Francis While, Richard Buckingham and Basil Duffey
Page by Bob Leathers
Life Story
1924 July 25: Richard Carl Buckingham was born in Udell, Iowa to Myrtle Ketcham and Carl Leslie Buckingham.
1929 May 28: Francis While was born in Hanna, Wyoming to John "Jack" Jr. and Janet "Jessie" (Tennant) While.
1930 Feb 04: Basil Duffey was born in Harlow, North Dakota. (Carolyn Buckingham)
1945 June 21: Francis While married Richard Carl Buckingham in Rawlins, Wyoming. They were married by F. F. Craft a clergyman of the Episcopal Church. The wedding was witnessed by William Tennant and Dorothy While. (Certificate of Marriage, State of Wyoming, Carbon County)
Francis and Richard Buckingham (While Family Collection from Bob Leathers)
Francis and Richard Buckingham (While Family Collection from Bob Leathers)
1960 March 17: Richard Buckingham died in Riverton, Wyoming when a car he was working on fell off the jack and crushed him. He was buried in the Hanna Cemetery. He was 35 years old at the time of his death. (Rawlins Daily Times)
Funeral Services for Richard Buckingham Scheduled Monday.
Funeral services for Richard Buckingham, 35, of Hanna, will be held Monday at 10 a.m. in St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Hanna. The Rev. C. Arch Hopper, rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Rawlins will officiate. Burial will be in the Hanna cemetery. Conroy Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. The family has requested no flowers. Buckingham was killed Thursday when the car on which he was working slipped off a jack and crushed him. He was an employee of Whitey Purcell of Medicine Bow in the Gas Hills area, when the accident occurred at noon. He was born July 25, 1924, in Udell, Ia., and attended schools in Iowa.
He came to Hanna in 1945. He was married to the former Francis While at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Rawlins June 21, 1945. For several years he worked in the coal mines at Hanna and in January 1959 he moved to the Gas Hills. He worked for Grant-Neilson and Jones-Stasiak for a time and later for Whitey Purcell. He was a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Hanna. Survivors include his widow of the home, a daughter, Carolyn Jean, 13, two sons, John Carl, 11 and Larry Dean, 5: his mother Mrs. Harry Wilkinson of Woodside, Calif.; a sister, Mrs. Betty Eden of Orland, Pa.; and two half brothers, Joe Wilkinson of Kansas City, Mo. and Jack Wilkinson of California. Pallbearers were Alex Pascoe, James Clegg, Bob Jackson, George Jones, Walter Boam, and Charles Buckman Sr. (1960 March 19th The Rawlins Daily Times)
Richard Buckingham and Francis (While) had three children together - one still living.
- Caroline Jean Buckingham (1946 - 2016)
- John Carl Buckingham (1948 - 2005)
1961 Nov 22: Francis (While) (Buckingham) and Basil Duffey were married in Hanna, Wyoming. Basil was the business teacher at Hanna High School. (BL)
Francis and Basil Duffey (While Family Collection from Bob Leathers)
1991 January 4: Francis (While) (Buckingham) Duffey died at age 61 in Devils Lake, North Dakota and was buried 7 days later in St. James Catholic Cemetery in Minnewaukan, North Dakota - Block 1CA, Lot 20, Grave 3.
1991 January 9th Memorial Obituary: A tribute published in the papers of The Farmer's Press, Minnewaukan North Dakota.
Frances Duffey: Entered into eternal rest Friday January 4, 1991. The funeral for Frances Duffey, 61, of Petersburg was held Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Leeds. Interment was in the St. James Catholic Cemetery, Minnewaukan. She died January 4, 1991 at Mercy Hospital in Devil's Lake.
Pallbearers were Lewis Duffey, John Lee, Cletus Lee, Steven Hallsten, Wayne Berdal and Kevin Sundre. The Gilbertson Funeral Home of Devil's Lake was in charge of arrangements.
Frances Duffey was born May 28, 1929 in Hanna Wyoming to John and Janet While. She was reared and educated there. She married Richard Buckingham June 21, 1945 in Wyoming. He died March 17, 1960. She married Basil J. Duffey November 22, 1961 in Hanna. They lived in Hanna until moving to Regent in 1966 and to Petersburg in 1974. They since lived in Petersburg and on her husband's farm, rural Harlow.
Survivors include her husband; 3 sons, John Buckingham of Keene, Larry Buckingham of Leeds and Jay Duffey of Amarillo, Texas; a daughter, Carolyn Miller of Sundance, Wyoming; 9 grandchildren; 3 brothers, John and Henry, both of Hanna, Wyoming and Donald of Laramie, Wyoming; and 3 sisters, Violet Roop of Hanna, Edna Lupton of Chesapeake, Va., and Joyce McCartney of Cheyenne Wyoming.
1993 Mar 24: Basil Duffey died in Leeds, North Dakota at the age of 63 and was buried 5 days later in St. James Catholic Cemetery in Minnewaukan, North Dakota next to his wife Francis - Block 1CA, Lot 20, Grave 3.
The funeral for Basil J. Duffey, 63, superintendent of the Unity Public School of Petersburg, was held Monday at the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Leeds. Interment was in the St. James Catholic Cemetery, Minnewaukan. He died March 24, 1993 at United Hospital in Grand Forks. The Gilbertson Funeral Home of Devils Lake was in charge of arrangements.
