The Omak Chronicle, Sept 12, 1963 Burt Cast Victim of Coronary

Burt Cast, a man who knew Omak's story from it start and who was this area's premier rodeo fan, died at 11:30 am Wednesday at Omak Memorial Hospital, about half-an-hour after suffering a heart attack at the Central Chevrolet corner in downtown Omak.Cast was walking along the sidewalk when according to Edward Jeglum, he suddenly staggered. Jeglum caught him in time to ease his fall. Dr James Bone, summoned from the Family Medical center a block away administered an injection.

Cast was taken to Omak Memorial hospital in Noel Ballard's station wagon. He was carried in by Royce Rader and Ballard, all of whom had arrived at the street corner shortly after Cast collapsed. He lived only another 10 minutes.

Burton A Cast, 70, was widely known and respected as an authority on the history of the Omak area. Though only seven years old when he moved to Pogue flat in 1902, he forgot little of what he saw and retained a keen memory for passing events as Omak was born and year-by-year matured.

Persons who wanted dates or the identity of people in pictures invariable turned to Burt. He was an ardent sports fan. He never missed an Omak Stampede, and was a walking encyclopedia on Stampede and rodeo history. He knew many world champion cowboys on a first-name basis.

His interest in sports extended into almost every field of athletic competition. He followed Omak high school teams closely. He saved programs and records. His collection of sports information is far and away the most complete ever assembled in this area.

In his 70th year, Burt was still attending Monday noon meetings of Omak Stampede, Inc., to help plan next year's show - and was still dropping over to the high school athletic field to watch the football squad work out. A member of Omak high school's first basketball team, he rarely missed a tournament.

Born in Buckley, Illinois, Burt came here with his parents, Mr and Mrs Elmer A Cast, in 1902. They homesteaded on Pogue flat. Elmer Cast left the area in about 1905 to follow his profession as a teacher. Mrs Elmer Cast was later divorced. She remarried, and died Eleanora Leslie in 1931 [Aug 19, 1932] in Omak. Elmer Cast died in 1926 [Mar 02, 1924] in San Francisco. Burt remained in Omak until his death except for 1905-08 when he lived in Bend Oregon.

He began work with the Biles-Coleman Lumber company in the early 1920 as a timekeeper at Cougarville. Later he was the company's head timekeeper at Omak. Then he became first manager of Biles-Coleman's new retail department store. In later years, Burt had an insurance and real estate business, worked as a sports announcer for KOMW, and joined Biles-Coleman again as a night watchman. He had been retired since last year.

Burt wrote many sports articles for the Omak Chronicle, and served as a constant checkpoint for historical information. He dropped into the Chronicle office several times a day, chatting briefly with someone before continuing his patrol down Main street.

He was a World War 1 veteran and a member of the American Legion, Masonic lodge, county civil defense council and Omak Stampede, Inc. No funeral arrangements have been announced. Presht funeral home is in charge.

Surviving Burt Cast are two sisters, Eleaner Sherwood of Boise, Idaho, and Nettie Couch of Emmett, Idaho; and two brothers E Frank Cast of Burbank, Calif., and Carl Cast of Ashland, Oregon. [his youngest sister, Alma Grace Coffey died in June 1931 in Emmett, Idaho; and half-brother Stanley Cast living in Wenatchee, Wa]