(Lander, WY) – Friends and family members gathered at the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday morning, September 16, to unveil the FCSO’s new memorial shadowbox and add five new plaques as part of an effort to honor fallen law enforcement workers in Fremont County.
Fremont County Detention Center Jail Administrator Jeff Hutson was joined by Sheriff Ryan Lee to say a few words about the five individuals who were added to the memorial, including Ron Blumenshine, J.D. Darnell, Darwin Glasgow, Roger Rizor, and Shawn Wilkinson. They joined three others whose plaques were already hanging on the Office walls, but will now be in the shadowbox as well: Eldred “Eddie” Aplund, Nancy Ann Keyes, and Steve Crerar.
“They shared (a) common denominator: big hearts,” Hutson told the crowd at the unveiling.
“We have chosen to honor these five by having commemorative plaques made in their honor, and by adding them to our new ‘In Memoriam’ shadow box. Each of these individuals has made a lasting impression on those co-workers they interacted with, and for four of them, individually represented a very long term of service to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. The other, who passed while employed with the Sheriff’s Office, and who had not been employed with us as long, did make a significantly noticeable positive impact on those around him in his time here.”
The shadowbox took about 18 months to put together from when the idea was first conceived, Hutson explained, and it was made primarily by John Harmelink and installed by FCSO maintenance worker Jay Gunsch. Jay Blakemore made the plaques.
“As the years go by, a smaller and smaller group of people will remember them as individuals, but we can at least have their faces and names on this wall to hold their service with us up to the scrutiny of time,” Hutson commented.
“We are honored to be joined by family, friends, and co-workers today to celebrate the lives of these five friends who are no longer with us. We feel having these five small reminders that these (individuals) worked with us and sacrificed so much of their time and themselves to our agency is the least we could do. A better memento is to continue their vision of helping others and just being there when it counts, and giving our best.”
Hutson then shared the following about each of the individuals whose memory will be honored (Hutson also noted there is less known about the three other individuals due to their service being largely in the pre-internet era).
SHAWN WILKINSON – TOUR OF DUTY 9/2/15 – 10/14/21
Shawn Michael Wilkinson was born in Lander on November 15, 1973. Shawn spent his life in Fremont County. He loved Wyoming with all the opportunities to backpack, fish, hike and hunt, which were his passion. His biggest joy was sharing these adventures with his 2 children, Connor, 22, and Trinity, 14.
Shawn worked at Mr. D’s for many years as the produce manager. He found his career of choice a few years ago when he joined the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department as a deputy sheriff. He enjoyed his job and was respected and loved by all that worked with him. He will truly be missed.
On 10/14/2021 we lost a good friend, Deputy Shawn Wilkinson.
He was a devoted father and a stalwart deputy with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.
In the time he spent with us I do not recall anyone who ever had anything but the best to say of him. Respected by the staff and inmates alike, he was always a calming presence in any situation he encountered, whether it was in the jail, on a transport, or in the courthouse.
We should remember him as a friend and a colleague, and as someone who could find the time for any of us, to try to make our day better. At his service many people repeated the phrase “he will be missed,” in regards to his passing. He is still missed, and we honor his memory in doing so.
If he had a word today to share, it would probably have been an upbeat message, delivered with mild humor, with the particular way he had of speaking which let people know he was paying attention, and perhaps a wry smile at no one’s expense.
A devoted father. A good friend. A solid deputy. These seem like standard phrases. Shawn was far above the standards. I felt lucky to call him a friend. He will be missed.
End of Watch Oct. 14, 2021
JD DARNELL – TOUR OF DUTY 3/01/76 – 09/02/15
JD was born July 11, 1950 to John David Darnell and Geraldine Randall in Thermopolis, Hot Springs County, WY. JD grew up in Thermopolis and Glenrock, WY until age 7 when he moved to the Jeffrey City area on the Flag Ranch where his dad ranched for 20 years, and on the Grieve Ranch for 7 years. He attended 1st grade in Glenrock, WY until the family moved to the ranches, and he attended school in Jeffrey City and high school in Lander.
JD enlisted into the Marine Corps on Jan 13, 1969, where he served until July 1, 1972. He held the rank of Sgt. in the 3rd Marine Division, and was in Vietnam in 1969 on Fire Base Rock Pile. He was employed by the Jeffrey City School after discharge and helped with ranch work. He went to work at the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office in November 1975. He served Fremont County as a patrol deputy/livestock investigator for 40 years until his retirement in August 2015.
