Bill Roper 1946-2016
William LeRoy “Bill” Roper, 70, Guthrie, Okla., died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016, of heart failure, at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Oklahoma City, Okla.
He was born Oct. 2, 1946, in Hillsboro, Ill., to Kenneth and Jessie Isaacs Roper, the third of eight children.
Bill served in the U.S. Air Force, in Tripoli, Libya, from 1966 to 1970.
He married Shirley Walder on March 14, 1970, in Holton. They were later divorced.
Bill spent most of his life working and living in the outdoors with animals and bluegrass music. He managed Limestone Springs Ranch, Soldier, for 11 years. He was a 4-H leader for the Pleasant Valley Rustlers Club and a beef superintendent for the Jackson County 4-H clubs. He also volunteered for the Soldier Fire Department.
Bill later lived and worked on ranches in California, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. In 1994, he was a founding member of the Salmon Valley String Band, Salmon, Idaho. The band continues playing bluegrass music today. In April 2010, he retired from the National Parks Service as a Maintenance Supervisor at Scottsbluff National Monument, Scottsbluff, Neb.
Bill spent his remaining years living near Guthrie, Okla., playing music and singing, enjoying family and living the simple life.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by two daughters, Tammi Mitchell (Bryan) of Ulysses and Tara Ripperger (Jeff) of Coweta, Okla.; four grandchildren, Keenan Mitchell, Denver, Colo., Kylie Mitchell, Ulysses, and Camden and Gracen Ripperger, Coweta, Okla.; four sisters and three brothers; and many nieces, nephews, other family and friends.
Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to Salmon Valley String Band or Palliative Care Unit, OKC VA, sent in care of Tammi Mitchell, 2298 N. Road I, Ulysses, KS 67880.
“Fly high with your horses and dogs, Daddy — until we meet again!”
(PAID OBITUARY)
