Citizen Emeritus: Dale G. Rasmussen 

Dale is a true Cowley native. His grandparents were among the original pioneers who settled here in 1900.

He grew up on a farm three miles east of town that his grandfather homesteaded, with his father Frank, his mother Peggy and his sisters June, Ronda and Julie. He graduated from Cowley High School in 1978 (Go Jaguars!) after attending kindergarten through 12th grade in the Cowley school district and receiving instruction from notable teachers such as Mr. Sibbett, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Corbett and Mrs. Jacob, who prepared him well for his future education.

After his freshman year at BYU, Dale served a church mission in Pusan,  South Korea. Upon his return, his sister Julie informed him that he needed to meet her art teacher, Ms. Brimhall. He did meet Ms. Brimhall, and they were married in 1983. They have remained so for 41 years and counting.

After finishing his degree in Economics at BYU, Dale and Kerry were off to the University of Chicago, where Dale earned his J.D. and became a lawyer (much to the bewilderment and chagrin of his dad and doubtless many others). Since graduating from law school, Dale and Kerry have lived in the Portland, Oregon, area, where Kerry earned her M.D. and practiced family medicine for going on 20 years.

They have been blessed with three wonderful children, Tasha, Joshua and Charly, and three energetic grandsons. Dale’s law services focus on energy transactions, business transactions and the formation and administration of business entities. He draws on 30 years of experience practicing in Portland, having worked with both large and small law firms and as in-house counsel to several large energy companies.

Dale’s in-house experience gives him the skillset required for the practical needs of local, regional, national and international businesses. His experience ranges from providing advice in the areas of energy contracts, renewable energy, construction and operation and project development to business transactions, corporate law, finance, municipal law, technology licensing and international contracting.

His diverse legal knowledge enables him to respond to the broad spectrum of his clients’ needs. Dale’s wife, Kerry, kids and grandkids are likely to refer to his interest in bicycles, motorcycles and gadgets of all sorts as an obsession, and when not in the office or with the family, he will most likely be found riding, working on or acquiring a new two-wheeled toy.

When he’s not tinkering in the garage or riding the hills, Dale has served on the boards of municipal and not-for-profit organizations that do tremendous work making the Northwest a better place. Nearly 47 years after physically leaving, Dale still calls Cowley home.

Honorary Grand Marshall: the late Roland E. Simmons 

Roland Simmons was born October 17, 1946, in Lovell to Vernal and Lizzie (Harrison) Simmons. His youth was occupied on the basketball court and the surrounding baseball fields and football fields. He and his older brother Neil had a knack for tuning big block V8s and drag raced competitively in the surrounding area.

Roland graduated from Cowley High School in 1965 and went on to attend Northwest Community College in Powell. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in London, England, from 1966-1968. Upon returning from England, Roland attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he earned a master’s degree in fine arts. It was during that time that his passion for industrial design was found, as well as his bride to be.

In 1972, Roland was married to Reven Foulger and moved out to the Bay Area of California to become a successful entrepreneur and a remarkable father figure to six children, Michael (Rachel), Todd (Emily), Clay (Heather), Morgan (Fallon), Emily (Michael) Asay and Joel (Kambrie).

With the necessary money in the bank to sustain living expenses for six months, Roland left his job as an industrial designer in the San Francisco Bay area. With the drive to succeed and the willingness to fail, he set out to become one of the most innovative and respectable designers of contemporary lighting.

Since 1976, Roland had been designing and constructing contemporary lighting. His innovative designs have received numerous awards and recognition and are known as the sculptures by day, lamps by night or the “Lumalight” around the globe. In 1995, Roland returned home to Cowley. He was always known as the man on the corner with the lamp in his window.

In 2010, Roland married Brenda Robertson. Over the past 30 years, Roland served in numerous community positions to include mayor of Cowley from 2002-2010. During his time serving as mayor, Roland was an integral support for the Cowley Main Street restoration project and the construction of Rocky Mountain Elementary School and Rocky Mountain Middle/High School, as well as the renovation of the Big Horn Academy, which would become the offices for Big Horn County School District #1.

Among his various accomplishments throughout his life, Roland would say his family was his greatest. His devotion to his family and his faith in Jesus Christ is the legacy he has left behind.