(Charles) Wayne McKnight passed away December 14, 2007 at Weisbrod Memorial Nursing Home in Eads. He was born December 30, 1943 in Las Animas, Colorado, to Helen and Glen McKnight.


Wayne grew up on the family farm north of Haswell. He attended his first years of school at a country school called Prairie View. His Grandma Schanlou was his first teacher. He then attended school in Haswell through the seventh grade when the family moved to Eads where he attended eighth through twelfth grade. The family operated the Pioneer Caf, where Wayne learned how to fry hamburgers. Wayne graduated from high school in 1961, where most people knew him as Tank. He played football, basketball and track.


March 8, 1964, he married Janet. They had two children, Angela Marie and Mardell Wayne.


Wayne worked in the Eads and Haswell areas, working on ranches and filling stations, and drove a school bus. He had a regular route and also made several activity runs, as well as sponsored Senior Sneak Trips. They also operated the Lariat Western Store in Eads. Wayne served on the Kiowa County Fair Board for several years. He built the pipe around the race track and the rail up in the grand stands.


He was probably the happiest when he was at a rodeo with the kids or one of his own. Through the years, he was a calf roper, steer wrestler and team roper. He was a member of the PRCA and also the OTRA.


In 1976, Wayne moved his family to Wamsutter, Wyoming, with Colorado Interstate Gas. In 1982, the family went to Cheyenne, Wyoming. That is where he got involved with Cheyenne Frontier Days. He served on the PR Committee for several years. He made his last trip to Cheyenne Frontier Days three years ago as a special guest. He also sponsored the Cheyenne High School Rodeo Team for five years and then judged rodeos after that. In 1991, he moved back to the Rawlins station and lived in Saratoga, Wyoming. In 1995, he was forced to retire after he had a knee replacement. After being away for 15 years, he moved back to Eads on land southwest of Eads where he ran cattle and, of course, always had his horses and a dog.


May 6, 2003, Wayne had his first stroke. July 3, 2003, he had another stroke, and that ended the cattle business, but he still had his horses and dog. Wayne was able to stay home for 2 years, but then had to go to the nursing home in La Junta where he stayed but was not happy. Angie came and took him to an assisted living center in Casper, Wyoming, where he lived from November until May. He loved the time he got to spend with his grandkids and two great grandsons.


Wayne gave his last horse to a young little cowboy to learn to ride. Wayne got to see Tate ride Molly Mare in the County Day events at the Kiowa County Rodeo this year!


Wayne is survived by Janet; daughter, Angie; son, Mardell; four grandchildren, Ty, Brandy, Mandy and Michael; three great grandchildren, Darian, Nathan and Cadance; brother, Harold; sister, Betty Kay; aunt and uncle, Glenn and Eunice Johnson; cousins, Judy (Gene) Vic and Charlotte (Gary) Sneed; mother-in-law Marie Lang; brother-in-law Eddie (Natalie) Lang; and by many nieces and nephews.


Wayne was preceded in death by his mother and father, Glen and Helen; his Grandma Schanlou; and father-in-law, Lynas Lang.


A celebration of the life of Wayne McKnight was held on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 at the Kiowa County Fairgrounds in Eads, CO. Several of Waynes close friends spoke at the service, and Debbie Kravig sang Cowboy Way, Go Rest High On The Mountain and Suppertime. Serving as pallbearers were Dave Wall, Brad Morgan, Lonnie Eder, Bart Morgan, Eddie Johnson and John Philpy. Honorary pallbearers were all of Waynes many friends from across several states.


Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Foundation or the Weisbrod Auxiliary.