William Henry Kechter Jr., affectionately known as Bill or Billy, passed away peacefully at the age of 94 on Friday, May 2, 2025, in Saint Francis, Kansas, with family at his side.
Billy Kechter, the eldest of two siblings, was born on May 24, 1930, at the Kechter Homestead southwest of Kirk, Colorado, to Lola (Pound) and William Kechter, Sr. He attended elementary school at the Kechter School and graduated from Kirk High School in 1948.
Bill’s grandparents homesteaded on the land in 1893. He spent his entire life on the ranch, except for the last two years which he spent near his eldest son Kent and his family, playing cards and making new friendships at the Cheyenne County Village Assisted Living in Saint Francis, Kansas.
Raised in a home that valued family, hard work, and Jesus, Billy grew up either on a horse working with his dad or in the church pew with his mom. His mom was the pianist at the Kirk Baptist Church and her grandfather, Joseph Moore, was the first pastor at the church. His childhood days were filled with checking windmills by horseback, a task that could take him all day. On hot summer days he would take swimming breaks in the stock tanks to cool down.
Billy’s children and grandchildren loved hearing about his adventures, especially the tale of spotting an African lion while checking windmills one day. He claimed to have ridden his horse as fast as he could home, but no one believed him until a week later, when a newspaper story reported a lion escaping from the circus train near Stratton.
As he grew older, Billy broke free from long workdays on the farm to play baseball. For years, those who knew him in his prime would tell his children and grandchildren about his baseball abilities and how he could have made the major leagues. He had an arm that could throw a man out from center field and a bat that could drive a pitch far over the fence. Billy would simply grin with a twinkle in his eye, knowing he would have had to leave his cows and the land he loved, which was not an option for him.
On December 15, 1950, Billy married Mabel (Sue) Collette at Jack and Ruth Wise’s farm in Kirk. They were married for sixty-eight years and had four children: Kent, Kurt, Bob, and Marla.
Billy’s baseball days eventually evolved into years of softball. He also enjoyed playing in bowling and golf leagues with his friends. His own love for sports extended into time he cherished watching his children, grandchildren, and the Colorado Rockies play. A favorite pastime was watching any live or televised game with his son Kurt.
Throughout his life, he loved raising and caring for livestock. This was a passion he shared with his grandpa Jake, his dad Bill, his son Bob and later his grandson Toby. In the early days the family raised quarter horses for the United States Calvary. While Billy grew up on horses, he loved cows and his pickup more. He insisted on working in the corral and helping to feed the cows daily even in his nineties. There were many close calls that ended with signs of relief, a bit of laughter and then great stories once they knew he was okay. To say he was tough as nails would be an understatement.
While Billy was raised in church, it wasn’t until his boys were young that he accepted Jesus as his Savior. He was baptized and joined the Kirk Baptist Church, serving as a deacon and treasurer until he was in his 90’s, deeply connected to his church family.
Billy also had a passion for travel. He and his wife Sue would annually embark on road trips with their children. As they grew older, they joined a travel group, making numerous friends through their shared adventures. Together, they explored 47 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, and ventured internationally to England, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Caribbean.
Bill is survived by his son Kent and wife Marsha of Saint Francis, Kansas, and their family. This includes Shara and Jason Johnson, Lauren and Trayton Doyle, Lindsey and Connor Katt, Brody; Emma Johnson; Amber and Mat Brown, Rhett; Travis Kechter, Madelyn, and Abigail. He is also survived by his son Kurt and wife Janelle of Fort Collins, Colorado, and their family. This includes Joseph Kechter, Derek and Uma Smith; Isaac Smith, Nathaniel, KatieMae, and AnnaGrace Schultz. And last but not least, his son Bob and wife Brenda of Vona, and their family—Christopher and Candice Monahan, Bode and Ryker; Toby and Brianne Kechter, Jaylyn, Gabriel, Skyler, and Ella; Ty’Ray and Kay Dee Thompson, Tyce, T’Ziah, and Taya. Bill is also survived by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law Bud and Bernie Collette of Burlington, and a host of nieces, nephews, family, and friends.
Billy was preceded in death by his wife, Sue; his daughter, Marla Jo; his granddaughter, Johanna Carpine; his parents, Bill and Lola Kechter; his sister, Marilyn and husband Bill Wood; his parents-in-law, Ralph and Alva Collette; and his siblings-in-law, Ruth and Jack Wise, Ed and Leona Collette, James and Nadine Collette.
Memorial services will be held on Friday, May 9, at 10:00 a.m. at the Liberty School in Joes, Colorado. Interment will follow at the Kirk Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family graciously requests memorials be sent to: Kechter Memorial, 28374 County Road MM, Vona, CO 80861.