William Edward (Bill) Burton
Kodiak Daily Mirror
11.02.12 - 09:00 am
William Edward (Bill) Burton was born Oct. 6, 1938 in Miami to Tom and Gladys Burton. He was the third born of four brothers. Although Bill lived in town, the family owned a ranch in the Lake Istokpoga area on which he spent summers, weekends and free time. It was on this ranch that Bill developed his love for horses and agriculture. Bill was active in FFA (Future Farmers of America) and graduated from Edison High School in Miami in 1956. He furthered his education by majoring in animal husbandry at the University of Florida and graduated in 1960. Bill met Kathleen (Kathy) McKinley (Burton), a fashion design major, in 1958. Although they had different interests and temperaments, the couple fell in love and were married on October 7, 1961. Just 20 days before his death, they celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary. Before their wedding, Bill had joined the Navy and graduated from officers training in Pensacola, Fla. He trained as a navigator and spent most of his Navy career flying P2B aircraft. He ended his military tour as a lieutenant.
While in the Navy, Bill and Kathy saved as much money as they could with the idea that they would buy a ranch after military service. In 1964, they headed to Montana where they joined Bill’s brother Jim and his sister-in-law Antoinette (Toni). After working for the winter on ranches in the Gallatin Gateway area of Montana, Bill and Kathy realized that they wouldn’t be able to afford a ranch with what they had saved. During college, Bill and Jim had worked construction in Fairbanks and the two couples decided to head north to find work that would help them build up their ranch purchase funds.
In Fairbanks, Bill heard about the big ranches on Kodiak, the free grass and the open range. He contacted pioneer Kodiak ranchers Joe Zetner and Joe Beaty. Joe Beaty offered Bill a job as a ranch hand but the job only lasted one day. … Kathy had a French poodle that she adored but Joe Beaty didn’t let dogs in the ranch house. When Bill and Kathy snuck the poodle in the first night, the job ended!
Several months later, at the request of Omar Stratman, Bill and Kathy came back to Kodiak to work on Omar’s ranch for a “couple of months” during winter 1967. At the time they were thinking that Joe Zetner, already in his 70s, might be willing to sell his Pasagshak spread. However, later in the year Joe Beaty surprised the couple and indicated that he might be willing to sell them his lease and livestock on Narrow Cape. Bill talked to his brother Jim and the two couples decided to combine their resources and create Kodiak Cattle Company Inc. to purchase Joe Beaty’s assets. Jim, Toni and their daughter Andrea move to the ranch and Bill and Kathy worked in town but spent most weekends helping on the Ranch. The couples switched places in 1971 and a son, Buckley Alexander (Buck), joined Bill and Kathy on the ranch in 1973.
Bill worked his Narrow Cape ranch with Kathy and Buck for 45 years. He started with about 450 head of cows and half a dozen horses. Over the years, despite Bill’s and Jim’s best efforts, Kodiak bears decimated the cattle herd. Bill became convinced he needed livestock that might be less vulnerable to the bears. In 1980, Bill trucked 40 head of buffalo from Powell, Wyo. to Tacoma, Wash. to start the first Alaska buffalo herd. The buffalo proved a big success, and although the bear continue to be a problem, the herd has flourished. In an effort to further diversify, Bill started raising elk in 1996 for horns and meat and, in 2006, yaks were added to the ranch.
Bill loved the ranching life and was particularly fond of his horses and enjoyed riding horseback over the hills and valleys and open spaces of the ranch whenever possible, especially with Buck. Many of the family pictures as well as pictures taken by those visiting the ranch show Bill on horseback. One of his favorite horses was a purebred Arabian stud named BJ. Bill purchased BJ in Montana but because of the Mt. St. Helens eruption, the owner had to meet Bill and his buffalo en route to Tacoma. Bill had run out of money so the owner transferred BJ on Bill’s simple promise to pay. That’s how it was with Bill — you could take his word to the bank!
Bill became a big game guide during the 1980s and took clients on deer, bear and trophy buffalo hunts. Most of the hunters were struck by the grandeur and austere beauty of the ranch and often were drawn back to hunt again with Bill by the beauty of his character. Although he had chosen a remote life, Bill greatly enjoyed people, conversation, politics, humor and the fellowship of men and women who loved God’s creation and being out in the country. Over the years the Kodiak Cattle Company ranch and later the Kodiak Game Ranch addition became nationally known for its splendor, its buffalo and for Bill. Numerous documentaries, Alaska films, travel writers and articles, including National Geographic Magazine, featured Bill and his ranch. He never tired of promoting the merits of buffalo meat and the value of agriculture.
For five decades, Bill Burton was a part of all things agricultural on Kodiak. He was active in the Kodiak Stock Growers Association; he was a member of the Kodiak Livestock Cooperative which built and manages the slaughter facility in Bells Flats, and he was an original incorporator for the Kodiak Soil and Water Conservation District and was frequently chairman of its board. Bill helped plan the first Kodiak rodeo in Kalsin Bay and often supplied livestock for Kodiak’s annual rodeo in Bells Flats (with Kathy on the fair board for many years). He loved to team rope at the Rodeo with Buck, and one wall of their house is adorned with the various buckles he and Buck won. Bill also was a founding member of the Alaska Farm Bureau and served, at various times, on a number of State of Alaska, agricultural boards, commissions and advisory panels.
Bill was a committed Christian and his life was defined by his practice of Christian Virtues; Faith in his God and Creator, Goodness to his family and those he met, Patience, even during many difficult times on the ranch, Gentleness to both animal and friend, Diligence and hard work — he experienced very few 8-hour days during 45 years of ranching, Generosity beyond measure to all who knew him, Humility to be a steward of the land and resources entrusted to himand Love for his wife and son and family as well as for his friends and the ranch life he felt privileged to live.
When Bill died suddenly on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012 he left behind his beloved wife Kathy of 51 years and his cherished son Buck as well as Buck’s wife Christine and children. Bill was predeceased by his brother and former ranch partner, Jim. He is survived by Jim’s wife, Toni, and their daughter Andrea. In addition, Bill is survived by his brother Tom Burton and his wife Ketty of Brooker, Fla. and his brother Dan Burton and his wife Trish of Stanford, N.C. as well as their numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
A memorial potluck is planned for 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4th in the Kodiak
