Frank Bellamy

Frank Melvin Bellamy Jr. was born April 27, 1923 to Frank Melvin Bellamy Sr. and Fanny Corfield Bellamy in Greybull, Wyoming. He died March 6, 2018 in his home in Casper, Wyoming. Frank grew up in Greybull attending schools in the area. He spent his growing up years working on farms and playing in Greybull and the surrounding areas. He would run the mile to and from school every day where he enjoyed classes in shop and agriculture. He loved animals and always had rabbits and spare hawks as a child, raising one rabbit so large his mother would not go out in the garden until he put the rabbit in a pen. Frank was working as a farm hand ten miles out of town when WWII broke out. The farmer he was working for returned from a trip to town one day and told Frank that he had arranged to have him deferred because he was working the farm. Frank asked for a ride in to town. The farmer knew what he was going to do and would not take him into town. Frank loved America and wanted to do his part to protect and serve this country. He walked the ten miles in to town to have the deferment taken off. Frank asked to be in the cavalry corps because he loved horses so much. He went into the Army and they put him in medium light tanks. He trained in Ft Bowie, Texas as a driver of the Chafee tank. He was such a good shot that when the 13th Armored Division landed in La Harve, France, he was made a gunner on the tanks. He was with the 3rd army that moved through Europe with General Patton and helped end the war there. When Frank returned from Europe, the 13th Armored Division was shipped to California, where they were being prepared to be the first way into Tokyo. They were told that they would be lucky if 20% of them would survive .The war ended before that assault could take place. Upon returning from the war, Frank had stated that he was not going to get married. He met Ella Eugenia Boyd Graham in December and they were engaged in January and married in April. They have been married one month short of 71 years. In their early married life they lived in Greybull, having their first child, Ella, there. After the Standard Oil Refinery relocated to Casper, Frank and Eugenia took Ella, and moved to Casper. Frank worked for the refinery until he retired and Casper is where they made their home for the rest of Frank's life. Frank loved his family and loved spending time with his wife and children. He got involved with his children and the children in the neighborhood, making their play time more fun. He would make stilts, covered wagons, and inner tubes exploding with water for them to enjoy. Frank loved the outdoors and would take the family camping on their vacations and on the 4 day turnarounds from midnight shifts to day shifts at work. They would camp around Jackson and Yellowstone several times during every summer. Frank loved the Lord, and served in many capacities in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He particularly loved working with the youth. He served in scouting and one summer was in charge of a scout camp in the Big Horn Mountains with about three thousand boys. He also took a team of young men to a basketball tournament in Denver, Colorado, He loved serving in the church where ever he was needed, and took his service to the Lord very seriously while still bringing fun to whatever he did. Frank and Eugenia were both very giving and loving people. Throughout their lives together, they were always taking people into their home and giving them a place to stay. They would feed or house people who needed some help, or just some love. In trying to make people's lives better, Frank was a professional Santa, playing Santa for JC Penney's and Western Airlines. He just loved being Santa to children, and would go out on the day before Christmas Eve, and some Christmas Eve's being Santa making Christmas special and magical for children. To his last day, he loved his family, and loved to have them all together and loved doing things for other people. Frank set an example of integrity and honesty. His boss at the refinery used to say that if Frank said it, you could take it to the bank. Frank leaves behind his wife of 70 years, Ella Eugenia, and daughters Ella Jean and Patty-Jo. He also leaves behind two grandkids, Angelina and Donald. Because of his generosity and love, he also leaves behind several "foster" children, and "foster" grandchildren. He is survived by many brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, nieces, nephews, and extended family members. He is preceded in death by his daughter Julie, parents, sisters Edna Dickenson and Verna Brinkerhoff. Frank leaves a legacy of honesty, integrity, love, and generosity. He will be greatly missed. Services to honor Frank and celebrate his life will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 19th and Poplar street at 10 am on Saturday, March 10th.. There will be a viewing at the church before the funeral at 9 am.