Michelle Kail

1945 - 2025

Michelle Rae Kail passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 7, 2025. She was 79 years old.

Born November 17, 1945, in Cedar City, Utah, Michelle was the daughter of Raymond H. and Zola (Rosenberg) Duerksen. The family moved to Lander, Wyo. in the summer of 1962, just before Michelle's junior year of high school. There, she quickly made lifelong friends who remained some of her dearest companions throughout her life.

She graduated from Fremont County Vocational High School in 1964, and in 1966, she married the love of her life, James "Dan" Kail. Together they shared 55 years of marriage, raising two daughters while navigating adventures-from married-student housing at the University of Wyoming to a family move to Elko, Nev. in 1975, and eventually back to Lander in 2013.

Michelle was a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker. She had an eye for detail-her home was always immaculate, her hair perfectly styled, and her outfits color-coordinated to a tee. Friends and family alike teased (and admired) her for her sense of style and her insistence that things be "just so."

Life for Michelle was best when shared with others. She ran the Junior Bowling League with her best friend, bowled in ladies' leagues, and enjoyed countless rounds of golf on "ladies' day" and at tournaments with friends and her daughters. She cherished long lunches, cocktail hours, road trips, and the kind of easy laughter that comes with decades of friendship. After returning "home" to Lander, she slipped seamlessly back into her circle of friends and family.

Michelle cherished her close-knit family and valued spending holidays together, each one creating new memories and stories that grew funnier each time they were retold.

Michelle was preceded in death by her husband, James D. "Dan" Kail; her brother, Kenneth B. Duerksen; and her parents, Raymond H. and Zola (Rosenberg) Duerksen. She is survived by her daughters, Danielle M. Boggis (Lander) and Brittani R. Kail (Dustin Springston, Lander); her grandson, David J. Boggis (Lander); her sister, Coy Cummings (Terry, Nev.); and several nieces and a nephew.

Her family takes comfort in knowing she is reunited with Dan, her brother, and her parents-no doubt catching up over coffee, laughter, and maybe a round of golf.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Michelle's memory to Anam Cara Giving, 909 Fremont St., Lander, WY 82520.