Benny Robert Middleton

Benny Robert Middleton was born Sunday, June 9, 1935 and died Wednesday, February 4, 2026. From the mountains of Wyoming to the Arizona sunshine, Ben lived in God’s country and spent each day having a good day. He said that nature and the lands that he ran cattle on were his church and he could tell you the names of all the mountains. Ben was like a walking atlas when it came to navigating places he had been. Ben’s favorite song was “Some Days Are Diamonds and Some Days are Gold” by John Denver and he loved the quote that reads “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away”. His life goal was to live to be 100 and he made a point of telling that to everyone. At the age of 90, he lived a good life, and is living a better one now!

A blessing and celebration of life will be held at the Platte County ranch “Cottonwood Creek Ranch” near Wheatland, Wyoming on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 6:00 P.M. Ben did not want a funeral so it will be a gathering of family and friendship, with music, which was another of his great enjoyments. Converse County Homemakers are assisting with a meal and side dishes are welcome. The address is 369 Cottonwood Road, Wheatland Wyoming 82201. Some housing is available for out-of-town guests.

Benny Robert Middleton was born at the family ranch east of Bill, (his grandparent’s homestead established approximately 1920), Wyoming, to James Oscar “Jim” Middleton and Marie Elizabeth Daniels Middleton. The family was raised along the banks of Middle Creek and played endlessly in the Cow Creek Buttes and met neighbor kids over at the Pinnacle Rocks to ride horses and make up country games. There was talk of all the cousins getting together in the summers, and they became very close. We all heard many stories of the “games of strength” that they would create. There was one story about how a rope was thrown over a rafter and an end went around your head/neck. You would have to look up while you pulled the free end of the rope to hoist yourself up. If you dared look down, the leverage would be gone and it would practically peel your ears off!

The Middleton children attended a rural school on their property for their early grade school years, and then later went to school in Douglas. Ben said the town school kids were mean and usually chased them home every day! He graduated from Converse County High School in 1953 (now a vacant building, but it used to be a tall building with multiple stories), where he played football and was on the wrestling team (the schools name became Douglas High School in 1957).

He attended the University of Wyoming, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science/Husbandry on May 29, 1961. He also participated on the wrestling team (he described himself as the practice dummy, but probably got along alright). He started dating Pauline Sanford while she was in college at UW and they were married in the summer of 1963 on July 6th. They spent 57 years together before Pauline passed away in September 2020 from complications of a stroke. She had overcome Parkinsons for over 25 years with Ben as her caretaker and partner in life. They had two children, Pamela and Kelly, and spent their lives together establishing Deer Forks Ranch (also in 1963, named after the view of the creeks when viewed from above) where they successfully operated a cattle and horse ranch.

Ben and Pauline started with a few head of cattle on their place, which was very beautiful but a lot of rock piles, so it was more conducive to recreation than grazing. To subsidize their start-up ranching venture, they started taking in big game hunters straight away, and the ranch became a trophy class hunting area under their management, and later by their son-in-law, Ron. It was expanded into a small-scale guest ranch soon after and they built a few cabins on the property for summer guests and fall hunters to stay. With Pauline’s cooking and Ben’s knowledge of the land, it was a good venture for them.

They were one of the founding members of the Wyoming Homestay and Outdoor Association and a member of Guest Ranches of North America. Their ranch was featured in many places, including Country Magazine. Several movies and films were made on their property including Tundra (hunting and fishing film), The Great Wyoming Jackalope Hunt (parody of which parts were filmed on Deer Forks Ranch), and during the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse there was a film and photo crew onsite. Always looking out for the animals and the land, they received an award for Conservationist of the Year from the Soil Conservation Service in Converse County.

Pauline taught school some and Ben trained horses for clients in addition to the ranching. They had original and unique names for the animals they loved. Some that come to mind are the horse named Rubenstein Q Equine and dogs names Puddles and Doozy. Ben and Pauli were hard workers and willing to try new things. Ben sold insurance for a short time, but his quiet personality did not suit that occupation well.

They purchased a nearby property a few years later from Ben’s parents called the Brow Place. As they got more experience and more cattle they started expanding and purchased the other shares of the Middleton’s Cow Creek ranch from Ben’s siblings and also a share in an adjoining ranch with two of his brothers. Recently, Ben and his daughter and son-in-law made the decision to consolidate to one property and they exchanged the more remote Wyoming properties in Converse and Niobrara Counties for a single contiguous acreage in Platte County, where they operated a cow/calf operation together along with horses and ranch recreation.

He also worked on the Morton Ranch as a hand for a while and then drove equipment on the surface uranium mine in the 1970’s. Unfortunately, the safety protocols were different then and breathing in the minute particulates caused permanent damage to his lungs. Combined with his asthma, it progressively weakened his lungs to the point they were 100% compromised the last two years of his life. He overcame this for years, along with bile duct stones that the doctors said would get him and he was a Stage 4 colon cancer survivor. We used to joke that he could survive anything after getting diagnosed with so many “terminal” afflictions over his lifetime. When they took x-rays, it was rather impressive how many broken bones he had in his body over the years. One time he was sick and like most ranchers he thought he should take a handful of pills rather than the one listed on the bottle, resulting in a midnight run to town to have his stomach pumped. When he was a kid, he survived a black powder explosion that took off his eyebrows for him. This was after their dad told them to stay away and the kids decided to toss lit matches over the bank!

