November 15, 1946 – January 10, 2025
Wesley Atchinson passed away January 10, 2025 at Mobridge Regional Hospital. Prayer services were held Sunday, January 12, 2025 at the Kesling Funeral Home in Mobridge.
Wesley Wayne “Bubba” Atchinson was born November 15, 1946 at Belton, TX and was raised by Wesley and Doris (Bowen) Atchinson. The family moved to Austin, TX where Wes spent his early childhood and attended school, graduating from Travis High School in Austin in 1965. There he was a star athlete excelling in football and basketball and was also voted the Homecoming King his senior year. He attended Texas Tech. University where he was a scholarship athlete playing football until his senior year when he transfered to Howard Payne University in Brownwood, TX where he played defensive tackle for the conferencewinning team of 1969.
While attending college Wes and Sherry Clark were married in May of 1969. To this union two children were born Kimberley and Wade Atchinson. Following college the couple moved to McGregger, TX, where Wes worked for the Texas Dept. of Health as a meat inspector for a time before moving to Waco, TX and opening his own Texaco gas station which he operated for about 5 years. He took a position with the Texas Department of Corrections as a corrections officer overseeing prisoners while they were working in the fields. Wes spent many hours horseback overseeing the guard dogs and prisoners, a job he took great pride in and rose to the rank of Major before his retirement in October 1, 1998.
Following his retirement he moved to Timber Lake to be near his daughter Kim (Lyle) Anderson who lived and ranched near White Horse. Wes worked for Herreid Livestock penning cattle, riding his best horse Dollar.
Wes loved everything about being cowboy from competing in rodeos as a steer wrestler and team roper and later breakaway roper in the SDRA to the ethics and manners of the cowboy way of life. It was almost like he was born a hundred years too late as he was meant to be an old time cowboy and live that life. He loved doing the night calving, branding and gathering cattle at Kim and Lyle’s ranch at White Horse.
He became part of the Timber Lake Police Dept. in 2002 as the Deputy to the Chief of Police and in 2003 he attended the Police Academy to become certified in South Dakota and became the Timber Lake Police Chief, a position he held until his final retirement in 2007.
Wes loved John Wayne and Gunsmoke and must have seen every John Wayne movie and Gunsmoke episode at least three times because he could quote lines from those shows.
In 2024 Wes became a resident of the Walworth County Care Center, where he resided until the time of his passing.
Wes loved his family, and loved to watch his grandchildren compete in rodeos. He loved to visit with people and joke around, giving special attention to any pretty ladies that were close by.
He is survived by his daughter Kimberley (Lyle) Anderson of White Horse and son Wade (Jennifer) Atchinson of Russellville, AK; grandchildren Savanna (Colton)Robison of Scott City, KS, Sloan Anderson of White Horse, Reed Atchinson of Morrilton AK, Meg (Copper) Timmons of Maumelle, AK and Luke Atchinson of Russellville; greatgrandchildren Gentry and Porter and (soon to be) Hollis Robison; sister Donna Ray Pehl of Fredricksburg, TX and two nephews, Ross and Stephen Pehl.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
(Kim Anderson’s address is Box 111, White Horse, SD 57661.)