Mary Etta Schrader

Mary Etta Schrader, 62, of Casper, Wyoming, passed away peacefully on Sept. 20, 2021, with her loving family by her side.
She was born in 1958 to the late Jesse “Ike” and Patricia Denny of Benkelman, Nebraska. Mary Etta graduated from Benkelman High School in 1977 and received a Bachelor of Arts in Science from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1981.
She married Jim Schrader in 1982. They lived together in Benkelman for 18 years before relocating to Casper, Wyoming. In 1987, Jim and Mary Etta welcomed their son, Eric.
Mary Etta is survived by her husband, Jim, of Casper, Wyoming; son, Eric, of Parker, Colorado; and favorite Granddog, Bronco.
Mary Etta was an accomplished Rangeland Management Specialist for NRCS/USDA. In her later years she became the Assistant State Conservationists for NRCS in the State of Wyoming before enjoying retirement.
Mary Etta also enjoyed working part-time for Liberty Tax after she retired, doing many office duties and helping customers. She spent most of her spare time gardening, keeping up her flower beds and gold prospecting with her husband throughout Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska.  
Mary Etta and Jim were able to take a summer long trip to Tok, Alaska, in 2019 to prospect for gold and do one of Mary’s other hobbies of photography.
Mary enjoyed sightseeing throughout Wyoming and Montana, taking photos and viewing wildlife. While visiting Yellowstone one summer with her sister, Penny, and son, Eric, Mary Etta was out taking pictures of the buffalo and ended up running with the herd. Yes, she got the photo!
Her yearly Christmas scuffles, cherry pie and other baked goodies she was known for will be missed.
In her younger years, Mary Etta was the go-to Aunt for all her nieces and nephews when they received toys that needed to be put together and stickers added. She enjoyed playing HORSE with them. In her high school years, she was one heck of a softball catcher and athlete.
A celebration of life ceremony will be held at the Benkelman Fairgrounds 4-H building on Oct. 23 at 3 p.m.