Little Joe The Wrangler - Taka Fine Leather · 15/07/2011  · daughter Peggy King (Dan) of College Station, TX, daughter Julie Gardner of ... He said he'd had to leave his home,

William R. (Bill,Billy) Gardner, June 1, 1929 - July 15, 2011 died at Sheridan Manor with his wife and children present. Bill was born in Spokane, WA and spent his very early childhood living at the M&M ranch in Buffalo, WY. He grew up living at the Neponset Stud Farm west of Sheridan. He attended Beckton School and graduated from Sheridan High School in 1947. Bill spent a lot of his youth riding young polo pony prospects at the Neponset. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1950 and was stationed at Laredo, TX and an Air Force refueling station in Greenland during the Korean conflict. He was honorably discharged in 1953. Bill married Jane A. Franklin on April 19, 1954 and he and Jane raised 5 children in Sheridan. At a young age, Bill learned leathercraft from Don King and working leather became his lifelong profession. Bill worked at a number of saddle shops including Porter's in Phoenix, AZ and in Sheridan at Rudy Mudra's, Ernst's and King's Saddlery and he later was self-employed. Bill was widely recognized as a master leather carver and saddle maker. During his career he made many saddles, countless belts, western tack and a variety of finely tooled leather items for people in the Sheridan area and beyond and many rodeo trophy saddles including several saddles for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Notably, he is the 2011 recipient of the Don King Award presented by the Academy of Western Artists for lifetime achievement in saddle making. He was member of the Kalif Shrine, the American Legion and the Elks. He was preceded in death by his parents, William C. and Jewel Garder and by infant son, John Michael. He is survived by his wife Jane of Sheridan, daughter Catherine Beels (Paul) of Buffalo, WY, son Don (Deborah) of Corvallis, MT, daughter Peggy King (Dan) of College Station, TX, daughter Julie Gardner of Sheridan, son Ted of Gillette, sisters Nancy Miles of Parkman, WY and Linda Johnson of Casper and by 9 grandchildren (John, Christine and Grace King of College Station, Amelia and Nathan Gardner of Corvallis, MT, Will and Thomas Saffel of Sheridan and Taylor and Brynne Gardner of Sheridan).

Little Joe The Wrangler - One of Bill’s favorite childhood songs.

Little Joe, the wrangler, will never wrangle more; His days with the remuda

they are done. 'Twas a year ago last April he joined the outfit here, A little

Texas stray and all alone.

'Twas long late in the evening he rode up to the herd, On a little old brown

pony he called Chaw; With his brogan shoes and overalls a harder looking kid,

You never in your life had seen before.

His saddle 'twas a southern kack built many years ago, An O.K. spur on one

foot idle hung, While his "hot roll" in a cotton sack was loosely tied behind,

And a canteen from the saddle horn he'd slung.

He said he'd had to leave his home, his daddy'd married twice, And his new ma

beat him every day or two; So he saddled up old Chaw one night and "lit a

shuck" this way, Thought he'd try and paddle his own canoe.

Said he'd try and do the best he could if we'd only give him work, Though he

didn't know "straight" up about a cow, So the boss he cut him out a mount and

kinder put him on, For he sorta liked the little stray somehow.

Taught him how to herd the horses and to learn to know them all, To round

'em up by daylight; if he could, To follow the chuck wagon and to always hitch

the team, And help the "cosinero" rustle wood.

We'd driven hard to Red River and the weather had been fine; We were

camped down on the south side of the bend, When a norther commenced blow-

ing and we doubled up our guards, For it took all hands to hold the cattle then.

Little Joe the wrangler was called out with the rest, And scarcely had the kid

got to the herd, When the cattle they stampeded; like a hail storm, long they

flew, And all of us were riding for the lead.

"Tween the streaks of lightning we could see a horse out far ahead, 'Twas little

Joe the wrangler in the lead; He was riding "old Blue Rocket" with his slicker

'bove his head, Trying to check the leaders in their speed.

At last we got them milling and kind of quieted down, And the extra guard

back to the camp did go, But one of them was missin' and we all knew at a

glance, 'Twas our little Texas stray poor wrangler Joe.

Next morning just at sunup we found where Rocket fell, Down in a washout

twenty feet below, Beneath his horse mashed to a pulp his spur had rung the

knell, For our little Texas stray--poor wrangler Joe.

DATE OF DEATH

July 15, 2011 Sheridan, Wyoming

DATE OF BIRTH

June 1, 1929 Spokane, Washington

MEMORIAL SERVICES

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 11:00 A.M. Kane Funeral Home

OFFICIATING Father Ron Stolcis

MUSIC

Amazing Grace Prayer of St. Francis

MUSIC BY

Chuck Magera & DeeDee Johnson

VIDEO TRIBUTE

HONORARY PALLBEARERS

Inurnment will be in the Sheridan Elks Cemetery.

Reception to follow at the Elks Lodge, 45 West Brundage Street, Sheridan, WY.

Clinton Fay Bill Willey Bill King

Bruce King Jim Jackson

Steve Stevenson

I n L o v i n g M e m o r y o f

W i l l i a m R . “ B i l l ” G a r d n e r