Fred Eeles

Memorial Services for Fred Eeles will be held Wednesday October 19, 2016 at 2 pm at Bustard's Funeral Home with a gathering to celebrate Fred's life at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds Arena to follow. Fred Eeles, 74, of Casper, Wyoming went on to his "next adventure" August 28, 2016. Over the past 10 years, he had battled 3 different cancers, with pancreatic cancer being his fight for the last 3 years. He passed, as he did everything else in this fight -going from being outside trying to mow his lawn on a Friday morning to Hospice Friday night, and to Heaven by Sunday evening. His tenacity and sense of humor still intact right until the last day. Fred was predeceased in death by his "soulmate," of nearly 50 years, Irene Eeles, in 2009. As well, he was predeceased by his mother- Margaret Eeles, brother in law- Ken Strass, grandparents, and a nephew. Fred has left an empty place in the hearts and at the table of the family gatherings of his nieces and their families - Collette & Marty Cox, and their daughters- Cassidy, Jaycie, Kelsey, and Callie Cox, as well as Kim & Sean Orszulak and their daughters- Olivia and Elle. (All of Casper, Wy) As well as his special friend for the past 7 years- Rita Vick (also of Casper, Wy) He will also be sadly missed by his sisters- Rae Strass of Stony Plain, Alberta, Ruth (Ralph) Vossler of Medicine Hat, Alberta, his nephew Cal Strass of Carvel, Alberta, Wade Strass of Spruce Grove, Alberta, two sisters-in-law Jo-Ann Ovenden and Gwen Herbert (both of Alberta, Canada) as well as numerous others nieces and nephews. Fred grew up in the Cypress Hills of Alberta, Canada. He shared many cowboy "adventures" there with his grandfather and his family. He went to school "riding bareback on a horse, uphill both ways through 10 feet of snow," as Fred would tell the story, in Medicine Hat, Alberta. It was there that he met and married Irene Eeles in 1962. They began their life together with a new "adventure" in Toronto, Alberta in 1964 and then to Rochester, NY in 1967- where he worked as a printer and typesetter. But, he missed the wide open spaces, and cowboy life, and one day in 1972, they set out and drove "until he could hear a meadowlark". They drove "across three states" before he heard that familiar sound. That was when they moved to Casper, Wy. where he worked for several ranches, and he and Irene owned two places of their own over the past 40 years. He loved "cowboy life," and when he wasn't out doing cowboy stuff, you could always find him in a coffee shop somewhere entertaining everyone with cowboy stories. He always said some of his stories were so dang good, he "could hardly wait to hear what he was going to say next!" Like him, his stories were "one of a kind". As well, he was an extremely talented Western artist sharing his stories in his artwork with many of his paintings winning at art shows, being auctioned at fundraisers, or being displayed at different restaurants or businesses in Casper. Fred had an unending stubbornness and desire to live life, as well as a terrific sense of humor. He said many times that he was lucky because he had "pretty much done everything he had wanted to in his life...and had fun doin' it!" He made a lot of "life's less than fun occasions"-A LOT of fun. He will be sadly missed. Memorial donations in his name can be made to Central Wyoming Hospice.

Service

Wednesday, October 19, 2016 2:00pm

Bustard's Funeral Home

600 CY Avenue

Casper, Wyoming 82601