Roger Taylor Bush

Roger Taylor Bush died on December 17, 2019, at West Park Hospital in Cody, Wyoming.

He was born on January 29, 1931 to Bill and Alberta Bush near Hulett, Wyoming. In 1867, while on his way to California with other settlers, great-grandfather Jeremiah Bush took a detour through the Black Hills, and he liked what he saw. In 1878 he moved there with his growing family.

Roger joined the U.S. Army in 1951, when Uncle Sam made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Although he was never sent to Korea, he found some excitement Stateside in Explosive Ordnance Disposal and M.P. duty guarding prisoners. He served at one base with Ed Cantrell, who became a famous lawman, but the two did not become well acquainted until later in Wyoming.

After discharge from the Army in 1953, Roger tried various jobs, and some college in Indiana, before earning a degree in engineering from the University of Wyoming in 1958. While completing requirements for licensure as a petroleum engineer, he worked for various firms including Humble. In Louisiana he met Paul “Red” Adair shortly before Adair formed his firefighting company.

In Arkansas Roger met Bonnie Jean Stephens, which kindled a different sort of flame, and they were married in Sidney, Montana, in 1960. They lived in Billings and Worland before moving to Cody for a job with Husky Oil Company in 1965.

He made Cody his home for the rest of his life, except for a sojourn in Denver in 1973-’74. Positions with Husky included vice president of production and manager of U.S. pipelines. On special projects he went as far afield as Pakistan and South America.

After Husky he worked with JN Oil & Gas, but increasingly he pursued independent ventures. He was especially involved with Boydston & Franzen Well Service. He still did occasional consulting on oil properties in 2019.

Roger loved hunting and shooting. He collected such prized species as mountain goat, sheep and moose, but birds were probably his favorites. Being out with his beloved dogs was at least as important as the actual shooting. He was a life member and a regular fixture at the Cody Shooting Complex.

He is survived by his wife, Bonnie and sons Barry and Brett of Cody; his brother, Jerry (Linda) of Beulah, Wyoming and his brother, Kelly (Ellin) of Gillette, Wyoming. A number of other relatives still reside in northeastern Wyoming.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Tim and Mike, and his only sister, Jill Bush.

Cremation has taken place and, in accordance with his wishes, no services will be held.

Consider the words of E.A. Brininstool:

If with pleasure you are viewing

Any work a man is doing,

If you like it or you love him, tell him now.

Don’t withhold your approbations

Until the parson makes orations

As he lies with snowy lilies o’er his brow.

For no matter how you shout it,

He won’t really care about it,

He won’t know how many teardrops you have shed.

If you think some praise is due him,

Now’s the time to pass it to him,

For he cannot read his tombstone when he’s dead.