Mary J. Papworth, age 99, died at Assisted Living of Draper, in Draper, Utah, on Tuesday, Jan. 30. She was born on April 22, 1918, in Elkol, Wyoming, to Joseph and Josephine (Tiljak) Evezich.
Mary graduated from Kemmerer High School in 1935. She married Lyle Papworth. She had a distinguished employment history, working for the following companies: Farm Security Administration in Afton; Vultee Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego, Calif.; the FBI in San Francisco, Calif.; and the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, as well as working for congressman James R. Grover in Washington, D.C.
Mary was devoted to her family and friends, and as a devout Catholic, she generously bought an organ for St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Diamondville. She enjoyed traveling and vacationing to Jackson Hole. She was a true American patriot, who didn’t hesitate to speak her mind on matters important to her.
Mary was a loyal fan of The University of Wyoming sports. She and her brother John frequently traveled to Laramie and even out of state to support the team.
Mary’s friends, especially her close friends Art Junker and her nurse Kim, will miss her lively personality and kindness.
Rosary and Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Kemmerer. Interment will follow Mass at the South Lincoln Cemetery in Kemmerer.
