100 - Harold E. Rank - Gillette, Wyoming - Headstones of Centenarians on Waymarking.com

The highlights of Harold Rank's life were documented in his obituary in the Gillette News Record from September 10th, 2014. It reads:

"He died Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, at Close to Home Hospice in Gillette.

Mr. Rank was born May 23, 1914, to Harry E. Rank and Ada C. (Crist) Rank in Crow Lake Township, South Dakota, the third of 11 children.

He worked in Gillette in the early 1930s in the coal industry, where he met Ruby Harlow. They were married in 1936. They then moved to the Idaho and Oregon areas, where he worked in the logging industry. During this time, they had two children, Roger in 1938 and Ada Joy in 1941.

Mr. Rank also worked in the shipyards in Tacoma, Washington, during World War II.

In 1945, the family moved to South Dakota, selling the farm and opening an International Harvester Dealership, which was later destroyed in a fire in 1948. They then returned to Gillette and opened Rank Plumbing.

They divorced in 1953, and Mr. Rank married his second wife, Dorothy Czapskie, creating a family along with her three children: Mary, Dorothy and George. Together they opened Ford Tractor Dealership.
He retired in 1979 and moved to Washington for a short time. He didn’t enjoy the climate, so he returned to Gillette. Upon returning, he bought a junkyard at the Sheriff’s Office sale, cleaned it up and opened a machine shop.

His wife died in 1998. On Jan. 13, 2001, Mr. Rank married Susanna (Sophie) Dutchak.

He had a passion for older vehicles and was proud to rebuild a 1920 Model T. He and his 10 siblings remained very close throughout their lives. He looked forward to the Rank Picnic that was held every August in Spearfish for at least 40 years. He was also a proud member of 50 years with the Masonic Lodge.
He believed family gatherings were his favorite entertainment. He loved the numerous children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews that blessed his life.

Mr. Rank is survived by his wife, Sophie; daughter, Ada Joy Clevenger; stepsons, Barney Ross and George Czapskie; stepdaughters, Mary Conrad and Dorothy Karem; sisters, Melvina and Silvia; brother, Roy; five grandchildren; and numerous grandchildren and stepgrandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; second wife, Dorothy; son, Harold “Roger” Rank; stepson, Bill Ross; a granddaughter; an infant great-granddaughter; sisters, Florence and Grace; and brothers, Charley, Ernie, Vern, Mel and John."

Harold Rank would have seen some of the earliest beginnings of the coal mining industry in the Gillette area when he began working in it in the 1930s. He would have witnessed Gillette change from a small Powder River Basin cow-town into a major population center (by Wyoming standards) as coal, oil, uranium, and natural gas development boomed in the region over the course of his life.

Location of Headstone: Cemetery

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