Wendel Edward Jones

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Wendel Edward Jones, 71, passed away Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Platte County Memorial Hospital in Wheatland.
Wendel Jones was born Monday, April 18, 1949 in Wayne, Neb. the son of Theodore Wendel and Wilma Louise (Meisner) Jones.
Wendel was raised and educated in Sidney, Neb. and Medicine Bow. In 1968, he graduated from Medicine Bow High School. He then enlisted in the United States Air Force. Through divine intervention, Wendel made the decision to enlist in order “to sleep on a cot” rather than to wait to be drafted and “sleep in a foxhole”.   
Wendel was a good hand.  His passion was ranching which he did in some form or other throughout his life.  However, he usually had a government job to support his ranching habit.  In the 1980’s, he drove school bus and worked as a custodian for the Medicine Bow/Shirley Basin School.  In 1988, he moved to Muddy Gap to work for WyDOT. In 2016, he retired from Muddy Gap WyDOT. Wendel then moved to Wheatland and fell right back into ranching, farming, and tinkering on old tractors with his brother, “Uncle Terry”.  
In addition to working, Wendel made time to be a rural firefighter. He was a member of the Carbon County Volunteer Fire Department while in Muddy Gap. He then became a member of the Palmer Canyon Fire Department.
Wendel is survived by his son, Vern (Karen) Jones; step-daughters, Kim Britton and Kristi (Jamie) Rietz; grandchildren, Layne Eike (Hannah Gorman), Jhett Eike (Dakota Graysay), Brittony Rietz, Kayla Jones, and Kasey Jones; nephew, TJ Jones; and step-sister, Jackie Dygert.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Carol Ann Jones; and brother, Terry Lee Jones on Feb. 1.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Wheatland Cemetery in Wheatland. Military honors will be accorded by the Laramie Peak VFW Post #3558 and Ora Call American Legion Post #10.
Gorman Funeral Homes – Platte Chapel of Wheatland are in charge of the arrangements.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.gormanfh.com