Robert Veach passed away peacefully after a short illness on March 7, 2023. No services are planned, but we’ll have a gathering on the mountain later to set him free.
Bob was born Aug 26, 1945 at Worland, WY to Fay FInley (Shorty) Veach and Marjorie Elaine Veach. He had 3 brothers and 3 sisters; George, Roger, Pat, Bonnie, Mary
& Martha.
His early years were spent living in the Bighorn Mountains. He was actually lost in those mountains one time for almost two days when he was 18 months old after he wandered off from a camping trip. Later they moved behind Lander to Table Mountain for the boys’ school years. He had many fond memories of living there on Willow Creek. He told many stories about walking back and forth, 3.3 miles each way, to the little Willow Creek School, even in the snow. The boys spent lots of time playing cowboys in those rocks, along the red cliff-lined road, despite the occasional rattlesnake there. Bob said when they played cowboys, Roger always played Roy Rogers, Pat was Pat Garrett, George was Tom Mix and Bob was Gene Autry for a good guy, Billy the Kid for a bad guy, and Jesse James if he had to die in the shoot-out. I asked him, “Were you a good die-er?”, and he said “Hell yeah, I was the best!” He was a cowboy his whole life and breaking his horses was his passion. He could probablly tell you the names of all of them. He talked a lot about adventures with his siblings and what a good life they had, albeit a tough life, which he said he never would have changed because of the values it taught him.
After high school, Bob married Alice Jo Snowden. They had Earl in 1967 and Verna in 1969. He and Jo later divorced. He married Cherie on Valentine’s Day, 1983, in Riverton, WY, and became step-father to Tina and Shane. Four Teen-agers at once!
Bob worked in Mining and Mining-related jobs for more than 45 years. These jobs took him to a many new places – from Gas Hills, Wyoming for Uranium, to Utah and Arizona for Copper, Nevada and California for Gold, and Illinois and New Mexico for Coal. He especially loved the years he worked for Cummins. All these jobs afforded him many opportunities to see new places and make life-long friends. He even made two trips to South Africa, via Switzerland and England, for mine-related things. He thoroughly enjoyed these trips, and always wished he could travel there again.
Bob enjoyed hunting and fishing and traveling in their 5th wheel travel trailer, and he loved riding his paint horse, QTon, who he had for almost 20 years. He cherished the times when family would come to visit, especially if it included a campfire and a cookout under the stars.
He was proud to help his Dad round up cows and brand them, and help the kids with their FFA & 4-H animals. His family was always his greatest treasure.
He was proud to be a Husband, the Father of 4, Grandfather of 10, Great-Grandfather of 12, Brother to 6, and Friend to many wonderful people over the years.
He is preceded in death by his Mother, Father, and brother George.