Mary A. Faulkner Whitlock Longtine, 1934-2024
Mary A. Faulkner was born January 11, 1934. The first child and only daughter to Art and Edith (McLaughlin) Faulkner in Lander, WY. She had two brothers, Chuck Faulkner and Robert Faulkner and was a loving sister to both of them. She liked to tell stories about helping her mom with the sheep camps and of life in Lander. When Mary was 17, she met Guy “Tode” Whitlock, a worldly and very handsome man who had served his country in WWII. Tode was working on Sweetwater when the two met. They eloped to Billings, MT and married in 1951. The young couple made their home on Sweetwater with Tode working in ranching and Mary fine-tuning her sourdough skills. Along came the stork’s first delivery in November of 1952 with Charlie, and then saving the best for last, the stork made another visit with Kelly in January 1954. Mary kept busy tending her little Irish twins, washing on a washboard and mastering her sourdough skills. She was active in the Fremont County Cowbelles and treasured her friendships and stories from life on Sweetwater.
The couple moved from Sweetwater to Riverton to partner in the Western Bar in 1959 with Mary’s mom, Edith. And, as you can imagine, Mary’s husband was thrilled to work with his very bossy mother-in-law. In 1964, the business moved to a new building on Fremont Street and was renamed The Satellite Lounge, and Mary and Tode continued running it together working opposite schedules, while also keeping a small, productive farm. Opposite schedules and interests took them in different directions, and the couple divorced in 1973; Mary remarried in 1974 to Val Longtine, and they operated the bar until 1986.
The Satellite was a unique place because of Mary’s love for people. She discovered her extroverted side as a bartender who bantered and laughed as she poured many too many for her loyal customers. Uncharacteristic of many bartenders, Mary never touched alcohol and preferred her Folgers coffee black and strong. She served coffee and donuts in the morning, hosted many parties, and even sold wholesale holiday turkeys from the drive-in window.
Mary’s customers respected and trusted her, so much so that some of the men left their paychecks with her. Back before the convenience of direct deposit, she saw to it that her Gas Hills customers were able to have their checks cashed while they were at work. Since she made a daily business trip to the bank anyway, a dozen or so men endorsed their checks to Mary, and she cashed them; each man had an envelope of their earnings in cash waiting for them when they arrived at the Satellite after work, which Mary insisted on counting out to them, accounting for every cent entrusted to her. This went on for quite a few years.
She always went the extra mile for people and not just her customers. Her humanitarian spirit was ready to help anyone who crossed her path. She even took in a boarder at the Satellite who had relocated to Riverton to work for the Ranger newspaper until he had enough money to rent an apartment. He washed his clothes in the bathroom sink and dried them on a line in the furnace room. She connected people to jobs and resources and other people. She fiercely believed in honesty and kindness and generosity. Officially, Mary was a business owner and bartender, but truly she delighted in being a citizen social worker. In 1980, she was recognized by the Elks Club for her humanitarian work with the Citizen of the Year award. Mary’s civic-mindedness led her to join the Riverton City Council and run for mayor.
Mary hung up her bartending apron and sold her liquor license to Smith’s in 1983 who hired Mary to work full-time in customer service once the store opened in 1985. She found working at Smith’s rewarding as she was able to see her friends and former customers, staying connected with the community she was devoted to serving, while enjoying a normal work schedule that afforded her more time with her family, especially her grandchildren. Smith’s kept her young for 35 years, and though she greatly resisted retiring, the pandemic ultimately launched her retirement.
As a grandmother, Mary loved spoiling her grandchildren with Daylight Donuts and Schwan's ice cream and shopping trips to Casper. She always had her camera and captured birthdays and holidays and anything that inspired her. Though she didn’t care for baking, anytime her grandchildren celebrated a birthday, Mary went to great effort to arrive with a beautiful and delicious birthday cake and several dozen sugar cookies made by Pricilla. She transported the birthday sweets across Wyoming, to Colorado and as far as Nevada ensuring the birthday was special. She entertained her grandchildren with trips to Lander and taking her granddaughters and neighbor kids on driving lessons. She was especially proud and ready to celebrate graduations.
Mary was preceded in death by her brothers Chuck Faulker of Lander, WY (2015), Robert Faulkner of Annandale, VA (2013) and parents Edith and Art.
Mary is survived by her son Charlie Whitlock and daughter Kelly Wayne both of Riverton; grandchildren Stacey Wayne, Trisha Hanson, Challis Whitock and Chesnie Hummermeier; great grandchildren Trey Edson, Jordice Edson, Cord Hanson, William and Samuel Whitlock, and Channis Hummermeier; nephew Cord Faulkner and niece Rene Faulkner-MacDonaugh.
Family and friends will gather for a funeral service to honor Mary on Friday, October 18, 2024,10:00 am at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church followed by a burial in Lander at Mount Hope Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a charitable donation in Mary’s name to Paws for Life Animal Shelter in Riverton, Wyoming or Samaritan's Purse, or Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
Online condolences for Mary may be made at TheDavisFuneralHome.com.
Services will be under the direction of Davis Funeral Home, Crematory, and Monuments