Ken Blackburn, Grand Marshal: Living the dream in Big Horn County for more than 40 years

As the Cowley Pioneer Day celebration honors the heritage, values and people who have shaped our communities, few individuals better represent those ideals than retiring Big Horn County Sheriff Ken Blackburn.

When Blackburn was a fifth or sixth grader growing up in Billings, Montana, his teacher assigned a simple writing project: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Most children dream big. Some dream of becoming astronauts, athletes or movie stars. Young Ken Blackburn dreamed of something much closer to home. He wanted to raise horses and live in Cowley, Wyoming.

Today, looking back on a lifetime of service, Blackburn often laughs and says, “I achieved my childhood dream. I just had to wear a badge for 40 years to get there.”

As the retiring Big Horn County sheriff prepares to serve as grand marshal of the 2026 Cowley Pioneer Day Parade, that childhood dream seems remarkably prophetic. For more than four decades, Blackburn has devoted his life to serving the people of Wyoming while building a home, raising a family and becoming deeply rooted in the community he loved as a boy.

And while the badge became a familiar part of his life, Blackburn is the first to say his story is not just his own.  

“I can’t have any article that’s just about me,” he insists. “It has to include my wife.”

For 41 years, Janeen Blackburn has stood beside him through long nights, emergency callouts, missed holidays, community responsibilities and the demands of public service. Together they built a life centered around faith, family and the Big Horn Basin.  

“She’s been the anchor of our family,” Blackburn said. 

Together, Ken and Janeen raised three children in the Cowley area and built a home, where service was not merely discussed but lived every day.

Throughout his career, Blackburn shared a simple philosophy with the deputies who served under him: “God first, family second, county third.” Those priorities guided his decisions both personally and professionally.

Long before becoming sheriff, Blackburn dedicated two years of service as a missionary in San Bernardino, California. Upon returning home in the early 1980s, he enrolled at then Ricks College. What happened next changed the course of his life.

Interested in learning first aid, he walked into the Emergency Medical Services department and asked about taking a class. The director signed him up for an EMT course.

 “The rest is history,” Blackburn said.

At the time, EMTs in Wyoming were volunteers. Wanting to continue serving in emergency services eventually led him into law enforcement.

“To stay in that field, I put on a badge,” he said.

That badge would become the symbol of a career spanning four decades.

Yet Blackburn’s service extended far beyond law enforcement. For six years he served as bishop of the Cowley First Ward, a calling that allowed him to minister to families and serve his community in a different way.

Never one to miss an opportunity for humor, Blackburn often joked that if you take the first letter of his two major titles — Bishop and Sheriff — you get an acronym that pretty well summarizes his career. Behind the joke lies a lifetime dedicated to helping others.

Many residents of Big Horn County know Sheriff Blackburn from emergency calls, community events or law enforcement interactions. Others know him from a classroom. For 25 years, Blackburn served as a hunter safety instructor, teaching generations of young people the importance of firearm safety, responsibility and ethical hunting practices.

Over the years, thousands of area youth sat through hunter education classes taught by Blackburn. Today, many of those former students are adults, raising families of their own. Teaching hunter safety became another way to invest in the future of the community he loved. Whether serving as an EMT, bishop, hunter safety instructor, deputy or sheriff, Blackburn consistently sought opportunities to help others succeed.

In March 2026, Blackburn received one of the highest honors of his professional career when he was named Sheriff of the Year by the Western States Sheriffs’ Association. The award recognizes excellence in leadership and service among sheriffs throughout the western United States. For Blackburn, the recognition was both humbling and unexpected. 

“There are roughly 1,500 sheriffs west of the Mississippi River,” he said. “To be selected among sheriffs serving places like Los Angeles, Denver, Salt Lake City and so many other large jurisdictions was incredibly humbling.”

For those who know him best, the award reflected what they had witnessed for years — a commitment to professionalism, integrity and service. Yet Blackburn remains quick to redirect attention away from himself and toward the people who helped make his career possible. No sheriff succeeds alone. Every accomplishment rests upon the support of family, dedicated deputies, county employees, community leaders and citizens willing to place their trust in public servants.

Retirement has brought a new title. 

As Blackburn likes to joke, “I retired as sheriff, but I’ve been promoted to marshal.” 

This July, he and Janeen will ride together with their children and family members as he serves as grand marshal of the Cowley Pioneer Day Parade. The honor means a great deal to him because it comes from the community where he chose to build his life. 

“I love the people of Big Horn County,” Blackburn said.

After years spent responding to emergencies, solving problems and serving others, he looks forward to spending more time with family, friends and Janeen while continuing to enjoy the place they call home. He admits there are parts of the job he won’t miss. 

“I’ve been saying I’m not going to miss the circus,” he jokes. Then, with the humor that has carried him through many years of public service, he adds, “But I do miss a few of the monkeys.”

Beneath the laughter is genuine gratitude. Blackburn understands that few people are blessed with the opportunity to spend an entire career serving the communities they love. As he reflects on 40 years of service, he remains thankful for the people who supported him, worked alongside him and trusted him through the years.  

For a boy born in Powell, who once dreamed of raising horses and living in Cowley, life turned out remarkably well. The dream came true. The badge was simply part of the journey.

(Note: This biography is based primarily on personal correspondence and recollections provided by Sheriff Ken Blackburn in June 2026 and is printed in the 2026 Pioneer Day Book.)