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My uncle, William (Bill) Merle Farwell, passed away on May 15, 2020, at his home in Powell. Bill was born May 3, 1941, in Powell, the youngest child of Ralph and Lenore Farwell. He grew up with his sister, Roberta, and brother, Ray on the family homestead on East Willwood and attended Powell schools. He graduated from Powell High School on May 26, 1959.
Uncle Bill was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting, fishing and dutch oven cooking. I especially remember watching him shoot his black powder rifle in the Bighorns when I was a kid. Uncle Bill was a master welder and had his own business, Bill’s Welding, working in the oilfields from Wyoming to Texas. He also worked with my dad, Ray Farwell, building the first 12 row beet planter for Farwell Farms.
I lost track of Uncle Bill for several years but am truly blessed that I was able to reconnect with him in recent years. In that time I have learned that Uncle Bill had become a certified John Deere mechanic in 1966, and volunteered as an EMT and firefighter in the Big Horn Basin.
Uncle Bill married Sarah in Byron on June 13, 1993, and then moved to Casper before settling In Arizona. He had just recently returned to his hometown where he spent his time with friends who loved him dearly. I will always remember the way his face lit up when he would reminisce about his childhood riding horses and camping with his brother, Ray, in the hills around their home.
Uncle Bill is survived by his wife, Sarah, two daughters, a son, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his cousin John Farwell, whom he thought the world of, many other cousins and family members, including this niece, Lori, who will treasure every minute spent with him.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Lenore, brother Ray, and sister Roberta Rundles.
You will be greatly missed, Uncle Bill. I love you.
