Darryl Theodore Manring

Darryl Theodore Manring, 93, of Lusk, Wyoming died peacefully May 27 at the Kindred Transitional and Rehabilitation Care Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, surrounded by family.

Born August 22, 1920 to Edna (Frances) and Orval Manring in Rapid City, South Dakota, the family settled in Lusk in 1924. At the age of seven, he began piano lessons with Mrs. Otto Koeberlin in Lusk and music became his calling and future profession. He graduated from Lusk High School in 1938. After two years as a music major at Scottsbluff Junior College in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and two years as a teacher in Scottsbluff county, he joined the Navy in 1942, serving in the Pacific Islands during WWII.

After the war, he returned to finish a Bachelor of Music Education degree at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, in 1948, having married Janet Husted of Laramie in December, 1947. The couple moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan where he completed a Master of Music Education degree at the University of Michigan in 1949 and began a 10-year teaching career at Peru State Teachers College in Peru, Nebraska. While living in Peru, their daughters Lesley and Darilyn were born.

From 1959-61, two years of doctoral studies followed at the University of Arizona, Tucson, after which the family moved to Normal, Illinois where Darryl taught music education courses at Illinois State University for 20 years. Following the death of his wife Janet in 1981, he retired from teaching and in 1982 returned to Lusk.

In 1983 he married Ruth Thomas of Lusk. They were active in both St. George's Episcopal and the Lusk Congregational Churches. He was a member of the American Legion, Sons of the American Revolution, retired teachers organizations, and delivered meals for the Niobrara Senior Center. Following in the footsteps of his first piano teacher, Mary Koeberlin, he too was organist for Episcopal Church services for many years. He did extensive work on genealogy of the Manring family, and loved horseback riding and his three horses.

Besides his wife of thirty-one years, Ruth Manring, he is survived by both daughters, Lesley of Wheat Ridge, Colorado and Darilyn of West Redding, Connecticut, sons Donald Thomas and his wife Shirley of Monrovia, Calif., and Larry Thomas of Spokane, Wash.; grandchildren, Dustine Thomas of Texas; David Thomas and wife Jennifer of California; Dan Thomas and his wife Sarah of California; and Anton Borchers and great-grandson Cristian Borchers of Wheat Ridge, Colorado; and Darryl's sister-in-law, Jean L. Hager of Laramie.

A memorial service was held Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. at St. George's Episcopal Church, Lusk, Wyoming. Viewing was held Monday, June 2, 2014 from 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. at Pier Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to Niobrara Senior Center, PO Box 928, Lusk, Wyoming, 82225 or St. George's Episcopal Church, Lusk, Wyoming, 82225.

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