[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 70 (Friday, May 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5109-S5110]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. THOMAS (for himself and Mr. Enzi):
  S. 799. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to 
the personal representative of the estate of Fred Steffens of Big Horn 
County, Wyoming, certain land comprising the Steffens family property; 
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.


                          transfer legislation

 Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I introduce legislation which would 
return a family farm in Big Horn County, WY, to its rightful owners. 
The family of Fred Steffens lost ownership of the property where they 
lived and prospered for almost 70 years, as a result of a 
misrepresentation by the original property owners. Mr. Steffens' 
relatives have explored every avenue to regain the title to their 
property, and are left with no other option than to seek congressional 
assistance. I stand before you today, on behalf of my constituents, to 
request help in providing a timely solution to this problem. It is my 
hope that in doing so, this wrong can be righted.
  Upon the death of Fred Steffens on January 20, 1995, his sister, 
Marie Wambeke, was appointed personal representative of the 80-acre 
Steffens Estate. In February 1996, Ms. Wambeke learned from the Bureau 
of Land Management [BLM] that she did not have a clear title to her 
brother's property, and she submitted a color-of-title application. 
Shortly thereafter, Ms. Wambeke was informed that her brother's 
property was never patented, so her application was rejected.
  The injustice of this situation is that when Mr. Steffens purchased 
this property in 1928, he did receive a Warranty Deed with Release of 
Homestead from the former owners. Unfortunately, these individuals did 
not have a reclamation entry to assign to Mr. Steffens. In fact, 2 
years before selling the property, the original owners had been 
informed that the land they occupied was withdrawn by the Bureau of 
Reclamation for the Shoshone Reclamation Project. At the same time, 
they were notified that they had never truly owned the property.
  Unethically, this did not stop them from selling the land to Mr. 
Steffens in 1928. In good faith Mr. Steffens purchased the property, 
paid taxes on the property from the time of purchase, and is on record 
at the Big Horn County Assessor's office as owner of this property. Due 
to the dishonesty of others, his family now faces the sobering reality 
of losing this land unless a title transfer can be effected 
legislatively.
  Mr. President, the legislation I am introducing today would transfer 
the land from Fred Steffens' estate to his sister, Marie. This property 
has been in their family since 1928. Through no fault of their own, 
these folks are being forced to relinquish rights not only to their 
land, but to a part of their heritage and a legacy to their future 
generations. I hope we can expedite this matter by turning this land 
over to Marie Wambeke's ownership.

[[Page S5110]]

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the legislation 
be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 799

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. TRANSFER OF STEFFENS FAMILY PROPERTY.

       Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary of the 
     Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land 
     Management, shall, without consideration of other 
     reimbursement, transfer to Marie Wambeke of Big Horn County, 
     Wyoming, personal representative of the estate of Fred 
     Steffens, the land that was acquired by Fred Steffens under a 
     Warranty Deed and Release of Homestead from Frank G. McKinney 
     and Margaret W. McKinney on September 28, 1928, and 
     thereafter occupied by Fred Steffens, known as ``Farm C'' in 
     the E\1/2\NW\1/4\ of Section 27 in Township 57 North, Range 
     97 West, 6th Principal Meridian, Wyoming.
                                 ______