His Duty

My uncle, Bill Beadle, spent much of his working life in the pipe yards before running his own rathole drilling business alongside his sons, Forrest and Steve. While he was a skilled machinist and all-around mechanic, his real passion was fishing and bird hunting in the Worland area with Steve. I think that’s why, in his later years, he was happy living with Steve, his wife, Wanda, and their family. I can picture them sharing stories about fishing trips and walking the fields in search of pheasants and chukars. Bill loved the thrill of hunting them…the sudden burst of a bird flying up out of nowhere, giving the hunter just seconds to react, with success only coming to those who were truly skilled.

Uncle Bill always felt it was his duty to keep the nephews on the right track, and if they ran into trouble or seemed headed the wrong way, he’d sit down with them, talk things through, and have them back in line in no time. Uncle Bill knew that boys can get…competitive and might not always think things through. If they seemed to be hanging out with the wrong crowd or doing things he didn’t think they should, he would sit them down for “the talk” before things got out of hand. This trait made him especially dear to my cousin Elmer. Uncle Bill did have a few vices, one of which was his enjoyment of his pipe and his chew. Because kids are impressionable, Forrest and Elmer thought chewing tobacco was pretty cool, so as kids, they once got into a big block of chew, not realizing they shouldn’t swallow it. They did, and both turned about three shades of green. Though the memory still makes Elmer cringe, when he thinks of chewing tobacco.

Uncle Bill was a guy with a great sense of humor and a knack for making kids laugh. There was always a mischievous sparkle in his eye and plenty of good-natured trouble behind his smile. He loved to tease, and the kids loved every bit of it. His infectious laugh would fill the room, and we’d all have a great time together. He wasn’t often serious, at least not with most kids, unless someone was headed for trouble. Then, his tone shifted…never mean, just straightforward…and by the end, the kid knew the right path to take. Uncle Bill was truly one of a kind, and we adored him. Today would have been Uncle Bill’s 97th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Uncle Bill. We love and miss you very much.