Billie Beaton

Billie Jean (Shepperson) Beaton Memorial services to celebrate the life of Billie Jean (Shepperson) Beaton, 94, pioneer resident of Wyoming, will be held February 25, 2014 at 1 P.M. at Bustard Funeral Home. She passed away February 16, 2014. A reception will follow the services at the Parkway Plaza. Billie Jean was born April 30, 1919 to Brice and Mae Covington. When she was two, her mother married Jim Kittleson, who was extremely fond of Billie, so she took his name. She grew up and attended schools in Salt Creek and Midwest. Mae was a postmistress in Salt Creek and Jim had several businesses and later became a rig builder in the oilfield. When she was growing up, the Salt Creek stockyards on the North-South Railroad were her hangout. Always having many horses she would help all of the ranchers who brought their livestock in to ship with finding grass and working the livestock. One summer, she helped a rancher trail horses and livestock to Mills and Alcova, as he provided the stock for rodeos there. She taught herself to swim at Lavoye, Wyoming near Salt Creek. In college she was on the diving team and in the water circus. She graduated from Midwest High School in 1935 and attended Colorado Teachers College in Greeley, Colorado. In 1938 she married Frank L. Shepperson in Ft. Collins, Colorado. They ranched on Castle Creek near his parents, raising cattle and horses. In the 1940's and 50's the Shepperson family rodeo tradition fired up. Frank bulldogged in local rodeos and traveled a few years participating at Madison Square Garden among others. Billie loved participating also and later watching her children and grandchildren carry on an impressive legacy of rodeo successes. She loved all school sports especially when the family was participating. When the blizzard of 1949 hit, Billie assisted during the hay lifts. She knew the country and the ranchers, so she could tell the crew where to drop the hay and supplies to help the people and livestock, because the snow was treacherous resulting in big losses. Billie Jean later finished her college education at the University of Wyoming and taught at the Midwest School for 20 years. Frank passed away in 1969 and she later married longtime friend and neighbor, Johnny Beaton in 1972. They ran Black Angus cattle and some sheep on the Teapot Ranch. Johnny passed away in 2004. She continued to be involved on the ranch with brandings, roundups, trailing cattle to the mountain and riding every chance that she had. "Branded homemade pies" and cinnamon rolls were her specialty for her many ranch meals throughout the years. She was a past president of Natrona County Cow-Belles. In 2010 she and her family were in the documentary "The Code of the West: Alive and Well in Wyoming." She is survived by her three children, Sally (Wally) Ramsbottom of Buffalo, Frank E. (Susan) Shepperson of Midwest and Jim (Waive Yager) Shepperson of Lance Creek; ten grandchildren, Will Ramsbottom of Buffalo, Kelli (Darren) Shetler of Calif., Brice (Amy) Lewis of Meeteetse, Kit (Jim) Foote of Meeteetse, Lynn (Justin) Mayfield of Midwest, Lisa (Gus) Garnhart of Midwest, Les (Holly) Shepperson of Midwest, Amy (Hugh) Deselms of Midwest, Baxter (Regina) Shepperson of Va., and B. J. Shepperson of Lance Creek; 15 great grandchildren and one sister, P. J. Gucciardo of Sierra Vista, Arizona. At her wishes, interment of her ashes will be on the ranch and the land that she loved. Memorial donations may be made to the Salt Creek Emergency Services or the Natrona County Cow-Belle Scholarship Fund, in care of Bustard Funeral Home, 600 CY Avenue, Casper, Wyoming, 82601.

Service

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 1:00pm

Bustard's Funeral Home

600 CY Avenue

Casper, Wyoming 82601