David Lee Rasmussen

David Lee Rasmussen, 82 year old Worland resident passed away on December 2, 2014 at Worland Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, where he had been a resident for seven months.

Dave was born October 14, 1932 in Oral, South Dakota, the 12th child of Fred Christian and Bethel Mae (Wilder) Rasmussen. He grew up on the family ranch and obtained his schooling in the Fall River County Schools. In the spring of 1954 he moved to Newcastle, Wyoming where he worked first at a sawmill and then for an area rancher. While working on the ranch he met his future wife, Verda Mae Collingsworth of Grand Junction, Colorado, who was spending the summer with her aunt and uncle at the ranch. In the fall of 1955 he moved to Provo, Utah and worked for the Columbia Geneva Steel Company. In late fall of 1056 he moved to Whittier, California where his then fiancé, Verda and her family had relocated. The couple was married March 2, 1957 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They returned to Whittier for 15 months before returning to Wyoming. The couple settled in the Newcastle-Sundance area before moving to Worland in March of 1965.

Dave worked for Glen Swing farms for seven years before going to work for Admiral-Fremont Beverage in 1972. He retired from Pepsi in 1994 saying he wanted to get back outside while he still had some working years left. He then helped his son Dean with his farm and oilfield work, Retiring again in 2006 due to health problems. He entered Worland Healthcare and Rehabilitation in late April, 2014.

He was preceded in death by his parents, 6 brothers, Fred, Harry, Charles, Edward, Robert and Garry; 6 sisters, Viola Donnifield, Fern Merwin, Ella Bahr, Alice Lake, Dorothy Morgan, and Sara Reitenbaugh and several nieces and nephews.

Dave is survived by his wife, Verda, of nearly 58 years, his sons, David, Jr. of Gillette, Wyoming, Dean (Christy) of Worland, Wyoming, and Darrel (Carol) of Bainville, Mont.; granddaughters: Amanda Rasmussen (Andy Baily), Jennifer Rasmussen of Klamath Falls, Ore., Nicole Valandra of Montgomery, Texas; Danielle Berryman of Nashville, Tenn. And Brenna (Randy) Williamson of Spearfish, South Dakota; Grandsons: Nathan of Bainville, Mont., Carter and Brady Rasmussen of Worland and one Great-granddaughter, Angelica Rasmussen of Greybull, Wyo. Survivors also include two brothers, Frank Rasmussen of Hot Springs, South Dakota and John Rasmussen of Fortuna, California; one sister, Mary Jane Flyte of Hot Springs, South Dakota; 3 step-grandsons, Jesse, Lee and Brady Reuter and their families of Sydney, Mont. And one step granddaughter, Teresa (Ramon) Gonzales of Denver, Colo. and their family.