Polly Japp: 1946 – 2025
Polly Japp, former longtime resident of Casper, Wyoming, peacefully departed this world in the early hours of February 12, 2025 to be made whole and radiant in heaven. She is rejoicing, singing and dancing with a new and perfect body and mind in the presence of our lord and savior.
Polly was born August 8, 1946, in Billings Montana. She was the daughter of Bernadine Bolin-McCoy and her step-father Ovid S. McCoy.
Polly was a 1964 graduate of Newcastle Wyoming High School and attended the Billings Montana School of Business as well as the University of Wyoming. She was a partner in Japp Petroleum for several decades, worked in the natural gas department of Phillips Petroleum Company and retired after 20 years of faithful employment from the Jeppesen Sanderson-Boeing Corporation. Her love of numbers and precision truly was remarkable and admired.
In her spare time, she enjoyed writing, reading and shopping and was a wonderful bowler, but she especially loved spending quality time with her family and her three grandchildren. She was a woman of immeasurable faith and loved volunteering at her church and helping others. Polly will be remembered for her sweet, loving and gentle personality. Although somewhat shy and quiet, she loved her family and friends so well and was always positive and encouraging and trusting of God and His remarkable ways. She was a wonderful wife, loving sister and a treasured mother and grandmother. She will be forever missed by all who knew and loved her and were lucky enough to call her a friend.
Polly was preceded in death by her parents. Those left to cherish her memory include her children: Kim Smir (Bassam) of Greensboro, North Carolina and Kent Jason Japp (Jennifer) of Frisco, Texas; her sister, Denise McCoy (Tom Kennedy) of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and grandchildren: Lauren Michelle Smir, Alec Matthew Smir and Jason Allen Japp; and countless number of dear friends at Abbotswood at Irving Park in Greensboro, North Carolina.
A private celebration of her life will be held with her family at a later date.
The family asks with gratitude that memorials in Polly’s name be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at 4615 Dundas Dr, Greensboro, NC 27407.
Priscilla Hegedus: 1948 – 2025
Priscilla Hegedus was born to Joseph and Mercy Hegedus in Columbus, Ohio, July 26, 1948.
She passed away March 24, 2025. She completed her elementary and secondary education in Columbus and attended Black Hills State College earning an elementary education degree in 1970 and began teaching in Gillette at Eastside, Northside/Lakeview, and Hillcrest schools retiring in 2002.
Upon retiring she and Linda bought an RV and traveled to Arizona in the winters. She moved to Arizona full-time in 2023. She enjoyed cooking, collecting recipes, reading, traveling, trips to casinos, and embroidery. She was preceded in death by her parents and sisters Patricia and Allison, and special friend Linda Herr.
She is survived by her brother Joseph; several nieces and nephews; and caretakers, Lori and Dan Menter. Those wishing to make memorial donations are encouraged to donate to the Campbell County Public Library Friends of the Library or the Campbell County Senior Center.
Connie Klingler: 1951 – 2025
Connie Klingler, born September 26, 1951, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a longtime resident of Gillette, Wyoming, passed away peacefully on March 28, 2025, at the age of 73.
Connie was a woman full of joy and fierce love. She gave herself completely to the people in her life—her family, her friends, and her community. If you knew Connie, you knew her laugh: loud, boisterous, contagious. You knew her generosity, her grit, and her unwavering loyalty. She loved like no other, and she showed up—every time—with her whole heart.
Born Consuelo Alicia Candelaria to Raymond and Clara Candelaria, she grew up in Cortez, Colorado, surrounded by siblings and stories, and never lost her love familia. Camping, hunting, and family adventures shaped her early years. In the 1970s, she moved to Gillette, Wyoming, where she planted roots and built a life centered around love, service, and community. She started her family by adopting her niece Michelle, and later welcomed Raymond and Kadie into her heart and home. Together, they filled the house with music—harmonies from the front seat of a copper Ford extended cab, belting Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” like it was their family anthem.
Connie didn’t just raise her kids—she raised them in the center of community life. From Girl Scouts to wrestling matches, bowling leagues to baseball games, she made sure her children were in the game and that she was in the stands. Winters were spent at the bowling alley; summers at the ball fields. And it wasn’t just her kids she showed up for—she cheered on generations of Gillette athletes, kept score at countless games, and gave her time during elections so her neighbors could vote.
She was a dedicated worker—supporting students as a teacher’s aide, bringing energy to the News Record, Albertson’s, and the County Courthouse. She gave her time, heart, and humor to every space she entered.
She was a die-hard Denver Broncos fan, a St. Louis Cardinals loyalist, a cribbage master, a karaoke queen, a fierce mama, a proud grandma and great-grandma, and a friend who never forgot a birthday. She celebrated everything—and everyone. Connie was also an avid reader and a cherished member of several book clubs over the years. For her, reading was not just about stories on the page, but the conversations they sparked, the friendships they deepened, and the laughter they brought to living rooms and back porches alike.
Connie found deep love and companionship with Kirk Klingler. They met at a moment when they both needed something real. What they built together was strength, joy, and devotion. She often shared that Kirk taught her honesty and integrity. Their years were full of travel, card games, and karaoke nights—especially their unforgettable rendition of “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” In Connie’s final years, Kirk’s care and love never wavered.
Connie was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Clara Candelaria; her brother, Remijio Candelaria; and many beloved family members and close friends who went before her. She carried their memories with her always and kept their legacies alive in the way she loved and showed up for others.
She is survived by her husband, Kirk Klingler; her children: Michelle (Brett) Candelaria-Dunstan, Raymond (Celeste) Donaldson, and Kadie Donaldson; her grandchildren: Allyssa (Davis) Tyrrell, Michael (Mackenzi) Dunstan, Bailee Dunstan, Marie Donaldson, Fernando (Madison) Jurado, Marissa Ritthaler, Kincaid (Cybil), Kaimon (Leah), and Klacyee Donaldson; and her great-grandchildren: Genevieve, Magnolia, Aryas, Eli, Oakley, Kainoa, and Armani. She is also survived by her siblings: Yvonne Candelaria, Donna Wallace, and Paul Candelaria.
Her spirit lives on in every Bronco touchdown celebrated in her name, in the warmth of a well-worn crochet blanket, and in the lively discussions of book clubs that carry her memory forward. Memorial service for Connie will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, April 4, 2025 at Gillette Memorial Chapel.