Through all the tough guy façade, Ben was one of the kindest people with a big soft side. He cared for all animals and most people with a smile on his face. Ranching is not for the weak and he pushed through the cold nights, deep snows, dry spells and losses, only to see the spring rains, live babies, green grass and warm summers in the repeat cycles of a life he truly loved. When you asked what his occupation was, he was always proud to say he was a rancher. A bit of a prankster on the side, he used to follow his kids and their cousins around in the pine grove making Indian noises while staying hidden. He was usually the one giggling in the corner over a joke and he had the very best sense of humor.

Ben was an avid hiker, with a normal day averaging ten miles. Pauline would often drop him off and then pick him up on the other side of a mountain range. One of his greatest achievements was hiking the Grand Canyon, rim to rim, in a single day. It is advised to not do this and instead get a permit to camp in the bottom for at least one night. Ben found out there was a seven year wait list for the permits so he just did the one-day thing on the Kaibab Trail, when he was 76 years old. He started at 7:00 A.M. from the north rim and finished in the dark at about 10:30 P.M. Pauline was starting to wonder if he would emerge from the giant hole. He later said that his legs got weak and he had to lift them with his hands! That is a 21-mile stretch with the descent going down 5800 feet and the ascent back up 4800 feet with extreme temperature variations. After a scare with Stage IV colon cancer, he started his bucket list and basically if he wanted to do something, he just did it! He took up snow skiing and roller blading in his 50’s and talked Kelly and the neighbor into skydiving in his 60s, and just kept living life!

Ben also spent a number of years competing in the Wyoming Senior Olympics in the sprint races. He almost always placed in the top three of his age division. He was the oldest competitor in competitive ranch sorting and he won numerous high point awards including a saddle with his mare, Peso, and Arizona Horse of the year with his mare, Bailey. He had many special horses in his lifetime and whenever we would get a faster one, that’s the one he would want to ride. His current mare is Minnie and she never minded him packing his oxygen concentrator along. They were good to each other and made a competitive team, winning the overall high point buckle at a competition in Arizona in February 2023. One day that same summer, some ducks flew out of the pond and startled her and she started bucking. Being the true cowboy that he was, he just sat down to ride it out instead of actually pulling her head up!

At the time of his final trail, he was still actively competing in the sport of ranch sorting and working on the ranch where he participated in fall gather, checking calves in the spring, and gathering for branding. He was still learning the layout of the new ranch in Wyoming, but he would dang sure get his group of cattle to the corral!

Ben and Pauline were blessed to have spent time each winter in the southwest for over 25 years as snowbirds. They both always considered Wyoming their home, but Ben in particular really loved Arizona and being warm after so many winters in the north! They traveled initially in their RV and owned multiple properties in New Mexico and Arizona where they enjoyed time with ATVs or horses. They always had their dogs and cats along. Ben loved all animals and treated them like royalty. They had many special dogs and always seemed to have a min pin dog around. He also showed some of the Jack Russells at shows, including the Incredible Dog Challenge in California. His current pups Sara, Baxter, and Squeaky are sure missing him. He knew every bird in the bird book and could tell you about the native species wherever he was. Just living life and never having a bad day.

In January, he took a walk to inspect the horses we had brought to Arizona when he fell and fractured some ribs. With his previously compromised lungs, this particular injury was too much to overcome. It was a true blessing that he was able to make his own choices for his treatment and outcomes in his final days. In the emergency room he said to Pam “I don’t know WTH happened because I was just walking along and the next thing I knew I was on the ground!” Then he proceeded to ask how many horses we brought down, in true Ben fashion.

Surviving family members include: Pamela May Middleton Haar (daughter) and her husband Ronald Calvin Haar (son in law), Rita Carol Middleton Russell (sister), Ethel Marie Middleton Hoskovec (sister), Kyle Calvin and Keely Rae Joss Haar (grandson and granddaughter), Ensley Haar (great granddaughter), Luke Haar (great grandson), Maxton Haar (great grandson), and Piper Haar (great granddaughter).

Preceding him in death: Pauline Pearl Sanford Middleton (spouse), Kelly Robert Middleton (son), James Oscar Middleton (father), Marie Elizabeth Daniels Middleton (mother), Benjamin Elgin Middleton (paternal grandfather), Juan Jelena Smith Middleton (paternal grandmother), Joseph Milton Daniels (maternal grandfather), Ella Rachel Walden Daniels (maternal grandmother), Claude Sanford (father-in-law), Herminnie May Brockmeyer Sanford (motherin- law), James Ray “Bud” Middleton (brother), Joe M Middleton (brother), Richard Andrew Middleton (brother), Lois Josephine Middleton (sister), Leroy Leonard Sanford (brother-in-law), Harry Herman Sanford (brother-in-law), Jim Hoskovec (brother-in-law), and several niece and nephews.

Honorary Pallbearers to include family members, friends and neighbors.

Contributions to be made to Kelly Middleton family memorial fund (used for chosen community enrichment programs thru Pam); Converse County Homemakers or Wyoming Stockgrowers Association.

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