Harold Dwayne Pond

Memorial service for Harold Pond will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, April 8, 2011 at the Church of Christ, 1204 T-7 Lane, Gillette, WY with Pastor Ernie Bishop officiating.Harold Pond, age 65 went to be with the Lord at his home in Gillette, Wyoming surrounded by his loving family on Sunday, April 3, 2011. Harold D. Pond was born June 23, 1945 in Vinita, Oklahoma to Everett and Imogene (Bennett) Pond. He lived in Kansas for a number of years where he started his formal education in the small country schools of Deerhead and Jullian. These schools were first through eighth grades in one room and serviced families on ranches west of Medicine Lodge, Kansas. In 1957 the family moved back to Craig Co., Oklahoma acquiring a farm between Vinita and Big Cabin, one mile north of the old Couch schoolhouse. Harold attended high school in Big Cabin, Oklahoma. He married Lois Stevens June 6, 1963 in Vinita, Oklahoma. Harold and Lois had been married forty seven years and loved one another very much.Harold worked as a mechanic for a while, the remainder of his career he worked as a coalmine machinist. He worked for two coalmines near Alluwe, Oklahoma, 4-D Energy and Peabody Coal. He and his wife were proprietors of a restaurant there and Harold served the Alluwe community as mayor. In 1979 he moved the family to Gillette, Wyoming where he worked for Amax. A layoff there forced him to leave his family for a few months to work in a copper mine near Tempe, Arizona. He returned to Gillette and Peabody Coal where he completed his career. He maintained the same two twelve ton shovels on and off for over a twenty-year career in two states at mines over a thousand miles apart.Harold's interests covered all kinds of activities including repairing anything with a motor, building stock trailers, carpentry, golfing, knife making, gardening, hunting, fishing, raising children and grandchildren. He was well known in his community as a dedicated worker, loving husband, father and grandfather.Harold is survived by his loving wife Lois of Gillette, WY; son, Dwayne E. Pond of Gillette, WY; daughters Sheila (Mike) Schirmer of Gillette, WY; Valorie Pond of Gillette, WY; sister, Sherry (Frank) Riddle of Vinita, OK; six grandchildren, Andrew, Ty, and Jesse Pond, Kyndra Letzring, Kaitlyn Schirmer, Skyler Lewis- Schirmer; Aunt Jewel (Joe) Barker of Afton, OK; Uncle Bob Pond of Pearland, TX.He was preceded in death by his parents Everett and Imogene Pond of Vinita, OK.A memorial has been established in Harold's name to Sharon's Home Health Care of Moorcroft, WY so they can help others. Memorials and condolences may be sent in Harold's name to Walker Funeral Home 410 Medical Arts Court, Gillette, and WY. Condolences may also be sent via the website to www.walkerfuneralgillette.comFuneral Home:Walker Funeral Home410 Medical Arts CourtGillette, WYUS 82716