Earl Dee Milliken, Aka: "Coach" or “Bud”
Image and notes from Robin Leedy
Earl Dee (Bud) Milliken (Image from Robin Leedy, 2016)
Old Carbon and Hanna Death and Burial Records
Milliken, Earl D.
Cemetery: Hanna
Headstone: “Aug. 25, 1930 - Feb. 28, 2013”
Plot: 431
Born: Aug. 25, 1930
Died: Feb. 28, 2013
Age: 82 y's, 6 m's, 3 d's
Note: Obituary: Earl Dee “Bud” Milliken. Tuesday, March 5, 2013, 12:15 am. Memorial Services for Earl Dee “Bud” Milliken, 82, will be held in the Encampment School gymnasium at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 5. He died Feb. 28 in Laramie. Loren “Teense” Willford will conduct the Masonic Service. His students called him Mr. Milliken, or more often Coach. He was a man who was not only highly respected, but who also taught respect. He was a disciplinarian to his three daughters, Becky, Marcy, and Lisa, and to the young men and women who sat in his social studies classroom, were in his physical education classes, or took part in the sports teams he coached. Mr. Milliken was born Aug. 25, 1930, in Hanna, the son of William and Rachel Milliken. He was the youngest of eight children and attended school in Hanna where he was graduated in 1949. Out of high school, he went to work for the Union Pacific coal mines in Hanna. He was then called to serve his country with the Army in Korea, where he fought on the front lines in the trenches, earning a purple heart when he was wounded with shrapnel in his leg, and losing much of his hearing from the explosion of grenades. Returning to Hanna, he married his sweetheart, Morna Dodson, on September 4, 1954, and entered the University of Wyoming on the GI Bill. He became a trainer for the UW athletic teams and had an offer to stay with the Cowboys after college. After earning his degree in history and physical education from the University of Wyoming in 1958 he found a teaching and coaching job in Rock River. He spent 13 years teaching and coaching in Rock River, winning a share of regional basketball titles, taking his Longhorns to state, and also coaching cross country and track teams. A position teaching social studies and physical education, and coaching opened in Encampment, and Mr. Milliken was offered the job. Ole Jim York called him, told him to come to Encampment, that he had a house for the family to live in, and that sealed the deal. The first Tiger basketball game he coached was against the Saratoga Panthers. He knew the intense rivalry between those two valley schools so before the game he told Morna to have the car gassed up and ready to go. If the Tigers lost he figured they would need a quick way to get out of town. But Encampment won that contest. Coach Milliken wasn’t one to stop with a single win, and he took the Tigers to a Regional Championship and played for the State Championship his first year at EHS. Coach Milliken spent 20 years at EHS teaching social studies, physical education, coaching track and basketball, and serving as activities director. He inspired young athletes who became coaches themselves, and he inspired students in his classes who became teachers and principals, historians, engineers, soldiers, and many other professions. He amassed a basketball coaching record of 252 wins, 147 losses, six regional championships, and three state championship runners-up. He also coached a state championship runner-up team in cross country and won three regional track championships. He served as a representative on the Wyoming Coaches Association and in 1985 he was inducted into the Wyoming Coaches Hall of Fame. He was a member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Hanna, Masonic Lodge #50 of Hanna, where he became a Master Mason on Sept. 2, 1965, VFW Post 6125 in Encampment, The Cowboy Joe Club, and a Lifetime member of the Wyoming Coaches Association. He retired from teaching in 1992 and moved to Hanna, retaining close ties with the Encampment community, often attending basketball games to support the Tigers. He was preceded in death by his wife, Morna, an infant son, Stanley, his mother-in-law, Goldie Sherman, his parents, and six siblings. He is survived by his three daughters, Becky Hertzog of Craig, CO., Marcy Cooley of Saratoga, and Lisa Dilley (Michael) of Sinclair; his sister, Joyce Dody (Ken) of Fort Collins; seven grandchildren, Robyn Kitchen (Scott) and Rachel Lowe (Josh) of Craig, Evan Hertzog of Denver; Chad Cooley (Jolene) of Wright, Angie Cooley of Saratoga, Jacob Fluty of Saratoga, and Wyatt Fluty of Powell, plus great-grandchildren Thayne, Corey Liz, and Kierlyn Kitchen and Quincy, Camille, and Avenly Lowe all of Craig, Co., Payton, Harley, and Reagan Cooley of Wright, and Kadince Fluty of Saratoga. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. The family requests memorials to the E-Club in Encampment or to the Cowboy Joe Club. (Rawlins Daily Times, Feb 2013)
