Obituary - Pamella Kay McEwen Ridgway

Pamella Kay McEwen Ridgway, 67, passed away on Saturday, April 23, 2016, after a long battle with illness.

Pam was born on June 11, 1948, in Bozeman, Montana, to Wesley and Iona McEwen, and grew up in Belgrade, Montana. She graduated from Belgrade High School and attended college in Bozeman, Montana.

She married her high school sweetheart, and they eventually moved to Greybull, Wyoming. There she was a housewife and mother of four.

She would spend her time crocheting and sewing when her kids were in school. People would come from all over for her to sew or mend something for them. Pam was the best seamstress in the Big Horn Basin for a lot of years, (just a little prejudiced here). She made her own wedding dress, wedding dresses for her daughters and made or tailored several for brides around here.

Pam was very involved in Girl Scouts as her daughters grew up and was a scout leader in Greybull for many years. With her son came new challenges. She had to learn about Boy Scouts, football and wrestling. With him being last in the house, Pam was able to follow him all over the state and watch him play and wrestle. This, she passed on to her children and grandchildren: How to travel Wyoming and Montana, how to stay warm on cold football nights, how to pack for long days at wrestling tournaments and how to drive in the snow.

In 2001, Pam moved to Havre, shortly after her mother and step-father passed away.

During her time in Havre, she enjoyed her grandchildren and working the the floral department and later in checkout at Gary & Leo's Fresh Foods.

In those years, she met many new friends and reconnected with people her mother knew.

In 2014, she returned to Wyoming where she resided in the Wyoming Retirement Center. She enjoyed meeting new friends at the Wyoming Retirement Center and spending time with her family.

Pamella is preceded in death by her parents, Wesley Charles McEwen and Iona Frances (Hostetter McEwen) Schafer; stepfather, Otto Schafer; and grandson Wesley Colton Ridgway.

She is survived by her ex-husband, Donald Eugene Ridgway; brother, Wayne (Bobbie) McEwen; children, Reba (Kelly) Domire, RoxAnne (Patrick) Arnett, Regina Ridgway, and Rodney (Mindy) Ridgway; 12 grandchildren; two great-grandsons; great-nephews; and many cousins.

A small memorial service will be held at the First Baptist Church in Basin, Wyoming, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 30, 2016, with Pastor Aaron Gesch officiating.

Family services will be held at a later date in Lewistown, Montana, where she will be laid to rest with her parents.

A memorial fund has been set up at Bank of Greybull, 601 Greybull Ave., Greybull, WY 82426 in Pamella Ridgway's name for breast cancer and dialysis patients.

Atwood Family Funeral Directors assisted the family with the arrangements.