Frankie Thomas Rohrer Sr.

Longtime Lovell resident Frankie Rohrer passed away on July 31, 2021 at the age of 75.

Frankie was born April 5, 1946 in Douglas, Wyoming, the fifth of nine children of Frank and Elsie Rohrer. He really enjoyed growing up in Douglas. He loved to recount stories of playing in the river, swimming in the hot springs, drag racing outside of town, hunting and generally having a good time with his best friend Zeke.

When he was 18, Frankie moved to Lovell to work a road construction project. It was there he met Peggy Brinkerhoff. They secretly eloped to Idaho and were married in June of 1964. After their wedding, the couple lived in Douglas for a time, where their oldest son, Greg, was born. Their second son, Frankie, was born after the family moved back to Lovell. Their third son, Thomas, surprised the family when he was born over 9 years later. The family was sealed in the Vernal Utah Temple in 1998.

Frankie was always a diligent worker and worked hard at whatever he did. He began working for American Colloid Company in 1966 and spent 17 years there, most of them as foreman of the polymer plant. In 1983 he began working for Marathon Oil, first in Oregon Basin outside Cody and then later in Bryon. He spent a number of years on the Marathon fire department, including one year as chief. He retired from Marathon in 1997.

Frankie became a part-time police officer in 1976 and graduated from the police academy in 1978. He worked part-time for the Lovell Police Department for more than 25 years and as a deputy for the Big Horn County Sheriff’s office for 20 years. In 1999 he was hired by the Town of Byron to be their full-time officer. He was later promoted to Chief and became known far and wide for the number of speeding tickets he wrote. He was so loved by the people of Byron that they kept asking him to come back and work after multiple retirements. Frankie really loved being a police officer. In his 40 years of service, he captured escaped convicts, foiled burglaries and otherwise did his best to help protect the people of Lovell, Byron and Big Horn County.

Frankie also served the communities in other ways. He spent a number of years volunteering on the Search & Rescue as well as the Civil Air Patrol. He also delivered meals to the home-bound for the North Big Horn Senior Center and was named, along with his wife, a Senior Center VIP in 2017. He also organized a bike rodeo every year for kids in Byron and gave away bike helmets to kids who didn’t have one.

Frankie loved camping, hunting and fishing. He spent many summers on the Big Horn Mountains camping with family. He loved hunting since he was a kid, but especially enjoyed a yearly elk hunt in Jackson with his son Frankie. He also had the opportunities to fish in both Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico.

For many years, Frankie’s favorite hobby was raising bison. He had a love of buffalo his whole life and had multiple herds through the years, at one point having almost 30. He preferred smaller herds, though, and gave many of his favorites names, including Samson, Duecy and Zeus.

Of all the things he loved, though, Frankie loved his family the most. He enjoyed spending time with his sons and grandkids, taking them hunting and fishing, attending their sporting events, and reveling in all their accomplishments, both as kids and adults. He was especially proud of the men his kids have become and the families they have raised.

Frankie is survived by his sons Greg, Frankie and Thomas; the daughter they wish they had Kerri Lawson: daughter-in-law Rebekah; grandchildren David, Megan, Tanner, Nathan, Amy, Sophie and Maddie; great-grandchildren Zaylee, Roxyn, Neveah and Roselena; siblings Bob (Pat), Dick (Doris), Darlene (Roger), Joe (Kathy), Garry (Terry), Jim (Debbie) and Bill (Tammy) and sister-in-law Starla; as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents and his brother Louis.

Funeral services will be held Friday, August 6, 2021 at 2pm at the Lovell Stake Center, followed by burial in the Lovell Cemetery. A viewing will be held Thursday evening from 6-8pm at Haskell Funeral Home and at 1pm Friday in the west chapel of the stake center.

The service will be broadcast on Facebook Live by clicking on to the Haskell Funeral Home Facebook page.

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