He received numerous awards for service throughout the years, including WY Peace Officer of the Year, Elks Local and State Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, and the WY VFW Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, which was very special to him. JD worked closely with WY Game and Fish, Highway Patrol, BLM, and the Wyoming Livestock Board. He was active in Carbon County S.O. and Natrona County S.O., as the three counties all meet near the Split Rock Station.
He hosted an exchange student from Mexico — Alberto Garcia — one year. He took him to Washington, D.C., to a Denver Broncos game, and introduced him to a roundup with branding and all the other fun ranch hand duties. Alberto also served as a groomsman at JD’s 1996 wedding in Jeffrey City to Becky Day.
JD was a life member of the American Legion of Lander and life member of the Marine Corps League. He was a life member of the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars). He was serving as Commander of VFW Post 954 Lander and District 1 Commander for State VFW, and he had held numerous offices in the local and state VFW. JD was the VFW State Commander from Jan 2014 to June 30, 2015.
JD was a guide for the Lander One Shot Antelope Hunt for 25 years. In 2011 he was on the team “Spirit of the Hunt” and he was successful in taking a goat that year with one shot.
He enjoyed having Ken Persson as his fellow One Shot Hunt guide from 2004. JD knew the area very well and was a natural choice for a guide for the hunts. He went on to join the Past Shooters Club and enjoyed several years in that capacity.
He was very invested in the hobby of photography. It’s been said by several that he was very good at it. His funeral was very well attended and there was a very long procession of LEO vehicles at his funeral. He will be missed.
End of Watch 12/19/17
ROGER RIZOR – TOUR OF DUTY 11/18/85 – 4/4/11
He was born on April 16, 1949, in Bucyrus, Ohio, to Charles Edward and Nellie (Chilson) Rizor. He grew up in Crystal River, Florida, as well as graduated high school in Crystal River, before serving in the U.S. Air Force, where he received an honorable discharge.
Roger was baptized into the Lutheran faith and attended Bethel Lutheran Church in Lander.
On January 17, 1969, he married Bonnie Hornecker in Rapid City, South Dakota. Together, they built a life in Lander, where they lived for over 52 years raising two children. Roger started in the jail about the time Ron and Darwin did, in the old jail under the courthouse.
Deputy
Roger dedicated 25 years of service as a sheriff deputy with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department before retiring. He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, and four-wheeling. A skilled craftsman, he found joy in woodworking, tinkering in his garage, and flying model airplanes as a member of the Modelers Club. Known fondly by family and friends as “MacGyver,” Roger had an uncanny ability to fix anything or guide others through the process.
In 2012, an accident left Roger paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, but his determination never wavered. He continued to engage in the activities he loved, surrounded by a devoted family and friends who provided support when needed.
Roger enjoyed riding motorcycles, and after his accident many friends and former co-workers helped put together funds to convert his Harley-Davidson to a trike. I recall an epic trip to Douglas one year for the WLEA Fallen Officer Memorial Ceremony where he and Bonnie rode with us in a sizable group of bikes.
What I recall most of that day was the ride home in a driving rain all the way from Casper. Didn’t know a bike would run in that deep of water. It felt good to be out on the road with Roger, and I like to think he had a great day that day. I know I did. He will be missed.
End of Watch February 13, 2025
DARWIN GLASGOW – TOUR OF DUTY 03/23/90 –12/21/19
Darwin Wade Glasgow was born July 17, 1964, in Lander, Wyoming, to Darrel Arthur and Shelby Jean (Frye) Glasgow. He attended schools in Lander, graduating with the class of 1983. Darwin married Marian Jean “Duffy” Bindl on November 3, 1985, in Lander. The couple had two children, Tristean and Ronnie. Darwin started his working career in the Lander School District working as a lifeguard and custodian. While in Lander, he was active with the Lander Volunteer Fire District.
In 1990 he started his law enforcement career with the Fremont County Jail and the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. It was still under the courthouse back then. In 1991 the family moved to Dubois, Wyoming, where he became a patrol deputy for the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department. While in Dubois, Darwin became an EMT and also served as a deputy coroner for the western region of Fremont County. While in Dubois he ran a K-9 unit. His dog’s name was Leslie.
