William Eisele

William Joe “Bill” Eisele, a resident of Sheridan, Wyoming, born June 8, 1929, in Gillette, Wyoming, passed away on July 20, 2023, with his family by his side at Sheridan Memorial Hospital at the age of 94. His parents were George Andrew Eisele and Mattie M. (Davis) Eisele.  He was raised in Sheridan, and during his youth spent summers in Gillette, Wyoming. He attended school in Sheridan and was a member of the Class of 1948.

Bill got his first horse when he was three years old and wasn’t without a horse for the next 91 years. He was an accomplished horseman, which he learned from his uncle, breaking Army Remount horses in the 1930s. In his teen years, he worked as a cowboy for the Wallop and Forbes ranches. Later he raised, bred, and sold horses as Eisele Quarter Horses, registering 170 AQHA horses. He started out racing in local chariot races and soon migrated to quarter horse racing at tracks throughout Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, California, and New Mexico. His son, Matt, trained many of the racehorses. Foals he raised are still running in the Wyoming 2023 horse racing circuit. He attended the All-American Futurity in New Mexico and the Kentucky Derby.

In his early adult years, Bill had a dairy and partnered in the Golden Dawn Dairy. While still raising his family, he worked his cattle ranch and as a nurse’s aide at the VA Hospital. He was an innovator, problem solver, and visionary. He migrated to real estate development with partners in the 1970s and some of his projects involved converting buildings into alternative uses. The most complex conversion was the Sheridan Flouring Mill into the Mill Inn. He built the Firestone building on that property. Other buildings he converted include the Old Post Office, the Crescent Hotel (ERA/Carroll Realty) & the Western Hotel (corner of Works & Main). He soon took on buying and selling ranches, which included the Bear Claw, Horseshoe, Hidden Hills & Rambling River among others.  In addition, there were many more projects involving buying, selling, and remodeling houses and downtown buildings (which today would be called “flipping”).  He once owned Marshall Park, the Wyo Theater & adjacent buildings, Sheridan Greenhouse, and the brick Train Depot, among others.

In 1978, Bill was appointed to serve on a special Courthouse Study Committee to decide on whether to relocate or renovate the old Courthouse. Bill employed Ron Spriggs, a local architect, to render a concept drawing that kept the old Courthouse and added the current addition. They presented the drawing to the committee and the decision was made to keep the courthouse at its current location based on that concept.

Bill was a kindhearted, generous, loving family-oriented man. He had a quick-witted sense of humor and was always ready with a joke. When he smiled, his whole face smiled, and his eyes twinkled. Besides horses, Bill had one major hobby-keeping up with his family. He attended the activities of his children and grandchildren, that was very involved in 4-H, rodeos, sporting, and extra-curricular events. He enjoyed rodeos, ropings, and county fairs. He roped in Century team roping at the Sheridan County Rodeo. He was very proud of his family and loved them deeply.  He was the hub of the family wagon wheel. 

He will be greatly missed by his family, which includes Kim Clapham Gleason, his partner, along with his CHILDREN: Vicki (Gary) Koltiska, George Robin Eisele,  Gail Eisele Brown, William Matt Eisele, Kyle (Tracy) Eisele and bonus daughter Chauncie Anderson (Aaron);  GRANDCHILDREN: Travis (Mandy) Koltiska, Jason (Sage M.) Koltiska, Justin (Jessie) Koltiska, Ryan (Tawnie) Eisele, Austin (Dana) Brown, Kaul (Shelby) Eisele, Alexandra Eisele, Kade Eisele, Erin Anderson; GREAT GRANDCHILDREN:  Sadie, Allison, Tyler, Danielle, Hunter, Sage (JW), Amia, Willow, Gabrielle (Adam), Paden, Juniper, Finnley, Harlee, Mikel, Kole, Trace, Layla, Levi, Zehke and Grey;  GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: Paisley, Penelope, and Virgil;  SISTER: June Eisele Warren; BROTHERS: Jean (Sue) Eisele and  Allen (Linda) Eisele; IN-LAWS: Karin (Doug) Coppinger & Micheline Clapham, plus very special nieces, nephews and cousins throughout the US.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley (Ware) Eisele; brothers, James Vines, and George (Spud) Eisele and sister Nellie (Sis) Watson. 

Special thank you to Big Horn Mtn Medicine, Welch Cancer Center, and Memorial Hospital for the compassionate care he received.  

A Celebration of Life is at 4:00 P.M. Saturday, September 9, 2023, at Cornerstone Community Church 4159 Big Horn Avenue, Sheridan, WY, with a reception to follow.

Go Rest High on the Mountain, Son your work on earth is done.  Online condolences may be made to www.sheridanfuneral.com. Arrangements are under the care of Sheridan Funeral Home.