Don was born in Wheatland, to Ralph and Mae Rogers, who had a small ranch at Chugwater. He left school at the age of 15 and went to work for the Miller Ranch where he was part of the cowboy crew, working with cows in different areas. He liked to ride saddle broncs at the local rodeos. He later worked for John Bell as a cowboy where he helped load steers on the train at Wyoming Station. In the fall and winter, he would take a pack string of five horses with two-hundred-pound sacks filled with cake. He would ride from the ranch headquarters located in the area of the Highway 34 and Highway 30 and travel all along Iron Mountain looking for small herds of cattle where he would stop and give them cake and then go on to the next bunch. He later would work for John Bell in the winter and go up to Pinedale and work for the Loziers in the summer. He went into World War II and served in Germany. Upon coming home, he and his wife, Nellie, continued to work on the Black Butte Ranch until 1950. They purchased a ranch in Boulder, Wyoming, from Arthur Springstead and continued to ranch until 1980.
Donald W. Rogers Sr.
