William R. Pelton, age 77 passed away in his home with family on July 10th. Bill loved helping others, bringing humor and good cheer to friends and strangers alike, and living life in Montana. Bill was born on September 27, 1946. He spent his childhood at the C.L. Pelton ranch on the West Rosebud. He was incredibly proud of his time at the Fishtail grade school with the “Fishtail Five.” He graduated from Absarokee High School in 1964 where he played football and was active in FFA, serving in several leadership roles.
Bill’s upbringing and interests led him to Montana State University where he received a B.S. degree in Animal Science & Ag Production. He remained a loyal and proud Bobcat throughout his life. To support his family and to pay for school, he milked at the College Dairy and did custom hay stacking. He married Colleen Weast and was blessed with a set of twin daughters in 1966, Marci and Darci, while still attending MSU. He continued to participate in agricultural related leadership opportunities and was recognized as the Little International Livestock Show Overall Showman in 1967 and participated on the MSU Livestock Judging Team. In 1968, he was blessed with a third daughter, Gerele. In 1970, he began his career as a loan consultant at Midland Production Credit Association. Bill worked managing feedlots in Shepherd, Vaughn, Choteau, and Laurel before relocating his family back to Absarokee. He assumed a regional sales position for Moorman Manufacturing and was named as a Top 25 salesman nationwide. For the remainder of his professional life, he had many agricultural based positions that allowed him to support rural families with their financial planning and insurance needs, ag marketing, animal science, and ag production. All of this experience led Bill to open his own livestock marketing and consulting business – Bill Pelton Livestock. Bill thrived in business ownership by utilizing his skills and network and providing customer service that he felt all rural families deserved. Bill truly lived his motto – “We work every day ,,, not just sale day!”
Bill was committed to community service. He donated his time to many non-profit organizations, serving on the Board of Directors for The NILE and as a founder and Director of the NILE Merit Heifer Program. He also served on the Billings Chamber Ag Committee, the Metra Park Advisory Committee, the Vocation Advisory Scholarship Fund for Absarokee High School, and the Stillwater County Fairground Committee. He also supported the Absarokee Lending Library. He loved working with youth who had an interest in agricultural careers and serving rural communities.
When Bill was not working, you could find him helping others to gather cattle, brand, or fix fences. He loved every minute he rode horses, especially the last few years on Old Yeller. He was 100% Cowboy – from the C to the Y. One of his grandsons found a short poem to describe “Papa Bill”:
The Aging Cow Hand
He has been stomped on by a cantankerous steed,
and been run over in a cattle stampede,
but he will ride herd in the cold,
though he’s broken and old.
‘cause he is a cowboy, living up to his creed.
Bill had a strong faith and served his God. He had an abiding belief in Psalm 23 and John 3:16 — whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Although Bill will be missed, heaven needed another good cowboy, and Bill was one of the best.
Friends and Family Service and Celebration of Life
Updates and details are available on https://www.billpelton.com/
- August 3rd at the Fishtail Family Park and Community Center in Fishtail, Montana
- October 18th at the NILE Merit Heifer show in Billings, Montana
Pallbearers: Jess Berg, Scott Friede, John Jackson, Brad Kraft, Terry Lohrenz,
Garth Pelton, Ed Miller, Kyle Shobe, Charlie Simmons, Tim Stahl
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to:
Fishtail Community Center
P.O. Box 11
Fishtail, Montana 59028
Montana FFA Foundation
P.O. Box 1548
Columbus, Montana 59019
NILE Merit Heifer Program
NILE Foundation
P.O. Box 1981
Billings, Montana 59103
