John Wesley Rudolph

John Wesley Rudolph of Gillette, Wyoming, passed away on April 7, 2025. A visitation is scheduled for Monday, April 14, 2025, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Gillette Memorial Chapel. Graveside services will take place the following day, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery.

John Wesley Rudolph of Gillette, Wyoming passed peacefully onto the Lord at The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center in Gillette, Wyoming on April 7, 2025, at the age of 83. He was born on April 27, 1941, in Sheridan, Wyoming. He was welcomed by his parents, Hazel (Lee) and George Rudolph along with his two brothers Bob and Jack and sister, Marge. Growing up in the Sheridan area he attended several area schools and Sheridan High School. Prior to moving to Gillette from Sheridan, John was employed by several area ranches as a cowboy and was later employed at Sheridan Iron Works where he worked on the Sheridan flood control system for Goose Creek. He tried his luck a bit in bronc riding but realized that it required too many days off for recovery and wasn’t so good for his body!

John married Patricia A. Hall on September 5, 1959, in Sheridan, Wyoming. Together they had 3 children, Bronwen, Bridget and Jeffrey. The family moved to Gillette in 1963 during the oil field boom, where John went to work as a welder at L&H Welding and Machine Shop. A few years later John and his wife started their own 24 hr. mobile welding business, Rudolph’s Welding Service, which they operated for 30+ years until their retirement. John burned a lot of midnight oil serving the area oilfields, sleeping in his truck many nights on location until the job was complete. He was a hard worker, took pride in his work and was well respected in the field. Although John left high school early and had no formal training as a welder, he had a natural knack for it and could design or build most anything from steel! You could always find “Rudolph” by his bright colored pattern welding caps he always wore.

John loved the outdoors. John enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, camping, snowmobiling, and traveling. He had great stories to tell of his elk hunting trips to the Half Ounce Creek area in the Big Horn Mountains. Prior to having horses, John would load up his tote gote’s, tent and camping box and head out on his annual hunting vacation with friends and family. John also enjoyed reloading bullets to support his hunting hobby and then eventually started making his own bullets. He loved to test and target shoot each different load out his back door at his home outside Gillette. John loved fishing! In his early years Seven Brothers in the Big Horn mountains was one of his favorite fishing holes. As his family grew he purchased boats and much fun was had fishing, tubing, skiing and camping at area lakes with family. He was always willing to join in the fun wherever and whatever, although he quickly discovered he wasn’t much good at riding the boogie board and preferred to drive the boat. And as a typical fisherman, his fish always seemed to grow a bit bigger in his stories as time passed! It was a great day if John had a pole in his hand, a scope to his eyes or was spending time with his family. He and his wife were members of the Levi’s and Lace square dancing club in Gillette, and they loved playing cards with family and friends. The family always had pets of some sort, although John especially loved his Pomeranian’s and always kept them brushed nice and fluffy.

John enjoyed being a parent and also loved being a grandparent to his 5 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Any time he was around them you more than likely would find him lying on the floor entertaining them while grandma was busy preparing the food. He had a great sense of humor and loved to tease just a little bit. His glass was always half full.

John was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather Herman Hoffman, brother’s Bob and Jack Rudolph. He is survived by his children Bronwen Anderson of Cheyenne, Bridget (Brian) Griffin and Jeff (Julie) Rudolph of Gillette. His 5 grandchildren, Brittany (Mike) Henson, Stephanie (Wade) Rudolph, MacKenzie (Kyle) Barbula and Cameron Griffin all of Gillette and Danielle (Shawn) Beach of Cheyenne and his 12 great-grandchildren of Gillette and Cheyenne. He’s also survived by his sister Marge Johnston of Sheridan, Wyoming, numerous nieces and nephews from around the United States, along with many treasured friends he gathered along his life's journey here on this earth. The family gives a huge thank you to the caregivers from The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center and Campbell County Hospice for their friendship and love they gave John during his time there. Condolences can be expressed at Gillette Memorial Chapel’s website www.gillettememorialchapel.com or sent in care to the chapel at 210 West 5th Street, Gillette, WY 82716. In lieu of flowers, the family requests you support your favorite cause or donate to any conservation charity focusing on protecting wildlife, habitats, and natural resources.