Donald Ray Oshel

Donald Ray Oshel
Don was born May 15, 1934 in Cheyenne, Wyoming to Eva Gladys Florence and Oval "Ray" Oshel.
Don's wife, Darlene Kay Matthews, was born April 30, 1935. They were married June 1, 1963 in Park County, Wyoming. Park County was named for Yellowstone, of which half is in the county.
Don grew up in the Greeley area in Weld County living in a place the census called Delta. As of the 1950 census he had a job in a theater. Not many records can be found, however in 1951 he was fined $10 for careless driving.
He attended high school at Greeley's College High School, then he transferred to Greeley High School where he graduated in 1952. Darlene graduated high school in 1953, then graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1957.
By 1955 he was a member of the Army National Guard in the Denver area. On November 1, 1955, he was called up to assist in recovery for the plane crash of United flight 629.
The plane blew up at 7:03 pm over Longmont 11 minutes after takeoff from Stapleton killing all 44 people aboard. The debris from the accident was scattered across 6 square miles of Weld County.
John Gilbert Graham had planted a dynamite time bomb in the suitcase of his mother Daisie King Graham. He was convicted and was executed January 11, 1957 in the gas chamber. He is not related to the Graham family in Rifle.
Don Oshel was serving in the Army stationed in Italy when his father passed away December 13, 1957. His mother passed away April 3, 1958, both of them in Greeley.
Likely that Don used the GI bill for college, cannot find records. He taught at Rifle High in the 60's and 70's. In 1966 he was teaching social studies when he told us about the 1955 plane crash.
He also did some radio announcing on the Rifle radio station calling himself "Golden throat Oshel."
Darlene was an elementary teacher, taught 5th grade at Esma Lewis Elenentary.
From 1992 to 1995, available records place Don living on Elk Creek at New Castle. Other records show him in Little Rock from 1991 to 2001. Then from 2005 to 2020, his address was Rancho Cucamonga, California.

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