Clear, 61° F
(July 14, 1948 - Sept. 22, 2015)
A celebration of life for Donald ‘Jay’ Ekwall, 67, will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, at the Pavilion Indoor Arena at the Goshen County Fairgrounds in Torrington with Pastor Scott Mathis officiating.
Jay died Sept. 22, 2015, on a ranch north of Henry, Nebraska.
Jay was born July 14, 1948, in Sheridan, the son of Willis and Opal (Votts) Shroyer.
He grew up in the Kaycee and Midwest area and attended schools there. He graduated from Midwest High School in 1967. He attended college for a short time before starting work in the oil fields. He then pursued his life’s passion of being a cowboy. He worked on ranches in Montana and feedlots and ranches in Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska.
Jay enjoyed team roping, hunting, and watching his grandkids in sports. He was a member of the SonRise Church. Jay trusted in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Jay is survived by a son, Travis (Janet) Ekwall of Torrington; two daughters Wendy (Steve) Phillips of Glenrock and Dusty (Tracy) Romey of Laramie; two sisters, Jody (Tom) Ratchford of Missoula, Montana, and Jacquie (Merle) Martell of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; brothers Kent (Holly) Shroyer of North Powder, Oregon, and Mike (Lori) Shroyer of Powell; grandchildren Morgan, Shelby, Haylee, Corden, Peyton, Mindy, Josie, Zak and adopted grandson Tyler Nagel; and one great-grandchild on the way.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother Timothy Shroyer; a wife Debbie; and his maternal and paternal grandparents.
Cremation has taken place. Memorials may be made to either SonRise Church or the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. The Colyer Funeral Home assisted the family with the cremation arrangements.
