Park County lost two major figures in its hunting and religious communities Thursday with the unexpected deaths of Cody Bible Church senior pastor Jeff McKearney and Steven Webelow, a well-known local taxidermist and hunter.
County Coroner Cody Gortmaker confirmed to Cowboy State Daily that the two men found deceased in an RV parked in a campground in the North Fork were Powell resident Werbelow and McKearney of Cody. Werbelow was a well-known figure in the hunting and taxidermy world, while McKearney was the senior pastor at Cody Bible Church.
They were found at the Eagle Creek Campground, which is located near the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park and about 45 miles west of Cody.
There is no foul play suspected in their deaths at this time, and it’s suspected that they died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, Gortmaker said.
He also said their deaths are still under investigation.
Gortmaker said the pair were found dead Thursday afternoon but likely died Wednesday night. Emergency crews, including the Park County Sheriff’s Office, Park County Fire District and Cody Regional Health, responded to the scene Thursday afternoon.
Who Were They?
Cowboy State Daily outdoors reporter Mark Heinz considered Werbelow a personal friend, and said he was a major figure in the taxidermy industry throughout the Rocky Mountain region and was considered a master of his craft.
“He was a living legend in the taxidermy world,” Heinz said. “He was extremely talented at taxidermy and probably one of the best outdoorsmen I knew. He was just a great all-around guy and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”
Werbelow, who recently retired, shared his taxidermy knowledge in multiple stories for Cowboy State Daily. In 2010, he received an Artisan Award from the Wyoming Association of Taxidermy Artists and in 2019, a Best In Show from the National Taxidermists Association for his mount of a whitetail deer.
He leaves children and grandchildren.
According to his LinkedIn page, McKearney became the senior pastor at Cody Bible Church in February 2023. The Bible Church declined to immediately comment on his death when contacted by Cowboy State Daily on Friday.
McKearney served as the executive pastor at Grand Isle Evangelical Free Church in Nebraska from 2017-2023. Prior to that, he was the pastor at Cornerstone Community Fellowship in Powell for 15 years.
He leaves behind a wife, children and grandchildren.
