Fred Claremont Prunty
November 14th, 1943 - March 30th, 2025
Sheridan Funeral Home
November 14, 1943 - March 30, 2025Fred Claremont Prunty of Sheridan passed away
Sunday, March 30th, at Sheridan Memorial Hospital. Fred was born November 14,
1943, to George Wilbur and Elenita (Anderson) Prunty. His birth certificate
listed his town of birth as Rural New Mexico. He was actually born in Los
Alamos, NM, which at the time was a top-secret military testing facility for
creating the atom bomb. His father and uncle were electricians in Los Alamos.
Fred grew up in Salida, Alamosa, and Jaroso, CO, and graduated from high school
in San Luis, CO, in 1962. Following in his dad's and his uncle's footsteps, Fred
obtained his NM and CO electrical licenses during high school. He attended some
college at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, and Adams State in
Alamosa, CO. He then moved to Red River, NM, staying with his aunt and uncle,
and began working at Western Construction as a construction electrician.He spent
four years in the Navy from 1965-1969 and was stationed in the Philippines for
two years during the Vietnam War aboard the USS Constellation. He earned the
National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with Combat Efficiency
E, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. He was
honorably discharged in 1969.
He was married in 1965, and had three children, Tom, Keith, and Kathleen. When
Fred returned from the Navy, he went to work at Moly Mine as an electrician. He
continued his profession with Gould and Preisner in Denver, CO, wiring apartment
buildings. In 1973, his best friend, Holly Gleaves, called Fred and told him
there was an opening at Decker Coal Company. He moved his family to Sheridan in
July of 1973 and began working at the mine.
After Fred was divorced, he eventually met and married Sandra Lee Hanft on June
14th, 1975. Together, they raised a blended family with his two sons and
daughter and her two daughters, Laura (Muggy) and Marsha. Fred and Sandra just
missed celebrating their 50th anniversary in June. While at Decker Coal, Fred
spent nearly 30 years working as an electrician, an electrical foreman, and an
electrical planner until retiring in 2003. He enjoyed working at the mine, liked
challenging his electricians, and he really loved planning electrical projects
for the draglines. Fred loved being an electrician, and he spent many of his
retirement years doing electrical jobs for friends. Sandra always said he wasn't
going to get rich off the rates he charged.
Fred loved fishing and would drop a line whenever he had the chance. He
especially enjoyed his trips to Cree Lake in Canada, and to Alaska. Fred also
enjoyed playing golf, bowling, motorcycling trips to Cloud Peak, family camping
trips, and creating model train layouts. He loved woodworking, and family
members enjoyed playing on cribbage and Aggravation boards that Fred made. Fred
and Roger Wilson were Boy Scout leaders when their boys were younger, and he was
a member of the Elks for 49 years. Fred coached his boys in little league, and
many evenings were spent at 6th Street Ballpark watching the games. Fred and
Mike Saxton spent several years coaching their daughters, neighbor kids, and
friends in softball. The girls have talked many times about how much fun they
had playing for Fred and Mike, and about what great memories they have from that
time. Who could ever forget Fred waving them to 3rd base or pointing them home?
There were few, if any, games, concerts, parent teacher conferences, weddings,
or graduations that he missed.
Fred was always Fred, and he never pretended to be anything but himself. He had
a gruff exterior, and he could be blunt, but he was a devoted dad, grandpa, and
friend, and he would do just about anything for anyone. He will be missed so
very much by his family, friends, and community.
Fred was preceded in death by his parents George and Elenita Prunty; daughter
Laura "Muggy" Polster Clifford; son Thomas Prunty; sister Evelyn Smith; infant
grandson Patrick Prunty; aunts and uncles Robert and Esther Prunty, Don and
Edith Anderson, and Glen and Willene Spaulding.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Sandra Lee; son Keith Prunty, of
Fargo, ND, daughter Marsha (Leo) Sano, of Canby, OR; cousins Harold (Kathy May)
Anderson of Jaroso, CO, and Carl (June) Spaulding of Fort Collins, CO;
grandchildren Avery Clifford of Basin, WY; Johnna Clifford of Basin, WY;
Nicholas Sano of Canby, OR; Marti (Brandon) Mehling of Gillette, WY; Rachelle
Prunty of Collinsville, VA; Alecia Prunty of Fargo, ND; Stephanie Dame of
Florida; Ashley Prunty of Florida, 9 great grandchildren, and by Andreas
Jaletzki.
The Prunty family would like to thank Watt Dialysis Center, who spent three and
a half years caring for Fred. They would also like to thank cardiac rehab, TCU,
the ER, and all of the doctors, nurses, CNAs and staff at Sheridan Memorial
Hospital for their love and caring of Fred over the past few years. He thought
you were all pretty good people and was thankful for having such wonderful
medical professionals treating him. Thank you also to Sheridan Funeral Home for
their kindness and professionalism.
A special thanks to friends, family, and the entire community for their love,
concern, and support, especially over the past few years.
Services will be held on Thursday, April 24th, at 10:30am at Bethesda Worship
Center. Lunch will be served immediately following the service, and a burial
with military honors will follow. Fred was not a fancy guy--please wear casual
clothing for the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to honor Fred may be made in his name to:
BPOE Elks Lodge 520, Veterans Fund, PO Box 624, Sheridan, WY 82801.
Online condolences may be made to www.sheridanfuneral.com. Arrangements are
under the care of Sheridan Funeral Home.
Publication date: April 21st, 2025