Ted Wiese

It is with great sadness we announce that the world lost an extraordinary man, Ted Wiese, on December 7 due to complications from pneumonia.

We have started this GoFundMe to help with immediate funds for arrangements and a memorial for Ted along with support for long-term Linda.

Clifford Theodore Wiese was born in Fairfield, Iowa on November 15, 1944 and raised in Eagle Lake, Texas. As a child he grew up working the rice fields and playing with his brothers, Riley, Jim and Larry, and sister Dana. Ted was drawn to rodeo at an early age, getting a fake ID before he was 18 years old to be able to ride bulls at a near by arena.

Ted met his future bride, Linda Renfrow, at the Baptist Church in Eagle Lake in the Fall of 1965. He knew from the minute he laid eyes on her that she would be his bride. They were married on September 10, 1966 in the same church where they met. They lived in Eagle Lake where he farmed rice until 1969 when they moved West to Wyoming to work on a ranch. Their adventure in rodeo started with that move. While in Wyoming Ted rode and fought bulls at the Jackson Hole Night Rodeo and they had their first son, Shawn Wiese, in 1970. The 3 of them moved back to Eagle Lake in 1975 to work on the family farm, where Ted got to work alongside his father, Cliff Wiese. Ted and Linda then had their second son, Cory Wiese in 1977 and third, Kyle Wiese in 1979.

In 1984 Ted made the big move to Louisiana to manage a turf farm with the whole family. Their love of rodeo and the lifestyle was only amplified with this move, in both Ted and Linda and the boys and was the catalyst for their future in rodeo ministry. Rockin W Rodeo Ministries had its beginnings, when in 1986, a small round pen and a mean Jersey bull came together for high school rodeo hopefuls to practice their skills. Little did they know that by offering a few bulls at the farm that it would lead to full-blown bible studies twice a week, with buck-outs as the drawing card. After two years and over 60 Baptized in the water trough, Ted and Linda were called to go on the road with their rodeo ministry so they packed up the family and headed west again, they were off and running to the mission field God had been preparing them for. Undaunted and full of the Holy Spirit, they left farms, family and friends for the deserts of Nevada, Arizona and California to minister at high school and college rodeos.

The family finally settled in Central California where Ted continued to preach at rodeos while Linda pursed her culinary degree. This led them to fulfill their dream of The Cowboy Bistro in 1999 where they were able to provide excellent hospitality and minister to cowboys on the PRCA circuit. In 2000, the mobile kitchen was ready to go and eventually got them to the list of events that they desired to feed at. That being the larger rodeos where the most contestants could be reached. Volunteers, friends and committee wives helped get the job done. When Ted was not preaching or leading Bible studies, you could find him at the drink station making his famous sweet tea or in the kitchen making pies, cobblers and ice cream.

After 17 years on the road with the bistro, Ted and Linda retired and settled on their little ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas with their family. While Ted missed being on the road with the cowboys and their families, this allowed him to slow down a little, enjoy time with his grandkids and let he and Linda travel for pleasure. Retirement proved to be too tedious for Ted so in 2017 he started his last ministry driving a school bus and loving on not only his grandkids, but their schoolmates. During this time Ted and Linda were able to travel to their beloved Wyoming during the summers and even spent a few months working in Yellowstone National Park.

While rodeo and ministry were a huge part of Ted’s life, his greatest love was Jesus and his greatest joy was his family. In addition to his beloved wife of 56 years, Ted is survived by his loving children, Shawn & Carolyn Wiese of Fredericksburg, Cory & January Wiese of Dripping Springs and Kyle Wiese of Houston. He was a cherished grandfather of Maddie, Reagan, Ava, Trip, Grady, Jaxon, Gabriel and Gavin and was a great-grandfather to Andre and Xavi.

He was a dear brother to Dana Anderson and his late brothers, Riley, Jim and Larry and brother in law to Robin & Larry Pence, Jean Wiese and Laura Love. He was a favorite uncle to several nieces and nephews.