James Roland Daly

Funeral service for James "Jim" Daly will be held 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at First Presbyterian Church in Gillette, WY; interment to follow at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery. Visitation will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday, January 16, 2017 at Gillette Memorial Chapel. James "Jim" R. Daly, 92, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, at Legacy Rehabilitation Center in Gillette. He was born Nov. 3, 1924, in Long Beach, California, to James Hyde and Meta Rose (Sembell) Daly. The family returned to Campbell County and the Daly Ranch, where Jim attended school and graduated from Campbell County High School in 1941. He enrolled at the University of Wyoming, where he attended for two years but did not complete his degree as he received an Agriculture Deferment to return to the home ranch to raise cattle during WWII. Jim married Harriet Elizabeth Kerns on June 20, 1945, at the Kerns Ranch in Parkman, Wyoming, after they met the university. They settled on the family ranch in a two-room house, and were blessed with three children, John Michael, Mary Jill and Margaret "Peggy" Carol. Jim took over the ranch management from his father as it was converted entirely to a cow-calf operation in 1950. He was in attendance to commemorate the Daly Ranch as a Wyoming 100-plus year ranch in 2011. Jim was a member of Wyoming Stock Growers, serving as president 1978-79, charter member and served on the Board of Directors of National Cattlemen's Association 1977-81. He was also a member of Masonic Grand Lodge and served as Wyoming Grand Master in 1978-79. He has received numerous awards and recognition for outstanding leadership in these organizations. As well as being a hard working rancher, Jim was dedicated to the family businesses, Twenty-Mile Land Co., Daly Livestock, Rawhide Resources and Justice Oil. He served his community on local school board before county consolidation, Public Land Board, Higher Education Board and was involved in the banking business. He was a founding board member of Wyoming National Bank. Jim, with partners John and Bob Ostlund and Don Gulley built the Sands Motel and restaurant and The Thunder Basin Inn. Mr. Daly was appointed to accompany U.S. Sen. Cliff Hanson and Nebraska Sen. Curtis to represent the beef industry promoting beef to Japan and Taiwan in 1978, and he had several trips to Washington, D.C., lobbying and representing the beef industry. Mr. Daly was selected to the judiciary nominating committee to select a U.S. judge for Bankruptcy Court in the late 1980s. Jim enjoyed traveling with his wife throughout the United States, Europe, parts of Asia, New Zealand and Australia. He loved driving in the car, studying maps and was very knowledgeable about mountain ranges, rivers and geography. He preferred to take "the road less traveled!" Jim was an avid reader, bridge player and showed interest in the stock market, banking, investments and numbers, even into his last days. Most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth; infant son; parents; brothers-in-law, Robert Wright, Herbert Kerns and Burton Kerns; and sister-in-law, Jimi Kerns as well as a niece and nephews. He is survived by children, John (Sandy) Daly, Peg (Larry) Smith of Gillette and Jill Daly of Laramie; grandchildren Jamie (Albert) Lin of Oakland, California, Keaton Smith of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Brent (Irene) Daly, Tad (Traci) Daly, Cameron (Nicole) Smith and Kellen (Kalle) Smith, all of Gillette; great-grandchildren, Madison and Morgan Lin, Talayna Leonard, Tate Daly, Sawyer and Quinn Daly, James and Waylon Smith and two more arriving in the spring. Memorials have been established to Gillette College Foundation, Rockpile Museum Foundation, and Shriner's Hospital or of donor's choice. Memorials and condolences may be sent in care of Gillette Memorial Chapel 210 West 5th Street, Gillette, WY 82716. Condolences may also be expressed at www.gillettememorialchapel.com Funeral Home:Gillette Memorial Chapel210 West Fifth Street Gillette, WYUS 82716