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The Fence Post obituary: John Alfred McRoy

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John Alfred McRoy, 88

Aug. 12, 1929 – May 3, 2018

Montrose, Colo.

John McRoy passed away on May 3, 2018. He was born on August 12, 1929 to Calvin and Sylvia McRoy in Posie, Ill. At 16, he traveled to Granby, Colo., to work on a ranch.

After a stint in the military interpreting Morse Code for the US Airforce in Germany, he returned to the states and headed west. He was in the logging business and moved his with his wife, Catherine Grayling, and their young family throughout Colorado and Wyoming from one timber project to the next.

With a vast knowledge of the mountains, and having grown up hunting and fishing, he soon became an outfitter. With his wife, Lisa Prueher, they established Sporting Country Guides based in Granby. He offered hunting in the fall, snowmobiles in the winter and horseback riding in the summer. He also became very active as a snowmobile guide for disabled groups, especially the blind, now known as XMO Mobility.

Horses always held a special place in John’s heart. At one time he had over 100 head and was famous for his dependable horses and reliable pack strings. He was well respected as an excellent and caring horse owner. In 1997, he and his current wife, Christine Northrop McRoy, moved to Steamboat Springs, Colo., and ran Saddle Mountain Ranch, a boarding and breeding ranch. They were active in breeding horses and competing in Team Penning and Ranch Sorting. John has an impressive collection of buckles from his competitions. In 2008, John and Christi moved to Montrose to JC Heart Ranch. They continued to breed horses and were involved in Ranch Sorting, Ranch Horse Versatility, and running riding camps for kids.

John is survived by his brother-in-law, Morris Gere, 100 years old of Centralia, Ill; his children: Susan (Fred) Ferguson of Centralia, Ill., Shelly Smith of Centralia, Ill, John C. (Shelly) McRoy of Bartelso, Ill., Calvin (Christine) McRoy of Granby and Cassandra McRoy of Penn Yan, N.Y.; his former wife, Lisa Prueher of Montrose; his wife, Christine Northrop McRoy of Montrose; and six grandchildren, Christy, John, Brittany, Mackenzee, Taylor, Dalton and three grandchildren. John’s family is grateful to the wonderful friend and family that helped him depart this world peacefully and with grace.

There is a Celebration of Life to be held at noon on May 19, at Strawberry Creek Ranch 9N, in Granby, Colo.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made in John’s name to Extreme Mobility Camps, http://www.xmocamps.org.


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