Allred keeps active at WPH

Born in Worland on Sept. 11, 1939, Willard Allred spent the first few years there, lived south of Ten Sleep for the first few years of his life before moving Ten Sleep for five to six years and spending some time at lower Norwood.

After graduating from Ten Sleep High School, Allred's first job was with Wyoming Game and Fish. He noted he also worked with the department off and on during school, maintaining the grounds and taking care of the fish. After high school, he was on the distribution truck and put fish in lakes statewide.

Allred further added he got married, and the job kept him away from home a lot of the time and he instead did odd jobs for a few years before becoming a propane distributor for Pure Oil. Returning to Ten Sleep, he owned and operated the Wyoming Café for 10 years.

He later moved to Casper and ran a self service car wash and gas station there for 10 years, before heading back to Ten Sleep with his youngest son and taking a job with the Wyoming Highway Department in 1981.

"It seemed like I always came back to Ten Sleep," he said, "so I went to work for the Highway Department and just decided I'd stay. In total, he added, he worked for the State of Wyoming for over 24 years including his time with Game and Fish.

His job with the Highway Department was his last, as he retired in 1995. An illness caused him to come to the Pioneer Home in January 2017. Though never living in Thermopolis prior to that, he passed through and visited his sister, Myrona Apland, quite frequently.

"I decided if I ever had to leave Ten Sleep I'd either go to Buffalo or Thermopolis, so here I am." While he hasn't gotten around much since he's been at the Pioneer Home, Allred said he's well pleased with the facility. As the possible privatization of the Pioneer Home is currently being addressed by the Legislature, Allred noted, "I don't think that there's any of us here that could afford to even be here if it went private."

Allred keeps active at the facility with stretching exercises, the bowling leagues and shuffleboard along with different game activities. He also utilizes the wellness center at Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital, but hasn't been there lately due to the flu bug going around. "I'm kind of waiting for it to get over with before I go. I always figure the hospital is a good place to catch it."