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Clarice Mae Francis Troxel of Cody, Wyoming died at her home Oct. 22, 2021, of natural causes. She was 87 years old and had been in declining health for several months.
The third oldest of nine children, Clarice was born June 6, 1934, in Powers Lake, North Dakota, to Florence Jeanette (Sagaser) McGinnity and Eugene Francis Daniel McGinnity. She very much enjoyed her youth growing up on the family wheat farm near McGregor and Tioga, North Dakota.
The McGinnitys were a musical family and loved to sing and play instruments. Clarice taught herself to play the guitar and fiddle, and the love of music, which defined her life, was passed along on to her children.
After graduating salutatorian from McGregor High School in 1952 Clarice moved to Havre, Montana, to live with her two older sisters and worked as a typist in a business office.
Clarice and her best friend Jeanette moved to Cody when a new job opportunity came available at Husky Oil there. Clarice met her future husband Gary in Cody shortly thereafter. They were married at a small chapel near her parents’ farm in North Dakota on July 21, 1956.
Gary began working for Ohio Oil Company, which later became Marathon Oil, and the young couple lived in a company house near the Byron-Garland Field for the first few years of their marriage. During this time, they welcomed their daughter, Terry, and son Timothy. The family then moved to company housing at Grass Creek, Wyoming, where two sons, Thomas and Jeff joined the family. In 1962 the camp at Grass Creek was closed and Clarice and Gary purchased their small company house, which they moved to Cody. They lived almost continuously in that little house for the rest of their lives.
Clarice was a wonderful mother, homemaker and gracious hostess to anyone who might be around at dinner time. Family will always remember her delicious homemade potato dinner rolls and pies she lovingly baked for all the holiday feasts.
Clarice was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Gary, an infant son, Thomas Wayne, sisters Phyllis, Marilyn and Jeannette, and brothers, Leon and David.
She is survived by her sister Dianne Pressnall of Yakima, Washington; brothers Gary (Sandy) and Mike (Sylvia) of North Dakota; daughter Terry (John) Collins of Powell; sons, Tim (Annette) Troxel of Cody; and Jeff (Olga) Troxel of Missoula, Montana; grandchildren, Casey (Bobbi) Collins and Stener (Sioux) Collins of Casper, Wyoming, Abby (Casey) Cook of Billings, Montana, and Chelsey (Mike) Henry of Migisi, Ontario, Canada. Great-grandchildren include Kamee and Tobee Collins, Jayde Kobbe, and Brooklyn Cooley, all of Casper; Vesper, Zarina and Miriam Cook of Billings, and Kael Henry of Canada; and one infant great-great-granddaughter, Zarelia Wolfe of Casper. Clarice is also survived by several nieces and nephews and many other relatives.
Services will be held at Ballard’s Funeral Home, 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, with burial of ashes to follow at Riverside Cemetery. Rosary will be held at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a charitable donation in Clarice’s name can send those directly to Park County Animal Shelter, 3 Arrow Ave., or Cody Cupboard, PO Box 3006, both in Cody, WY 82414, or a charity of their choice.
An online guestbook is available at www.BallardFH.com
