Eldon Ira Buell

Eldon I. Buell passed away on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at the VA Medical Center in Sheridan.
Eldon was born on July 1, 1931, to Miles and Helen (White) Buell at the Glenhaven Ranch, the Buell family ranch, on the Bozeman Trail near Lake DeSmet outside of Buffalo, Wyoming on Shell Creek. He was the youngest of 9 children, having 6 older brothers and 2 older sisters. His grandfather Charles Edwin Buell founded the Occidental Hotel in Buffalo, Wyoming in 1880.
Eldon and two of his brothers rode saddle horses three miles to Shell Creek School, a one room country schoolhouse, where he attended school through 7th grade. He stated he never missed a day of school due to weather or illness. He remembers riding the horses through severe storms and below zero weather. He then went on to school in Buffalo, Wyoming, which he drove a 1932 Model B Ford car and graduated high school there in 1949. During that time he met his best life-long friend Phil Little.
Eldon worked on the family ranch until he was drafted into the army in December 1952, where he served as a Corporal in the Special Category Army with the Air Force in Korea. He was honorably discharged in December 1954 and in June 2016 he received the Korean Peace Medal along with his friend Phil Little.
On January 2, 1956, he married Jean Motica in Sheridan, Wyoming. They lived on the Buell family ranch where he continued to work, and their son John was born on March 1, 1957. In 1958 they moved to Sheridan where Eldon acquired a journeyman in carpentry and did mechanic work. In 1962 Eldon and Jean purchased the Standard Oil Service station in Clearmont, Wyoming. He also ran the gas bulk plant as an agent and later purchased the bulk gas plant and operated it as Buell Oil Company. This involved selling and delivering bulk gas, diesel and oil to rural farmers and ranchers in the Clearmont area. Their daughter Mary Kay was born on December 24, 1965, while they lived in Clearmont.
Eldon and Jean also ran an excavation dirt business, Buell Construction, that son John was involved with and has since taken that business over. They sold the bulk plant and service station in 1983 and continued to live in Clearmont until 1994 when they moved to Sheridan.
In 1963 he was appointed to the Clearmont Town Council where later he would be elected as Mayor and served as Mayor from 1973-1993. During his time as Mayor in Clearmont, he and son John installed all new water meters, and he was instrumental in installing a new septic system in 1969-70 and a new water system in 1979-80.
While living in Clearmont, Eldon served as a Director of the Sheridan-Johnson Rural Electric Association from 1963-1994, where he held the offices of President and Vice President. He served as Vice President of the State REA board for eight years, the Sheridan County Library board for 3 years, and was the director of Tri-State Generation and Transmission of Denver from 1987-1994.
Eldon and Jean thoroughly enjoyed polka dancing and traveled all over the United States with friends to various polka festivals. They were also avid fisherman, summer and winter and enjoyed snowmobiling. Eldon was a lifetime member of the Elks Lodge and American Legion.
Eldon and Jean moved to Sheridan in 1994, Jean passed away in May of 2015. Eldon met Jane D. Ferries while polka dancing at the Elks, they were married in September 2016.
Eldon was preceded in death by his first wife, Jean; his parents, Helen and Miles Buell; six brothers and two sisters. He is survived by his wife Jane; son John (Jane) Buell; daughter Mary Kay (Layne) Liggett; grandchildren Danny (Shelly) Buell; Katie Buell; Kaylyn (Patrick) Ramsey; Kelby (Olivia) Liggett; and five great grandchildren; step children William, (Courtney) Ferris; Margaret (Baxter) Roberson; Andrew, (Kelsey,) Ferris; Evelyn (Ryan) Sellden and many more grandchildren.
Memorials to honor Eldon can be made to the Sheridan Elks Cemetery, PO Box 620, Sheridan, WY 82801 or the donor's choice.
The Funeral Service for Eldon is Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Grace Anglican Church, 1992 W. 5th Street, Sheridan, Wyoming, with Father Caleb Miller officiating. Burial with Military Honors will be in the Sheridan Elks Cemetery. The reception will follow at the Elks Lodge, 45 W. Brundage, Sheridan, Wyoming.
Online condolences may be made to www.sheridanfuneral.com. Arrangements are under the care of Sheridan Funeral Home.