Billie Edward Newman

Bill Newman was born in Sundance, WY to Clarice and Carl Newman in 1930. His education started in a one room schoolhouse located on Black Tail Creek south of Hulett. Bill’s dad broke and traded horses. He started Bill riding yearling colts when he was ten years old. Bill graduated high school in Sundance and joined the army in the fall of 1948. He spent most of that hitch on Okinawa. After returning home he was called back. He was sent to Korea with the 453 Road Engineer Platoon. He received an honorable discharge in November 1951. After a year of college, he worked on several ranches in Wyoming, South Dakota, and Arizona breaking horses, rodeoing, and wrangling Dudes. While at the H.F.- he took pack trips to Willow Park in the Big Horns where Hortons had a cabin (now underwater). Bill worked two summers at the Eaton Ranch where he broke some really good colts. In the winter of 1955, he went to work on a Seismograph crew with Shell Oil Company. Wherever he settled for a while he would connect with someone who raised horses and would ride colts for them during his time off. Later he was transferred into the gas department and ended up in Sheridan, Texas where he met Linda and started a love affair that lasted and intensified for 64 years. They were married in 1964. This union produced two sons, Tim and Tom and three grandchildren, Billy, Makayla, and Tyler. The family moved often as Bill worked in construction of new gas plants. Shell Oil got into coal mining in the late 70’s and Bill was in charge of most of the exploration. He did core and hydrogeology drilling on the Buckskin and North Rochelle leases in Wyoming, Texas, Ohio, Illinois and Montana. He moved back to Gillette when Shell began construction of the Buckskin Mine. The family was finally permanently located, although Bill still traveled including overseas to the Middle East. He retired in Gillette, but still did work for Shell on the Buckskin and North Rochelle sites. He also worked for the late Mickey Wagensen guiding hunters and halter breaking Mickey’s colts. Bill left this world with multiple talents. His family and friends enjoyed beautiful paintings, great stories and hilarious jokes. Bill made some wonderful friends in his life, some he had gone to school with, some he had worked with, some were rodeo cowboys, and some were hunters who returned year after year. Bill’s word was good. A handshake was as good as a written contract. He often said what he feared most was ignorant do-gooders and lying politicians. Let’s just say, “he gave ‘er a good ride”. Services will be on Monday, January 13, 2025, at the Gillette Memorial Chapel. Viewing will be at 10am, funeral services with military honors at 11am. A luncheon and celebration of life will follow at the Gillette America Legion at noon. Memorial donations can be made to The Disabled American Veterans or The American Legion. 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