The family moved to Hudson, Wyoming, in 2000 where he was promoted to sergeant with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Riverton Patrol. In 2004 the family moved to Riverton, where he worked until his retirement in January of 2019 at the rank of lieutenant. After retiring he still maintained his reserve deputy sheriff status with the office until his passing, and worked part-time.
Darwin enjoyed hunting, spending time with family, camping, fishing, helping others in need, and was utterly devoted to his grandchildren who were a continual highlight and joy. He was also an active member of the Riverton Church of Christ, where he served as vice president of the Men’s Council.
He was an individual with a strong commanding presence. People respected him. He had a strong positive impact on both his fellow co-workers and the public. He was a man who held strongly to his beliefs, and was an influential presence in his community. He helped with his church and with the homeless shelter — raising donations and helping in a myriad of other ways. He stood very tall physically and metaphorically in his time with us. He made a difference in others’ lives around him every day that he could. He will be missed.
Darwin W. Glasgow, 55
End of Watch December 21, 2019
RON “TUBE” BLUMENSHINE – TOUR OF DUTY 11/01/81 – 10/02/17
Ronald Ivan Blumenshine was born on November 22, 1956, in Compton, CA to Herman Eugene and Thelma Irene (Real) Blumenshine, Sr. He grew up and spent his life in Missouri Valley. He graduated from Shoshoni High School with the class of 1975.
On December 3, 1976, he married Susan Cantrell in Riverton, WY. They had one daughter, Jennifer. They were married for over 42 years.
Ron’s working career always centered on helping people. He worked for the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office for 30 years as a sergeant, while volunteering for the Fremont County Ambulance for 18 years, was a past president of Search and Rescue, and with the Missouri Valley Fire Department. He was a past member of the Elks, spent 10 years on the Volunteers of America “Center of Hope,” and was currently serving on the board of High Plains Power.
Ron was always smiling and giving everyone he met a word of encouragement. He loved spending time with his family and grandchildren. There was never a dull moment when Ron was around and he enjoyed life to its fullest.
He worked as an EMT for a number of years. He would tell us of riding ambulances out to the housing near the Honor Farm and a place called CWC North Cottonwood. The weekends were the wild wild west with lots of calls of violence and hurt and bleeding people. In those days a lot of the EMTs were armed for protection, though it was never officially approved. A lot of things were wilder back then. Later he worked as a deputy coroner as well.
I had the pleasure of working with Ron a lot. He was my floor sergeant and later, when I was a floor sergeant, he had moved on to become the senior sergeant so he was my sergeant again. He had a great sense of humor and a giant-sized heart. He had a calming presence in the sea of chaos the jail can become at times, and everyone knew who you were talking about when you mentioned his nickname “Tube.”
He had a sizable retirement party at the Milford Fire Hall. Many, many friends, co-workers and past co-workers both from the ambulance and from the sheriff’s office showed up to congratulate him. It was hard when a year later he was diagnosed with the cancer that would take him from us.
While he was engaged in his battle with cancer, and before he got too bad, we held a dinner for him at the Sundowner which was attended by a multitude of friends and former co-workers through the various disciplines he worked over the many years he was part of the community. The list included judges and lawyers and medics and law enforcement officers from all the local agencies — and a few not so local.
His funeral was so large they had to reserve the Riverton Fairground Field House to accommodate everyone. Ron too will be missed.
End of Watch June 17, 2019
Previous Names/Plaques Also Added to the Memorial Shadowbox
Sgt. Eldred “Eddie” Aplund
Dubois Patrol Sgt. – died of a heart attack while on duty at Code 25
FCSO 1966–1984, Sgt. 1971–1984
Deputy Nancy Keyes
Administrative Deputy – Killed in a car wreck 08/10/1986 outside of Riverton.
02/25/1938–08/10/1986 1979–1984
Lt. Steve Crerar
FCSO 1979–1995
Killed on a transport for the Sheriff’s Office at the Boys School in Worland. Just as they pulled up to the guard’s gate, he died right there at the scene. The juvenile spent the rest of his life in prison. Steve’s name is on the Fallen Peace Officers of Wyoming Wall in Douglas in front of the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy. It is dedicated to those officers who died in the line of duty.