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The Fence Post obituary; William John Platt

William John Platt, 79

July 3, 1938 – Oct. 17, 2017

Wheatland, Wyo.

William “Bill” Platt passed away at Platte County Memorial Hospital on Oct. 17 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 79.

Bill was the third of four sons born to James G. Platt and Frances E. Platt (nee Hewitt) on July 3, 1938, on the family dairy farm seven miles southwest of Longmont, Colo. Bill graduated from Longmont High School in 1957 and joined the Army in 1959, traveling much of Europe.

After he returned in 1962, Bill honed his carpentry skills working construction in Estes Park, Colo., before marrying next door neighbor, Nancy Ann Sandersen, and returning to farming. Bill and Nancy were married on Sept. 20, 1964 and took up residence on the original family homestead after the death of Bill’s father in 1965. The couple welcomed their first child, Todd Edwin, in 1965. In November of 1969 their daughter Heidi Lure was born.

From 1965 to 1996, Bill built up his registered Holstein dairy herd, the Altona Holsteins. Besides being a dairy farmer, Bill was a lifelong softball enthusiast. He pitched in the Longmont and Boulder City fast pitch leagues for 50 years.

In 1996, Rock Lake Land and Cattle was born when Bill and Nancy sold the 176-acre dairy farm and moved to Wheatland, Wyo., with a herd of Hereford cattle. Todd followed a year later. In 2004, Bill and Todd began building their 175 cow registered Angus herd. Though farming takes up many hours of the day, Bill and Nancy led a rich social life and loved to travel when they could get away. Bill was a proud member of the American Legion and a lifetime member of the NRA.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Jim and Frances. His brother Richard passed away this past July.

Bill is survived by wife, Nancy; son, Todd; daughter, Heidi; grandson, Dane (all of Wheatland, Wyo.); brother, Jimmy (Jackie) of Cody, Wyo.; brother, Frank (Kathy) of Bern, Kan.; and sister-in-law, Donna Platt of Heron, Mont.

The family hosted an open house on Oct. 28 at the ranch in Wheatland, 714 Grange Road. Donations may be made to the American Legion.


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