Joe ‘Bill’ Brewer

On Saturday, October 25, 2014, Wyoming’s last, great Western Sheriff, Joe “Bill” Brewer, 76, passed away peacefully in Billings, Montana with his loving family by his side.

On May 18, 1938 Bill was born to Ruth and Jack Brewer in Reuter, Missouri.  Jack, a ditch rider, and Ruth, a nurse’s aide, moved their family to Powell, Wyoming when Bill was a young boy.  Bill attended Powell High School, graduating in a 1957.

Bill remained in Powell where he attended Northwest College studying for a degree in law enforcement.  During that time Bill married Kim Mockel, also of Powell, and they had their first daughter, Brenda.

In May of 1960, Bill started his law enforcement career when he was hired by the Powell Police Department.  In 1961 Bill completed the Wyoming Police Academy Basic Training Course in Laramie, Wyoming and remained a Powell Police Officer until 1964.  

Also in 1961, Bill joined the Army National Guard as a Combat Engineer with the 1022 Engineer Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington, where he obtained the rank of sergeant and was honorably discharged a year later.

In October of 1964, Bill moved his family to Cheyenne, Wyoming where he served as a Wyoming Highway Patrolman until 1969.  During that time, Bill and Kim had three more children, sons Brian, Brady, and Billy.

Bill returned to Park County in 1969 when legendary Sheriff Harley Kinkade asked Bill to be his undersheriff.  Impressed with Bill’s abilities to lead and manage, Sheriff Kinkade stepped down during his last term to ensure Bill was the incumbent sheriff during the next election.  In January of 1973, 34 year old Bill Brewer became one of Wyoming’s youngest Sheriff’s to date.  Shortly after, Bill moved his family to Cody.

Sheriff Brewer was instrumental in the consolidation and integration of local law enforcement agencies in the county.  Bill was also credited with implementing Park County’s first 911 emergency calling systems, as well as the first law enforcement teletype system in the county.  These systems, for the first time, connected Park County emergency services with national systems and databases, and was considered state of the art at the time.   Bill also played an integral part in organizing and outfitting the Search and Rescue units in Powell and Meeteetse, and was responsible for procuring the County’s first Search and Rescue airplane.  For his efforts in leading Wyoming law enforcement in the integration of technology, Bill received Wyoming’s Officer of the Year award from the Wyoming Sheriff’s Association in 1981. Bill also organized and implanted Park County’s first SWAT response team, which was an integral part of bringing murderers to justice during the infamous Silver Dollar Bar shooting in 1983.

Bill divorced Kim and married Janet Shockley in 1985.  With Janet, Bill acquired three daughters, Misty, Lucia, and Jona.

In 1987 Bill suffered his only election loss to Dan Hodge.  Bill returned to law enforcement when he was re-elected as the Park County Sheriff in 1991.  Always looking forward, Bill quickly recognized that the Park County law enforcement agencies were seriously lacking in adequate law enforcement facilities for the growing community.   Over the next decade Sheriff Brewer dedicated his efforts in the funding, planning, and completion of the new Park County Law Enforcement Center.  Continuing his reputation of bringing local and county law enforcement together, the new Law Enforcement Center contained a state of the art jail and administrative facilities for both the Park County Sheriff’s Department and the Cody Police Department.   

In January of 2003, Bill retired, capping a 40 year career in law enforcement, with 27 of those years as the Park County Sheriff.  Sheriff Brewer’s impact on Wyoming law enforcement was recognized when Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi read a proclamation of Bill’s retirement on the Senate floor, which appeared in the United States Congressional Record of the Second Session of the 107th Congress.

It didn’t take long after retirement for Bill to get back into politics. In 2006 Bill was elected as a Park County Commissioner, a position he held until 2010.  During that time Commissioner Brewer was appointed by then Governor Dave Freudenthal to the Wyoming State Court Security Commission, which was tasked with establishing courtroom security measures, as well as procuring state funding for related programs.  As commissioner, Bill was also an integral part in the completion of the Park County Library, as well as the initial plans for the new Park County Fairground construction projects.

Some of Bill’s other notable, professional accomplishments are: President of the Wyoming Sheriff’s Association, President of the Northwest Peace Officers Association, Governor’s Committee on Criminal Information, and the Wyoming Peace Officers Legislative Committee.

In his personal life, Bill was very active in local sports programs to include being President of the Boxing Club, President and Board Member of Babe Ruth Baseball, President and Board Member of Legion Baseball, Board Member of the Shoshone Recreation District, and little league and boxing coach.  Bill could also be found enjoying a round of horseshoes at the County Fair.  

Bill’s love for bluegrass and country music was instilled in him at an early age when he learned to play the banjo and guitar, while his father played the fiddle.  Bill loved to play and sing, and also was a member of the Wyoming Fiddler’s Association.

The only thing Bill loved more than his job, sports, or music, was spending time with his wonderful wife and family.  Bill, or Papa, was a tall, stern-faced man on the outside, but a soft, loving, kind, and caring father and grandfather who loved being around his grandkids.    

Bill is survived by Wife Janet Brewer, Brother Larry Brewer (Zoe) of Powell, WY, Sister Carol Eckley (Chuck) of Dubois, WY, Daughters Brenda Frigon (Brett) of Phoenix, AZ, Misty Montgomery of Cody, WY, Lucia Mogan of Rancho Cucamonga, CA and Jona Harris of Cody, WY, sons Brian Brewer (Mary) of Grand Junction, CO, Brady Brewer (Kat Mcconnel) of Seattle, WA, and Billy Brewer of Cody, WY.  Bill is also survived by 14 grandchildren, Ryan, Cody, Brielle, Jordon, Dylan, Hunter, Sierra, Bronte, Bailey, Madison, Makynna, Aiden, Chloe, and Lily.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Ruth and Jack Brewer and Sister Muriel “Merl” Brewer.

Services will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, October 31, 2014, at the Cody Cattle Company, located at 1910 Demaris Drive, Cody, Wyoming.  For anyone in the community wishing to pay their respects, a law enforcement procession will take place through downtown on Sheridan Avenue at 10:00 A.M.  In order to help Janet with medical bills and funeral costs, donations in lieu of flowers would be greatly appreciated and can be made in her name at Pinnacle Bank.