William Lee Rusher

William Lee Rusher, 76, of Eaton, passed away on Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley. He is survived by his wife, Theresa Lopez-Rusher, and two daughters Tara Rusher-White (Scott), Marissa Rusher-Stedman (James), and two beautiful granddaughters Addisyn White, and Maya White. He was the first of 6 children and is also survived by siblings Neal Rusher, Eddie Rusher, Dayla Rusher-Elliot, and Juanita (Nita) Rusher-White, He was preceded in death by his parents, Dale and Juanita Rusher and a younger brother Terry Rusher. One of his earliest memories was riding with his father on his Dad’s Indian motorcycle sitting astride the gas tank between his father’s arms as a 4–5-year-old going out to the Rusher Ranch to “help” brand calves. That he was a rider too was verified when he found a toddler sized silk embroidered motorcycle riding jacket with “Bill” embroidered on the breast when cleaning out stuff, after her passing, that his mom had saved for him for all those years in Ordway. In 1952 the family of Dale and Juanita and boys Bill and Neal moved to the Rusher Ranch north of Ordway where the family then lived for the next 4 kids who came along, and everyone worked, went to school, and grew up until Dale retired in 1985 leaving the ranch/farm operation to Terry and Eddie. Living on the ranch was some of the best and some of the worst of memories. Some of his favorite memories about growing up centered around horses, working the cattle, and having all that room to play. Almost every Sunday afternoon during the summer was spent traveling around Eastern Colorado following his Dad’s Town Team Baseball teams from Ordway and later Karval and then when he got old enough playing himself for one of the Little League Baseball Teams in Ordway. Some of his least favorite memories were all the hard work, having to do chores every day, hoe weeds, dig post holes, stack hay, and feed livestock before you got to eat. No wonder that Dale told him when he got his first job as a Veteran’s Employment Representative at only 8 hours a day, “Only 8 hours per day that’s not Work !!!“ Bill graduated from Crowley County High School in 1966 and attended Phillip’s University in Enid Oklahoma graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology, and minors in History and PE in 1972. With the Vietnam War still gong on and the draft, he enlisted in the Navy’s 6-month delay program and applied at the same time for a Naval Aviation Candidate position. He was accepted to the Naval Aviation Program and reported for OCS at Pensacola Naval Air Station on November 4, 1972. However, the Naval Aviation Physical Exam found that he had a heart murmur, the preliminary physical at Dallas Naval Air Station and both the draft and Naval enlisted program physicals had all missed it, and Bill was disappointed to learn he couldn’t be a Naval Flight Officer after all. He was sent home. Bill started work for the State of Colorado, Department of Employment on April 1, 1973, as a Veteran’s Employment Representative for the SE CO District serving Lamar, Las Animas, La Junta, Rocky Ford, Trinidad, and Walsenburg, as the Emergency Employment Act Coordinator assisting returning Vietnam Vets in finding civilian employment or training contracts. He met Theresa Lopez from Ordway and fell in love with her in 1973, and was pleasantly surprised when she said “yes” to his proposal and they were married on February 13, 1974. In May of 1979 they were blessed with Tara, and in December 1991 with Marissa. Bill continued to work for the CO Department of Labor and Employment, later known as CO Job Service as an Employment Vocational Counselor and Veterans Employment Representative until April 1, 1983. After 2 more years at the Rusher Ranch, Bill returned to the Rocky Ford office of the Job Service of CO as an Employment Vocational Counselor until transferring to the new Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Crowley as a Housing Technician in November 1987. In April 1991 Bill was promoted to Limon Correctional Facility in Limon first as a Case Manager, then Training Coordinator, and then Correctional Supervisor in Housing, Security, and Programs before his retirement from LCF in 2012. Bill worked for 3 years for Lincoln County Public Health as an Emergency Plan Coordinator until he and Theresa moved to Eaton, CO to be near their daughters and granddaughters in October 2015. In retirement Bill was able to sing for the First Christian Church Choir, the Active Adult Center “Keenagers” Choir, and the Greeley Chorale. He and Theresa enjoyed traveling. They enjoyed solo travel together, as well as taking their daughters along with them. For their 25th Anniversary they went on a 14-day Mediterranean cruise where they visited Turkey, Greece, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, France and Spain. They also enjoyed taking their granddaughters to Pagosa Springs, and then to Kansas City, KS to see their cousin and the WWI museum, among other local sites. Together they also traveled to Abilene, KS to tour the Eisenhower Museum and visited Enid, OK here they discovered that there really was a Skeleton Creek Church that Judy Graber had mentioned to them. They also saw Bill’s old school, Phillips University, now Northwest Oklahoma University. Bill was avid reader and particularly enjoyed books about the history of the Civil War and WWII. Though he found poetry in the music he loved, he still liked to read poetry for inspiration like: Lord Tennyson’s “Ulysses” “and tho’ We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Tributes

William Lee Rusher

December 10, 1948 - August 27, 2025