Wilber D. "Bill" Hines Aka, Grandpa Bill was born May 22, 1928 to Wilber R. Hines and Waunita D. Burd, on the Hines place East of Burlington. His parents moved to Burlington when he was about 5 years old, to work on the airport, which still has not been built. His job was to lead his father's draft horses to their pens for the night. He remembers when they brought the Kit Carson Carousel to the park, though he did not ride it until a couple years later. When his parents divorced, he often spent time with his biological dad in Elko, Nevada where he would collect bones to sell to the railroad. While there he met a local rancher, Bing Crosby, and was in the movie Brigham Young, as a cricket beater.
As a teenager he lived on the Penny ranch where his mother and step-father, George A. Yarnell, were employed. He would ride his horse to school and on rainy days, he would put dry clothes in his saddle bags. When he wanted to play on the football team, in order to be in town for practices and games, he and a classmate rented a one room cabin. He gra...[more]
graduated from Burlington High School in 1945 and traveled with his stock contractor uncle, Lester Hines. He would find odd jobs, in the towns they went to, for entry fees. He also was often the rodeo clown/bullfighter for his uncle.
His parents moved to the Kiowa area and opened a saw mill. He went to a dance at Elizabeth, with a local Kiowa boy, and was introduced to his future wife, Leila Elaine Kusma. While dating he was drafted into the Army for the Korean War. When he was stationed in Frankfurt, Indiana as a tank commander, Elaine joined him and they were married August 8th, 1952.
After he was honorably discharged, he and Elaine moved back to Colorado where they settled in Denver to help raise several nieces and nephews, become a route salesman for Borden's and a father of 3. They retired and moved to Fort Lupton area where they remained until their final days.
Bill loved sports, fishing, camping and his family. You would always see him at meets, games, rodeo's, barrel races, cheering on the kids and where they affectionately referred to him as Grandpa Bill. He was always up for an adventure with his grandchildren. Bill was a member of the VFW, Teamsters, NRA and Rocky Mountain Pheasant Club.
On March 10th he left us to be with his wife of 66 years. He is proceeded in death by his parents, wife, sister, Beverly and brothers Dean, Mick and Lee Hines and several nieces and nephews. He leaves behind his children, Renee (Ron) Brandt, Mike (LeiLani) Hines, Pat (Marcey) Hines, grandchildren, Colter, Chancey, Lane, Julia, Evie, Jeff (Melissa) Brandt and Emme (Corey) Brandt-Lyda. His brothers, Don (Ramona) Yarnell, Larry (Ellen) Yarnell, and Dale (Glenda) Yarnell along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and very dear friends.
We will be honoring him with a Celebration of Life pot luck luncheon, 1 pm, March 31st at the Alli Event Center, 100 S. 3rd Avenue, Brighton, CO 80601. At a future date, a military service will be held at Fort Logan Cemetery.
Tabor-Rice Funeral Home in Brighton, Colorado handled the arrangements.