Basil J. Duffey was born Feb. 4, 1930 at Harlow to Bernard & Margaret Hunter Duffey. He was reared there. He served in the US Army from Jan. of 1952 to Dec. of 1953, during which time he served with occupation forces in Korea. He worked for the Soo Line Railroad as a telegrapher & depot agent. He received a B.S. degree in business education from Minot State University in 1960. He taught 6 years at the Hanna, Wyo. high school. He married Frances While Buckingham Nov. 22, 1961 at Hanna. They live there until moving to Regent in 1966, where he served as principal & later superintendent. He received a master's degree in education from the University of Wyoming in 1967. In 1974 they moved to Petersburg where he was superintendent. She died Jan. 4, 1991. He also maintained a home on a farm near Harlow.
He was a member of the Lions Club & American Legion of Petersburg, the VFW of Harlow, Phi Sigma Pi fraternity, the ND Assn. of School Administrators & the National Assn. of School Administrators.
Survivors include a daughter & son-in-law, Carolyn J. & James Miller of Sundance, Wyo.; 3 sons & 2 daughters-in-law, John & Eileen Buckingham of Keene, Larry & Kelly Buckingham of Leeds & Jay Duffey of Post Falls, Idaho; 9 grandchildren; 2 sisters, Mrs. Tom (Inez) Heisler of Esmond & Marlys Lee of Cando; and 2 brothers, Lawrence of Harlow & Lewis of Heimdal.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Frances; & 2 brothers, James & Gordon. (Ancestry)
Basil Duffey and Francis (While) (Buckingham) Duffey had one child together - still living.
Buckingham, Richard Carl
Cemetery: Hanna
Headstone: "1925 - 1960"
Plot: 439
Born: July 25, 1925
Died: Mar. 17, 1960
Age: 35 y's, 7 m's, 22 d's
Note: 1960 March 19th The Rawlins Daily Times printed the following obituary : Funeral Services for Richard Buckingham Scheduled Monday.
Funeral services for Richard Buckingham, 35, of Hanna, will be held Monday at 10 a.m. in St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Hanna. The Rev. C. Arch Hopper, rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Rawlins will officiate. Burial will be in the Hanna cemetery. Conroy Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. The family has requested no flowers. Buckingham was killed Thursday when the car on which he was working slipped off a jack and crushed him. He was an employee of Whitey Purcell of Medicine Bow in the Gas Hills area, when the accident occurred at noon. He was born July 25, 1924 in Udell, Ia., and attended schools in Iowa. He came to Hanna in 1945. He was married to the former Frances While at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Rawlins June 21, 1945. For several years he worked in the coal mines at Hanna and in January, 1959 he moved to the Gas Hills. He worked for Grant-Neilson and Jones-Staciak for a time and later for Whitey Purcell. He was a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Hanna. Survivors include his widow of the home, a daughter, Carolyn Jean, 13, two sons, John Carl, 11 and Larry Dean, 5; his mother Mrs. Harry Wilkinson of Woodside, Calif.; a sister, Mrs. Betty Eden of Orland, Pa.; and two half brothers, Joe Wilkinson of Kansas City, Mo. and Jack Wilkinson of California. Pallbears were Alex Pascoe, James Clegg, Bob Jackson, George Jones, Walter Boam, and Charles Buckman Sr. (1960 March 19th The Rawlins Daily Times)
Cemetery: Hanna
Headstone: "1925 - 1960"
Plot: 439
Born: July 25, 1925
Died: Mar. 17, 1960
Age: 35 y's, 7 m's, 22 d's
Note: 1960 March 19th The Rawlins Daily Times printed the following obituary : Funeral Services for Richard Buckingham Scheduled Monday.
Funeral services for Richard Buckingham, 35, of Hanna, will be held Monday at 10 a.m. in St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Hanna. The Rev. C. Arch Hopper, rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Rawlins will officiate. Burial will be in the Hanna cemetery. Conroy Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. The family has requested no flowers. Buckingham was killed Thursday when the car on which he was working slipped off a jack and crushed him. He was an employee of Whitey Purcell of Medicine Bow in the Gas Hills area, when the accident occurred at noon. He was born July 25, 1924 in Udell, Ia., and attended schools in Iowa. He came to Hanna in 1945. He was married to the former Frances While at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Rawlins June 21, 1945. For several years he worked in the coal mines at Hanna and in January, 1959 he moved to the Gas Hills. He worked for Grant-Neilson and Jones-Staciak for a time and later for Whitey Purcell. He was a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Hanna. Survivors include his widow of the home, a daughter, Carolyn Jean, 13, two sons, John Carl, 11 and Larry Dean, 5; his mother Mrs. Harry Wilkinson of Woodside, Calif.; a sister, Mrs. Betty Eden of Orland, Pa.; and two half brothers, Joe Wilkinson of Kansas City, Mo. and Jack Wilkinson of California. Pallbears were Alex Pascoe, James Clegg, Bob Jackson, George Jones, Walter Boam, and Charles Buckman Sr. (1960 March 19th The Rawlins Daily Times)
(Image by Bob Leathers for the Hanna Basin Museum Website)
2020
2021
Richard Carl Buckingham, John Carl Buckingham and John "Sonny" While Plat in the Hanna Cemetery, 2001. (While Family Collection from Bob Leathers)
Minnewaukan, North Dakota Burial Records
Francis (While) Duffey (Ancestry.com)
Basil Duffey (Ancestry.com)