On July 3, 1915, in a log house on the Sommers ranch, near Pinedale, a very good cowboy was born, Albert Pomeroy (Bud) Sommers. He was born the third of four children to Albert Pomeroy (Prof) Sommers and May McAlister Sommers. His siblings were Martha Hittle, Florence Jensen, and younger brother John Sommers. Both of Bud’s parents were from Kansas and moved to Wyoming as school teachers. While at Fontenelle, they met each other and were married. The Sommers Ranch was started in 1907 by Albert “Prof” Sommers when he filed his homestead and his first water right in 1908. Prof bought the Open A P brand from Alex Price in 1910. May 10, 1911, in White Cloud, Kansas, was the day Albert Pomeroy Sommers married Ida May McAlister.
Bud grew up wild on the Green River, as most river rats have done then and now. He attended grade school at the Price-Sommers school, Big Piney school, and Pinedale school. Bud attended high school in Big Piney, Pinedale, and the University of Wyoming Prep School, from which he graduated. He was an excellent basketball player and played for the Big Piney, Pinedale, and UW Prep School teams. Bud attended one year of college at the University of Wyoming, but quit because of the Great Depression.
Bud’s true interest in life was ranching. He also said, “If it doesn’t eat hay and have four legs, I don’t want anything to do with it.” At the age of eight, he was driving four head of horses abreast in front of a fresno, building ditches. When Bud was ten and brother John was eight, their dad had them take the bulls to the cow camp at Black Butte. At the age of thirteen, Bud’s father died, leaving his mother and four children to care for the ranch. She kept the ranch and continued to teach, and Bud pursued his education both in school and on the ranch. Much of his ranch education was at the hands of neighbor Alex Price, whom he respected and cared for a great deal.
Bud spent five years working for Rex Wardell and the Upper Green River Cattle Association before he went to work full-time on the ranch. Bud worked on the ranch during the Great Depression, which shaped his views about ranching, and about a dollar bill, for the rest of his life.
Bud valued a good horse, and could make a horse one that others wanted to ride. His horses handled with ease. They watched a cow’s every move and if need be, would put you on the animal so you could rope it. Elbert Walker and Galdwon Jensen, when riding on the Green River Drift in later years, always wanted Bud’s horses to ride on the mountain along with their own.
Then in 1944, Bud finally met his match, and married Verla Maude Richie on September 29, 1945. Their marriage produced two children, Jonita Ellen Sommers and Albert Pomeroy Sommers III. In January 1947, Bud and Verla bought the family ranch from Bud’s mother.
Bud was heavily involved in the Upper Green River Cattle Association business for many years. He served as secretary-treasurer and/or foreman of the Association for 27 years. Bud spent many years involved in various boards, committees and associations protecting the ranching lifestyle he loved. He was well respected by those he dealt with, because of his intelligence and honesty.
Bud’s big passion and pastime was roping. He didn’t rope in a rodeo until he was over 30 years of age, but became a very accomplished roper in the arena. He won several buckles and was considered a very good heeler. Bud really excelled as a roper in the brush, doctoring cattle. He always rode top horses and rarely missed a loop, even when he reached the age of 65. Even after he had macular degeneration in his eyes, he could still catch a critter almost every loop. He would line his horse up with the left hip of the critter and then the critter was in his line of vision
In 1980, while team roping, Bud’s horse had a heart attack that led to a fall that gave Bud a serious head injury. In true rancher fashion, Bud survived the head injury to go on working another ten years. In 1990, a tractor accident crushed his leg and ended his era as a horseman. Bud still helped his son do whatever he could until he could no longer walk to a pickup. Even when Bud was confined to his chair, he relished news about the ranch.
Bud Sommers was a fine man and a very good father. He taught his children the value of a good education, and gave them room to seek their own course in life. His basic principle was to tell people the truth, whether they wanted to hear it or not, and to treat everybody equally. On September 18, 2000, Bud passed away as one of the most respected cowmen Sublette County ever produced.
Portrait of a Cowboy
By Jonita Sommers
The old, silver belly hat with dust and grease marks is pulled down on the weathered cowboy’s head by his hand on the usual hand hold of the brim. Plaid denim shirt and denim pants with a leather belt worn thin in spots and an old, scratched belt buckle that was won team roping at a rodeo are the rest of the attire. Worn, brown-leather cowboy boots step through the dusty corral.
Spurs may be worn if the horse needs them or the type of work to be done requires quick moves. The old cowboy stands tall and thin while silhouetted in the early morning, dawn light. A large nose can be seen under the well-used cowboy hat. The old cowboy’s stance tells he has done this for many years and loves every minute of catching his horse and cowboying all day.
With a halter in his large, calloused hand, he walks directly to his horse, says whoa, puts his hand on the horse’s withers and without a word puts the halter on the ol’ black horse. The horse never moves, and the man seems to be a robot. There seems to be no emotion, but if one looks closely there is respect for each other. Half a bucket of oats is put in the oat box for the black horse to eat as the man swings his saddle blanket and saddle effortlessly into place.
Saddling the horse seems to be motionless and thoughtless. If one is not watching carefully, it would not be seen that the man had checked the horse’s back and girth for sores and the saddle blanket for cleanliness. Every strap of leather is adjusted perfectly, so the saddle will ride with ease on the tall, rawboned, black horse. The bridle is put on the horse, and the horse is led out the barn door before the cinch is tightened one last time.
With an even look, the old cowboy checks everything one last time before leading the horse forward and freely stepping into the saddle and onto the horse. As the cowboy rides away into the breaking sunlight, he adjusts his rope over his thigh and knee. The rope could very well be used during the day for heading or healing. And you can be sure it is a “catch rope.” Nonchalantly the cowboy rides off to do the work he loves.
(This was my father as I remember him.)