin Helzer and her husband Michael of Casper, Wyoming; Michelle Nash and her companion, Sean Ellsbury of Glenrock,Wyoming; and Joel Nash and his companion, Meisha Wengler of Torrington; his great grandchildren, Logan and Jordon Hague of Glenrock; triplets, Brooke, Bridget, and Breann Helzer of Casper, Wyoming; two sisters, Mary Ellen Fullmer and Vivian Hill both of Torrington; two sisters-in-law, Hazel Haas of Torrington; and Barbara Smith of Lander, Wyoming; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Bernard, Hubert, and Leslie; and two sisters, Helen Booth and Emmajean Terrell.

Howard Haas

July 28, 1926 - October 26, 2010