William James Magruder

William James Magruder, known by his friends and family simply as Bill, Dad, Grandad or Grandpa, and lovingly as Grandpa backhoe, came into the world May 29,1933 in Hugo, Colorado to parents Malvern and Mary (Flageole) Magruder and lived in Simla, Colorado until he was 7 years old.
Later, Bill moved to Vernon, Colorado where he would graduate from high school and set out to work and travel.
Bill’s work and travels would take him to Imperial, Nebraska where in 1952 he met his partner in crime, for the last 68 years, Dolores Marie Edwards. They would happily marry on March 21, 1953, at a Baptist Church in Denver, Colorado.
Bill and Dolores would go on to raise three children together, spending time living in Vernon, Colorado, Fort Morgan, Colorado, and in 1957 they bought a piece of land to call home in Wray, Colorado.
This is where Bill would not only raise his family but his second love, plenty of critters. Most people knew Bill as the man with the emus, llamas, pot belly pigs, ducks, geese, and peacocks.
Bill always had animals big, and small, domestic, and foreign. Birds of all kinds, rabbits, sheep, horses, and cows, along with dogs and farm cats. Let us not forget about the skunk!
Bill was a hardworking man, who for 10 years worked for Carson and Rockwell Construction. Then later to work for Archie Orcutt Construction for another 5 years, before starting his own business Magruder and Son’s Construction and Backhoe Service.
After “retirement” from the construction, backhoe and trenching business, Bill found time for a new hobby, reading every Western large print novel that he could get his hands on! Bill and Dolores were regulars at the library making the most of their time there. Bill was so thorough that he had read every Western book the library had to offer, so he started to mark a small black dot on the binder to indicate which books he had already read. Even the Wray Public Library knew of Bills love of Westerns and would call him as soon as they had new books come in.
Bill had an abundant and wonderful life, full of family, friends, animals, and adventures. All the things that he cared about the most.
After a full life, Bill was called home on Oct. 3, 2021. He passed away at the Wray Community District Hospital with his family close to him.
He is survived by his faithful wife, Dolores Marie Magruder; his children and their spouses, Susan Marie Keeler, James Alden Keeler, Alan Dewayne Magruder, Nadine Louise Magruder, and William James Magruder Jr; along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who look up to him and will miss him every day; brother-in-law Kenny Edwards and wife, Karen; Joan Fortkamp and nieces and nephews, all of Imperial.
In memory of his love of reading the family request that any memorial donations be made to the Wray Public Library. Donations, to be mailed out to “Friends of the Library” at 301 W. 7th Street, Wray, CO 80758.
A Memorial service was held on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, 10 a.m. at the Wray United Methodist Church in Wray, Colorado with Pastor Ben Wentworth officiating.
Inurnment was held in the Grandview Cemetery in Wray, Colorado. Cremation was requested. Schmidt-Jones Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.