Betty Durnell

A memorial service for Betty Vondra Durnell, 96, will be conducted at 10:00 A.M. on April 3, 2026, at the Church of Christ with Chuck Mathews officiating. Graveside services and entombment will be at the Oregon Trail Veteran’s Cemetery.

Betty died peacefully on March 26, 2026, at her daughter Lynn’s home in Carbon County. She was born on June 22, 1929, near Ulysses, Nebraska, to Otto Richard Vondra and Mollie (Slama) Vondra in the same farmhouse in which her mother was born. When Betty was 5 years old, she moved with her family to a 640-acre ranch located 28 Miles south of Lusk, Wyoming, where her father’s parents homesteaded. Betty attended Prairie Center Community School from 1st to 5th grade. She then moved to stay with her grandparents in Casper and attended St. Anthony’s Catholic School. After one year, she returned to Prairie Center School. She finished her high school years at Natrona County High School, in Casper, graduating in 1948.

On December 31, 1954, Betty married Burt Durnell at the First Christian Church in Casper. They were married in a double wedding ceremony with her sister, Shirley, who became Mrs. Robert Downs. Betty spent her entire married life in Casper. She worked for Shell Oil Company for three years and the Texas Company Refinery for four years before getting married and then settled down to raise five children. After her children were all of school age, Betty went to work at Casper College, where she worked for 24 years before retiring in 1990 at the age of 60. Betty and her husband, Burt, celebrated their 50th wedding Anniversary in July of 2004.

Betty was an active member of Church of Christ, attended Alcova Community Church, volunteered as a Pink Lady at Wyoming Medical Center from 1993 to 2019 and sang with the Meadowlarks Singing Group from 2013 until Covid limited their activities.

Betty loved family get togethers, making home cooked meals and baking bread. She loved gardening, flower arranging, home decorating, oil painting, canning and participating in the county and state fairs. Betty enjoyed nature and all its God given beauty. She had a beautiful alto voice and loved to sing. She enjoyed watching her grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren and God’s wonderful creation.

Surviving her are her daughters, Lori Huseas (Lloyd, deceased) of Casper, Lynn Green (Dennis) of Alcova and Lark Durnell of Moorcroft and her son Lane Durnell (Rebecca) of Casper. Survivors also include her eight grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, two great great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death were her husband Burt in 2011, her daughter Lisa in 2025 and her grandson Justin in 2024. She was the last remaining family member of her generation.

Friends and family may send flowers or donate in her memory to Hospice.

To share a memory of Betty or leave a special message for the family, please visit the guestbook below.