James "Bob" Robert Black

James Robert Black, “Bob”, was born September 22, 1942 in Medicine Hat, AB and passed away on September 22, 2021 in Maple Creek, SK at the age of 79.

He is survived by his loving wife Dixie; sons Bill (Sandy), Dan (Glenice) and daughter Krista (Calvin); his brother Graham (Pearl) and sister Jane (Arnie) as well as many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and family and friends.

The eldest child of Reg and Margaret Black, Bob spent his early years growing up in Medicine Hat, AB. Throughout his teenage years, he spent many weekends at his friends’ ranches and loved the cowboy life. He worked at the Q Ranch at Manyberries, AB and also the P.A. Yeast Ranch at Thelma, AB. These were happy times for Bob and taught him cowboying skills he would use throughout his life.

At seventeen, after having enough of school (and school having enough of him), Bob headed south to work on the Minor Ranch near Hyannis, Nebraska, where he honed his cowboying skills.

After two years in Nebraska, Bob came back to Saskatchewan. Where his family bought the Spangler Ranch in the beautiful Six Mile Coulee. There are many wild tales of his bachelor days while living there –some true, but some a bit exaggerated.

In 1967 Bob met the love of his life, Dixie Wilson. They married in January, 1969 on a very cold and snowy day and started their adventure together that would last for the next 52 years.

The family moved up the Six Mile Coulee and spent nearly 20 years on their ranch, then moved to the Wilson Ranch on Battle Creek. After 22 years they handed the reins over to their son, Dan, and his family; Bob and Dixie retired just South of Maple Creek. Bob spent his summers golfing and enjoying the company of good friends, and travelling south in the winter.

Bob was a larger-than-life character, who met and crossed paths with many people from all walks of life. He had a wide variety of interests over his lifetime; cattle buyer, partnership in the Cowtown Rodeo Company (with good friends, the Gilchrist and Lundberg families), trap shooting, working with his D6 CAT, flying his Super Cub plane, raising bucking horses and Clydesdales, the “Black Market” auction ring, ranching, and his cattle; and, in his later years, a love of golf. He had a deep respect for the Armed Forces and made a point to attend Remembrance Day Ceremonies every time he could. Bob was also a long-standing member of the Maple Leaf Lodge and an Al Azhar Shriner.

Bob was not always an angel or a “gentle” man, but he certainly lived his life to the fullest and left this world with many great experiences and stories.

It is said the dash between the dates on a headstone is where real life happens, and boy did Bob have a great “dash”.

A celebration of life is to take place at a later date.

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