Upton, WY

July 14th, 1943 –­­ April 22nd, 2017

Catherine Joan (Slattery) Beck passed peacefully from this Earth on ­­­­­April 22nd, 2017, at her home with her family by her side, in Upton, WY after a hard fought battle with cancer.

Cathy was born on July 14, 1943, to Joe and Callie Slattery in Gillette, WY. Cathy was one of nine children.  She was raised on the family ranch south of Rozet, WY.  She attended elementary school in Rozet and graduated from high school in Moorcroft, WY. After Cathy graduated from high school, she attended business college in Rapid City, SD.  Cathy started dating Larry Beck in high school.  Larry was in the Air Force and Cathy had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling to see him. They married on October 9th, 1965 in Gillette, WY and had two children – Tracy and Travis.  They raised their family in Upton, WY.  Cathy did bookkeeping at many different places, Upton Bank, Arrow Gas, Upton High School just to name a few, and as much as she loved the work she really enjoyed that she could be around people.

Cathy was the "Go to Girl" for many…whatever anyone needed, she was always willing to help out. She was very efficient and organized in everything she did.  She loved her friends and family and was a mother to more than just her kids, often having 3 or 4 extra kids at the house or around the dinner table. Being a mother to so many, she was not afraid to "set them straight" if she felt they needed it, or give them a hug when they were feeling down. As much as she loved being around people, she always felt at home in the Big Horn mountains where she enjoyed her flowers, puzzles, and taking evening rides to see the country. Cathy never met a stranger and, more often than not, she could make a connection and find a mutual friend they had, and at the end of the day walk away with a new friend.

Cathy is survived by her husband, Larry; children, Tracy (Peter) Meyer of Scottsbluff, NE and Travis (Deanna) Beck of Upton; grandchildren, Spencer, Logan, Dawson, Carter, and Campbell Meyer, Ty and Madison Beck; sisters, Sue Zimmerschied, Caroline (Willis) Burke, Mary Wandler, and Ann Wandler; brothers, Joe (Martha) Slattery, Jim (Nancy) Slattery, and Mike (Dorothy) Slattery; and several nieces and nephews.

Cathy was preceded in death by her infant daughter, Valarie; her parents Joe and Callie Slattery; and her brother, Bill Slattery.

A Memorial service will be held at the Upton Community Center, 917 Ash Street, Highway 116 North in Upton, WY on Thursday, April 27th, 2017 at 11:00 am.  Lunch will be served after the Memorial.

A memorialFund will be decided upon at a later date.