Robert John "Turk" Vigil, 78, Upton, WY died Sunday, September 20, 2015 at Weston County Health Services-Long Term Care.

"TurK" was born February 4, 1937 in Dix, Colorado. He attended school in Sopris, CO, where he earned the nickname Turk because of his outstanding turkey calls. He punched cows on the Bar Nothing ranch in Stonewall, CO starting at age 16 and remained there for quite a few years before beginning work for a construction company building silos throughout the country. He came to Newcastle in 1976 to build the coal silos at Jacobs Ranch Mine. While in Newcastle he met and married Diana Oliver and moved to the Art Oliver ranch. He transferred from the construction company to Jacobs Ranch Mine where he worked as a supervisor for 20 years before retiring to run his own small bunch of cows. He was a saddle bronc rider and avid roper and had memberships in the Colorado Rodeo Cowboys Association, The Weston County Horsemanship Club and the Triple R Roping Club in Upton. Throughout his life he was known for his fairness and kindness toward others, he gave everyone the benefit of the doubt and if anyone needed something he had, he gave it to them and expected nothing in return. He loved helping all the kids at the gymkhanas and kids rodeos around the area and if asked to judge the smallest age groups he would make sure everyone got a time or a placing.

He is survived by his wife Diana, Upton and their daughter Alicia (Hale) Redding, Granddaughters Reagan and Kinley Redding, Newcastle, and a sister Delores Weber,Cokedale, CO. He is preceded in death by his parents Cipriano & Maxine (Alvarez) Vigil, brothers Cipriano Vigil and Harold Vigil. A memorial to the Weston County Jr. Rodeo will be established.

Memorial Services will be at 10 AM, Saturday, September 26, 2015 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Newcastle.