Cemetery: Hanna
Headstone: “Aug. 25, 1930 - Feb. 28, 2013”
Plot: 431
Born: Aug. 25, 1930
Died: Feb. 28, 2013
Age: 82 y's, 6 m's, 3 d's
Note: Obituary: Earl Dee “Bud” Milliken. Tuesday, March 5, 2013, 12:15 am. Memorial Services for Earl Dee “Bud” Milliken, 82, will be held in the Encampment School gymnasium at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 5. He died Feb. 28 in Laramie. Loren “Teense” Willford will conduct the Masonic Service. His students called him Mr. Milliken, or more often Coach. He was a man who was not only highly respected, but who also taught respect. He was a disciplinarian to his three daughters, Becky, Marcy, and Lisa, and to the young men and women who sat in his social studies classroom, were in his physical education classes, or took part in the sports teams he coached. Mr. Milliken was born Aug. 25, 1930, in Hanna, the son of William and Rachel Milliken. He was the youngest of eight children and attended school in Hanna where he was graduated in 1949. Out of high school, he went to work for the Union Pacific coal mines in Hanna. He was then called to serve his country with the Army in Korea, where he fought on the front lines in the trenches, earning a purple heart when he was wounded with shrapnel in his leg, and losing much of his hearing from the explosion of grenades. Returning to Hanna, he married his sweetheart, Morna Dodson, on September 4, 1954, and entered the University of Wyoming on the GI Bill. He became a trainer for the UW athletic teams and had an offer to stay with the Cowboys after college. After earning his degree in history and physical education from the University of Wyoming in 1958 he found a teaching and coaching job in Rock River. He spent 13 years teaching and coaching in Rock River, winning a share of regional basketball titles, taking his Longhorns to state, and also coaching cross country and track teams. A position teaching social studies and physical education, and coaching opened in Encampment, and Mr. Milliken was offered the job. Ole Jim York called him, told him to come to Encampment, that he had a house for the family to live in, and that sealed the deal. The first Tiger basketball game he coached was against the Saratoga Panthers. He knew the intense rivalry between those two valley schools so before the game he told Morna to have the car gassed up and ready to go. If the Tigers lost he figured they would need a quick way to get out of town. But Encampment won that contest. Coach Milliken wasn’t one to stop with a single win, and he took the Tigers to a Regional Championship and played for the State Championship his first year at EHS. Coach Milliken spent 20 years at EHS teaching social studies, physical education, coaching track and basketball, and serving as activities director. He inspired young athletes who became coaches themselves, and he inspired students in his classes who became teachers and principals, historians, engineers, soldiers, and many other professions. He amassed a basketball coaching record of 252 wins, 147 losses, six regional championships, and three state championship runners-up. He also coached a state championship runner-up team in cross country and won three regional track championships. He served as a representative on the Wyoming Coaches Association and in 1985 he was inducted into the Wyoming Coaches Hall of Fame. He was a member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Hanna, Masonic Lodge #50 of Hanna, where he became a Master Mason on Sept. 2, 1965, VFW Post 6125 in Encampment, The Cowboy Joe Club, and a Lifetime member of the Wyoming Coaches Association. He retired from teaching in 1992 and moved to Hanna, retaining close ties with the Encampment community, often attending basketball games to support the Tigers. He was preceded in death by his wife, Morna, an infant son, Stanley, his mother-in-law, Goldie Sherman, his parents, and six siblings. He is survived by his three daughters, Becky Hertzog of Craig, CO., Marcy Cooley of Saratoga, and Lisa Dilley (Michael) of Sinclair; his sister, Joyce Dody (Ken) of Fort Collins; seven grandchildren, Robyn Kitchen (Scott) and Rachel Lowe (Josh) of Craig, Evan Hertzog of Denver; Chad Cooley (Jolene) of Wright, Angie Cooley of Saratoga, Jacob Fluty of Saratoga, and Wyatt Fluty of Powell, plus great-grandchildren Thayne, Corey Liz, and Kierlyn Kitchen and Quincy, Camille, and Avenly Lowe all of Craig, Co., Payton, Harley, and Reagan Cooley of Wright, and Kadince Fluty of Saratoga. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. The family requests memorials to the E-Club in Encampment or to the Cowboy Joe Club. (Rawlins Daily Times, Feb 2013)
(Image by Bob Leathers)