Fred Perino

Fred Augustine Perino passed away April 19, 2021 in Newcastle, Wyoming. Fred was born February 11, 1924, to Northern Italian immigrants Jacento (Matt) and Rosi Monti Perino. He was born at home on the Oil Creek ranch, Weston County, Wyoming. He was the youngest of seven children. He began school in a one room schoolhouse on Oil Creek. He attended Newcastle High School in 1938 and graduated in 1942, the only one of his male siblings to do so. When Fred started school he attended a country school and only spoke Italian. In 1946 Fred attended and graduated the Reisch American School of Auctioneering in Mason City, Iowa. He started auctioneering February 11, 1947 in Sturgis, SD. He then auctioneered at Belle Fourche Livestock, Gillette Livestock, St. Onge Livestock where he was their first auctioneer after opening, and finally Edgemont Livestock. Fred married Mary Ann Pzinski July 11, 1949. They had four children. All of his children graduated Newcastle High School and made their homes in Weston County. Fred has seven grandchildren all of them graduated from Newcastle High School. Fred chose the rural ranch life for his family and retired from ranching in 1982. Fred helped build and the worked at M & M Service Station formerly on the west end of Newcastle. He also worked for the Soil Conservation District and the Weston County Road and Bridge for a time. Fred received schooling to be a real estate salesman adding that to his cache of skills. He also established two new businesses in Newcastle over the years, Fred’s Ranch Supply and F & F Auction working in each for over twenty years. He retired from retail business at the age of 82. Fred made many monetary donations to community organizations while operating these retail businesses in Newcastle.

He began his auctioneer career at several different livestock auction barns and moved on to ranch and other individual auctions. He auctioned in Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota. The ranching auctions were family events and lifestyle. The auction team consisted of Fred, his wife and his children. Fred generously donated his time auctioning for churches, community organizations, events, box socials, and individual charity fund raisers over the years; such as Ducks, Turkey and Elk Foundations, Weston County Library Foundation, Future Farmers of America, 4-H programs, Chamber of Commerce, the Weston County and School District surplus auctions, to name a few; at community dance halls; The Round House, Osage, Skull Creek, Soda Butte and Clareton. Perhaps the biggest community service contribution Fred was known for was as the announcer and auctioneer of the Weston County Junior Livestock Sale. Fred began auctioneering the sale in 1948 and continued to do so for the next 52 years. The one exception is he continued to guest auction with Mark Stenson during the Pinnacle Bank annual Festival of Trees auction.

Fred provided his time and work as a member of several boards in Newcastle. He was on the Children’s Center Head Start board. Fred served on the Soil Conservation District board, PMA, Farm Bureau and Farmer’s Union. He was on the Newcastle Zoning and Planning board for 19 years. He was on the Weston County Senior Center board. In the fall of 2014, Fred was inducted into the Newcastle High School Hall of Fame. On February 11, 2021, Fred turned 97 years of age. He has devoted a major portion of those years to the community of Newcastle and Weston County in one format or another.

Fred is survived by his children; Linda Perino Hunt, James Perino, Sandy Perino Goodwin (Steve), and Marcia Perino Williams (Kenny). Grandchildren; Austin Hunt, Jamie Perino-Van Gilder, Shey Perino Mayland (Dan), Brett Reed (Ashley), Casey Reed (Kellee), Jared Williams (Dianna), Mckenley Williams, Tara Williams, and Jeff Goodwin. Great-Grandchildren; Kailer Mayland, Aylah Mayland, Alaina Reed, Sam Reed, Alex Reed, Maddox Reed, Bruce Hunt, Gus Hunt, Lacey Williams, and Emberley Williams.

Fred was preceded in death by his parents Matt and Rosi Perino, brothers John, Joseph, and Leo Perino, sisters Maria Perino, Bernadine Kudlock, and Dora Tavegie and his wife Mary Ann.

Funeral Service for Fred will be held April 23, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church with interment to follow at Greenwood Cemetery.

Memorials and condolences may be sent in care of Meridian Mortuary 111 S. Railroad Ave. Newcastle, WY 82701. Condolences may also be expressed at meridianmortuary.com