With aching hearts the Fritzel family announces the unexpected death of their beloved, William J. Fritzel, “Bill”. He died Monday July 8, 2024 at the Huntsman Cancer Institute Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. He passed away peacefully surrounded by family praying the rosary. The last 31 years he obstinately rode the waves of cancer and fought frequent storms he persevered to the very end.
Bill was born at the Lincoln County Miner’s Hospital in Kemmerer, Wyoming on August 16, 1942, to Jessie E. Crawford-Fritzel and Anthony Sr. Fritzel. He grew up in Frontier, Wyoming along the banks of the Hams Fork River in a Utah Power and Light company owned neighborhood called Fritzelville.
In his youth he developed a love for the outdoors, animals, adventures, fixing cars, dancing, camping and fishing. Bill was a talented Mechanic as well as an exceptional Oil field driller and boss. He made Oil field history in 1975 hitting the Rocky Mountain Depth record for the Amoco Production Company’s Bitter Creek #2 Unit #1 Rig in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. Making him a member of the Four Mile Club and a Fellowship in exploratory ultra-deep horizon drilling. Bill worked in the Oil production industry from the late 60s to the early 90s. He worked all around the inter-mountain west Wyoming, Utah and Nevada into North Dakota to California and Washington state.
Bill took his mechanic skills and worked for various shops the last 30 years in Evanston, Wyoming. In that time he made many friends. Bill was a social butterfly.
He is survived by his wife Lorraine Thompson-Fritzel. His sons, Alex D. Fritzel, John (Justine) Fritzel and Bill (Melinda) Fritzel. His daughters Lillian (Flint) Telford, Julie (David) Wilson, Carole (Jerry) Card, stepdaughters Ellen (Jeremy) Lockridge, Patricia Lenbek, Joann Hanks, Donna Lenbek, Lori Lenbek and older sister Mary Houser. His 32 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son Jerry Paul Fritzel, brother Tony Jr. Fritzel, brother Mike Fritzel, father Tony Sr. Fritzel and mother Jessie E. Fritzel.
Funeral services will be Thursday, July 18, 2024 from 7-8 p.m. at the Crandall Funeral Home, 800 Uinta St., Evanston, WY 82930. There will be a viewing one hour prior to services. A celebration of life will be Friday, July 19, 2024, from 5-10 p.m. at the Roundhouse & Railyards, 1500 Main St., Evanston, WY 82930.
