Wilbur Raymond "Frosty" Demaree

Wilbur Raymond "Frosty" Demaree, the patriarch of a large family passed away Friday, April 13, 2007. He was born in Winamac, Ind., on Nov. 27, 1908, to Clyde Carlton and Ida May (Cassidy) Demaree.

His parents took the family from Indiana to North Dakota as part of the westward movement of settlers and homesteaded there. Later the family moved to Kansas. After leaving home he traveled much and ended up moving to Nevada, Mo. In Nevada, Frosty married Juanita Murray Claiborne on Sept. 9, 1934. She was born Dec. 7, 1914, in Toronto Kan. and moved to Nevada with her family as a young child. Juanita preceded him in death on May 30, 1993.

Frosty had worked in the early aircraft industry on canvas and stick biplanes and monoplanes at Wichita, Kan. He also worked in the oil industry in Leadville, Colo., and during World War II he worked in an Ammunition Depot near Flagstaff, Ariz. He moved the family back to Nevada in 1944 where Juanita's relatives lived as they thought that he would be drafted. However he worked for the military at Camp Clark (a POW camp at the time). After that the Demarees never moved from Nevada. In addition to rearing his family and eventually heading a large clan with members from Maryland to California and Texas to Idaho, Frosty did much during his lifetime.

He was a member of First Baptist Church, a Scout master for many years and was the president of the Heart of America Coin and Stamp Club. In these callings he taught about our heritage and our duties to family community, and country as well as numerous other things. He thus impacted young and old for good. He had a lifelong love for the outdoors resulting in camping, fishing and hunting as hobbies. Thus, much of his family are out-of-doors type s of people. He worked as the storeroom manager at the State Hospital in Nevada and retired from the state. After retirement he continued to be active in coins and stamps until his sight dissipated too far to properly price assets.

He was a very positive minded outgoing man until the end. For example, Frosty would comment on his loss of sight and hearing by talking about not being able to read the news or hear the television. He would say, "I couldn't do that but didn't know if I missed anything worthy of spending time on." Even until his last year on earth, he would regularly walk around the lake by his home. He appreciated the ability to eat out with family and friends especially coffee with the girls at McDonalds to start his day. Company was always appreciated. All who knew him will miss his wisdom and wit.

Frosty was the eldest living member of a very large extended family. He is survived by three sons and one daughter including, Wilbur Raymond "Ray" of Boise, Idaho, Lawrence Eudene "Larry" of Spring Hill, Kan., Earl Jackson "Jack" of Montgomery, Ala., and Lois Rae of Olathe, Kan.; as well as 77 other descendants. Additionally three brothers (Carl, Earl, and Elmer) and four sisters (Velma, Ethel, Ester and Mabel) preceded him. He was also preceded by one of his sons, Ronald Eugene Demaree.

Graveside services were at Newton Burial Park, Wednesday, at 2 p.m., where he will be interred beside his wife, Juanita.