Paulette Parks

Funeral services for lifetime Campbell County resident Paulette Parks will be held on Friday, August 25, 2006 at 10:00 am at the Stevenson -Wilson Funeral Home in Gillette, with Pastor Peggy Brown of the First Presbyterian Church officiating. Interment will follow in the Mt. Pisgah Cemetery.Mrs. Parks died Monday, August 21, 2006 at the Campbell County Memorial Hospital of natural causes.Susan Paulette was born April 1, 1941 in Gillette, Wyoming the daughter of Paul and Alene (Horton) Norfolk. Known to her family and friends as Paulette, she received her elementary education in rural country schools. After high school Paulette competed in area rodeos, barrel racing. She enjoyed many family vacations as a child and teenager, sharing those memories with her own children made that known. She graduated from Campbell County High School in 1959. Upon graduation Paulette married William Parks III on August 28, 1960 in Gillette. The couple made their home on the W.P. Parks Sr. ranch for their first year of marriage and then lived on Horse Creek on the Norfolk ranch until the couple went into business in 1966 with Bill Parks Jr., where they ranched on Olmstead Road. In 1972 they purchased a home in town for the family to reside in while the boys were attending school. Paulette was a very good cook after years of experimenting with recipes of all kinds, she ultimately ended up making the world's best goulash.Paulette enjoyed camping and fishing in the Bighorns and rafting on the Powder, Big Horn, Tongue and Blackfoot Rivers. Paulette would use this hobby not only as family time but as an opportunity to spark an interest in science and nature to her boys as well. She believed in education and was a charter graduate of the Gillette Campus.Paulette was a cowgirl through and through she worked cattle on horseback, just in the past few years she began to utilizing the four wheeler. She became a moderator on two different agricultural web sites; this allowed her to prompt discussions with fellow ranchers about ranching, family and life. Paulette was a property rights advocate with all the mineral growth going on in Campbell County. Paulette will be remembered most for living her life the way she wanted too. She instilled this belief and work ethic in her sons that if you want the job done correctly you need to do it yourself. This is a reflection of her attention to detail and how meticulous she was about most things.Paulette will be missed by her 2 sons: William Paul Parks IV of Gillette and Peter Parks of Vancouver, Washington; 4 grandchildren: Megan L. Record, Justin K. Parks, Kendall R. Parks and Zane W. Parks; 4 step-grandchildren: Trenton McDowell, Daniel McDowell, Oryn Watson and Cassie Watson; sister, Marsha "Bambi" Pownall of Gillette. She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and "Billie" Norfolk; and brothers: Dean and Joe Norfolk.Memorials in Paulette's name are suggested to benefit the Gillette College Foundation, condolences can be sent in Paulette's name to Stevenson-Wilson Funeral Home, 210 W. 5th St. Gillette, Wy 82716 or via the internet at www.stevensonwilson.com.