WHEATLAND – Funeral services for Grady Hunter Haeffelin, 21, were held at 2 p.m. Friday, May 1, 2020, at the Wheatland High School Football Field in Wheatland, with Casey Schroeder of the First Christian Church officiating.

Grady Haeffelin passed away Saturday, April 25, 2020 at his home near Wheatland.

May 1, 1998, the Haeffelin family was given a long and lean baby boy, Grady Hunter. Grady grew and grew and became just the height he wanted to be – basketball player height. He loved the game and spent lots of hours playing and shooting hoops. There has been a mean ball game going on at the Haeffelin driveway with the brothers, Riley, Austen, and Micheal with friends included for years and years.

Family loomed large in Grady’s life. On a poster taped to the kitchen cupboard celebrating Thanksgiving, Grady penned, “I am thankful for the family I have and the life I live.” signed ‘Grady.’

Grady was a kind and gentle soul with his little cousins. He concocted games for them and let them crawl all over him. He was considerate of his elders and took time to connect.

Friends were really important to Grady. He had so many. He could be crazy and funny. His friends mourn his loss, too. They all have their own stories and unique relationships. From Piccadilly, to Thursday lunch at Granny’s, through high school and to college, he gathered friends.

He was ‘mostly’ a delight to his parents who are so thankful to have had Grady for far too little time. Memories are to be treasured as they reveal the many facets that made up our “G” man.

Grady was born in Wheatland on Friday, May 1, 1998, while family waited anxiously outside the delivery room. He passed away Saturday, April 25, 2020 at his home near Wheatland. He attended Platte County School for his entire public education, graduating in May 2016.

He loved sports, playing baseball, basketball, and a little football thrown in. He taught himself to play guitar. He liked hunting, fishing and water sports. Actually, he liked anything he tried.

He went to college at Central Wyoming in Riverton, where he played basketball. He attended school at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, and at Casper College in Casper. His future plans were obtaining a degree.

Surviving Grady are his parents, Heidi Britton of Gillette, and her partner, Tom Clark, of Evergreen, Colo., and Tom and Deana Haeffelin of Wheatland; grandparents, Connie and Bob Morton of Wheatland, Bill Britton of Torrington, Carolyn and Gary Haeffelin of Torrington, and Judy and Don Race of Wheatland; brothers, Riley Wright of Wheatland and his fiancé, Lexi Hernandez, Austen Haeffelin and Micheal Haeffelin of the home; aunts and uncles: Holly and Richard Lara of Torrington, Wendy and Jim Dreiling of Fort Collins, Colo., Larry Haeffelin of Lingle, Cassie and T.J. Haeffelin of Torrington, Kari and Vic Inniss of San Antonio, Texas, Lacie and Eric Reckard of Johnstown, Colo., and JoDell and Jesse Lilly of Wheatland. There are many cousins who will miss Grady. 

He was preceded in death by his aunt, Brenda Haeffelin.

Heidi, Tom, and Deana express our gratitude for your kind words, the delicious food and your gift of spending time with us. We will all face the new normal that no one wants. We know that if we ask, God will give us the mercy and strength to do a day at a time. We thank Him for the life of Grady Hunter that was shared with us.

A memorial to the Grady Haeffelin Memorial Fund in care of First State Bank, PO Box 39, Wheatland, Wyoming 82201 would be appreciated by the family.

The Gorman Funeral Homes – Platte Chapel of Wheatland are in charge of the arrangements.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.gormanfh.com