Donald Stuewe

Don Stuewe passed away early March 1, 2008 at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, WY. Don was the second child of A.E. and Freida Stuewe. He was born December 5, 1921 in Alma, Kansas. He attended St. John Lutheran School and Alma High School graduating in 1938. Since he was only sixteen he stayed home and worked on the family farm for one year before enrolling at Kansas State University in the fall of 1939. As with many young men at that time Don's education was interrupted by service to his county. Don was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corp and served as a radar navigator on a B-29 stationed on Tinian Island in the Pacific. Don's crew flew 32 missions over Japan. Don was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Three Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster and the Air Force Presidential Unit Citation with one bronze oak leaf cluster. He left the Air Corp as a First Lieutenant and returned to Kansas State University to finish his degree in Chemical Engineering.

Don was a member of the Blue Key and Steel Ring Honorary Societies. Following graduation, Don took a job with Commercial Solvents in Gary Indiana. A year later he enrolled at the University of Colorado to pursue a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering. Following Graduation, Don took a position with Mobil Labs in Dallas, Texas. After three years with Mobil in Dallas, Don and family moved to Ponca City, OK. There he was a process engineer for the Conoco refinery.

Don took a job with the Mobil refinery at Augusto, KS in 1954. He was a process engineer focusing on refinery operations. IN 1961 Don was transferred to the Mobil refinery in Casper, WY as operating superintendent. He later became manager of the Casper refinery and oversaw the shut down of the refinery in 1966. Following the closing of the Casper refinery Don was transferred to Paulsboro, New Jersey as manager of technical services. Don's group was responsible for the design and modernization of Mobil's port refineries.

While in New Jersey, Don facilitated the sale of Casper refinery to Earl and Carol Holding of Little America. Don returned to Casper in the spring of 1968 on loan from Mobil to oversee the start up of the Casper refinery for Little America. Don would later join the Little America organization as plant manager. Don's tenure with Little America included the purchase of the Sinclair refinery at Sinclair, WY and the Texaco refinery at Tulsa, OK. Don retired from the Little America/Sinclair organization in July of 1987 as Vice President of Operations. Don always valued his long and successful association and friendship with the Holdings, Little America/Sinclair and all of the wonderful and talented people who served with him. Together they built a successful refining company which remains a tribute to all of their hard work and perseverance. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Of course Don did not do all of this alone. He married Marianna Johnson on October 8th 1943, in Potwin, KS. Marianna was also a graduate of Kansas State University.

Don was preceded in death by an older brother, Alfred, in 1938, his father Albert E Stuewe in 1980, his mother Frieda Stuewe in 1984, his wife Marianna in 1998, his sister Lois Eagleton in Feb. 2005 and his brother Norman in October 2007.

Don is survived by his companion Lorraine Radford of Casper, his son David and wife Mary Stuewe of Alma, KS and his daughter Dana and husband Bruce Morton of Petaluma, CA. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Chris Stuewe of Kansas City, MO, Melissa Moodie and husband Evan of Hutchinson, KS Nicholas Morton and Thomas M Orton of Petaluma, CA and a brother, Maurice Stuewe of Alma, KS.

The family would like to thank James Rupp M.D. and his staff at the Wyoming Kidney Center and Marsha, acute nephrology care nurse for dialysis and Wyoming Medical Center. Thanks also go to his nephew Brad Stuewe M.D. and his dialysis staff in Kansas who always made it possible for Don to make frequent trips to his home state to visit family and friends.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Meals on Wheels of Casper, Central Wyoming Hospice, Mt Hope Lutheran Church and School, Casper, WY, or St John Lutheran Church, Alma, KS or the charity of your choice.

A memorial service will be held in Casper, WY, Saturday, March 8 at 10:30 AM in Mt Hope Lutheran Church with Pastor John Hill and Pastor Ron Garwood officiating. A reception for family and friends will follow at Casper Petroleum Club. A memorial service will be held in Alma, KS later in the month at St John Lutheran Church with Pastor Robert Grim officiating.