Rex Grant Hubbell

  Rex Grant Hubbell

Sept. 27, 1937 – Dec. 13, 2021

Rex Grant Hubbell, 84, passed away peacefully at his home in Lovell December 13, 2021.

Rex was born September 27, 1937, to Grant and Louise (Keele) Hubbell in Lovell. As he grew up they moved to various places while Grant worked in construction and in the oil fields, including San Diego and Billings, then back to Lovell, where Rex graduated high school.

He married Betty Beech January 11, 1956, in Kane, and they remained married for 65 years and were recently sealed in the Temple. Rex was a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He didn’t need church walls to live a life with faith and could be found kneeling nightly in prayer.

In the early years he worked in the oil fields of Wyoming up until the time of his father, Grant’s, death. He then took over the family farm located southwest of Lovell. Rex had an immense passion for agriculture and it showed, whether it be the pride he took in having a healthy herd, being a meticulous irrigator or the multiple top 10 grower awards he earned for his beet crops, as well as serving as Farm Bureau president. 

During his farming years, he farmed between the Keele homestead in Lovell and the Hubbell homestead in Cowley. He also enjoyed gathering his cattle with the association and pushing them up the Big Horns to summer pasture, then gathering them to come home in the fall. 

During these years, he also purchased a ranch in Luther, Montana, in 1968 and maintained both operations. He then sold the Luther property and purchased the Helmville ranch in 1980, where son Mark and his family joined him in their cattle operation. Children Alisa and Bruce were raised in the ranching communities of Helmville and Drummond, Montana. 

When Rex retired from ranching, he and Betty went on many adventures, living in Cody, where Rex was a realtor, Portland, Oregon, where he worked with son Bruce in construction, and then to Ogden, Utah, where he worked as a livestock medical supply salesman. They found themselves back in Lovell for retirement, where they have enjoyed gardening, pampering their dog, Badger, and visiting with friends.

Some of Rex’s favorite hobbies included fishing, fishing and more fishing. He loved cards, most notably being a competitive cribbage and pool player. 

Rex’s favorite place was the mountains. He loved the beauty and smell of the pines, cooler air and frying his catch of the day. Another favorite was roasting a hot dog on an open fire fueled by sagebrush, where the Wyoming wind added a touch of sand. Lots of family time was spent in the mountains, and his grandkids have very fond memories of the knowledge they gained those summers camping and finding good fishing holes. Rex was known for his fun, witty personality, a legacy he passed on to his children and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Betty; sister Ina Hubbell of Lovell; children Kathryn Schaefer of Powell, Mark Hubbell (Melissa Wambeke) of Cowley, Alisa (Tate) McCoy of Powell and Bruce Hubbell of Lovell; grandchildren Eric (Toni) Schaefer and Joel (Caitlin) Schaefer both of Powell, Matt (Wendy) Hubbell of Frannie, Maureen (Jason) Percifield of Gillette, Tawni Green (Lane Friedly) of Cowley, Erin Desjarlais of Powell, and Colton Hubbell of Bremerton, Washington; sister-in-law ValJean Beech of Cowley; uncle Brant Keele of Riverton; and “his same age, like brother and sister” cousins, Lee Kysar of California and Arlene Wells of Thermopolis. He has 16 great-grandchildren as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Grant and Louise, grandson Grant Hubbell and brothers-in-law Dennis and Art Beech.

In closing, a comment often heard from Rex was, “I’ve ridden my horse from the foothills of the Big Horns, up Five Springs, throughout Porcupine, on top of Duncum, down the Little Horn and over Baldy, so I’ve traveled everywhere this cowboy needs to go.”

A funeral service will be held Monday, Dec. 20, at 11 a.m. at the Lovell LDS Stake Center. A viewing/visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the Lovell Cemetery following the service.