Mae Ann Manning

Mae Ann Manning passed away at the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, Wyoming on Saturday December 12, 2015. Mae Ann had been confined to her home this past year due to illness.

A celebration of her life will be held Thursday, December 17, 2015 at 2:00 P.M. at the Wyoming State Fair Grounds, Upper Ag Building with Pastor Echo Klaproth officiating. Interment will be in the Douglas Park Cemetery.

Mae Ann was born September 2, 1932 in Douglas, the daughter of Henry Fredrich "Hank" and Gladys Mae (Sims) Amend. She had a brother, Marvin, and a sister, Mary Amend. Her early years were spent in the oil patch where her father was a driller on some of the first wooden rotary derricks. She attended kindergarten in Lovell, Wyoming. In 1938 Mae Ann's parents purchased the Lost Springs Ranch two miles south of Lost Springs and it became their permanent home.

Mae Ann attended the Lost Springs grade school, graduated from the Manville High School in 1950 and attended Chadron State College.

She lived a full and vibrant life filled with hard work and lots of achievements and joy. Even though she was a rancher's wife her true love was horses.

Mae Ann and Robert Wayne "Bob" Manning were married February 11, 1951 in the Lusk Congregational Church in Lusk, Wyoming. Their son, Alvin Wayne, was born December 11, 1951 and daughter, Debra Ann, was born May 26, 1955.

As a child Mae Ann had always dreamed of living on the Twenty Mile Ranch and raising horses which became a reality when she and Bob were able to purchase it from Mae Ann's grandmother Della Sims in 1952 a year after they were married. During their first years of marriage they lived at Bear Creek, 55 miles north of Douglas on Bob's family's place and after the Twenty Mile purchase, they trailed cows from place to place which would take them a week staying in a sheep wagon with the kids. They later purchased the Bear Creek ranch from Bob's family where they ran sheep. In 2014 the Twenty Mile Ranch was inducted as a Wyoming Centennial Ranch.

Mae Ann belonged to the Woodbine Chapter #18 Eastern Star, Walker Creek Homemakers, CowBelles, Wyoming Stock Growers, Wyoming Wool Growers, Wyoming Pioneer Association, and the Prairie Hills Lusk Community Church.

Mae Ann rarely missed an opportunity to follow all of her family members at any of their activities from sporting events and rodeo. Mae Ann especially enjoyed being a timer at rodeos and team ropings.

One of her highest highlights was sponsoring the Twenty Mile Roping Club Gymkhanas at her home arena for all the youth in the area.

Mae Ann had many passions from attending rodeos, dancing, and she was an avid collector of many fine things such as museum quality turquoise jewelry, antiques, and retired horses.

After Bob's passing she maintained and ran the ranching operation at Twenty Mile and Bear Creek until her health limited her in her last year.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob Manning, on February 12, 2006; parents, Hank Amend on December 18, 1970 and Gladys Amend on May 17, 1963, and brother, Marvin Archie Amend, on July 18, 1970.

Mae Ann is survived by her children Alvie (Billie Ann) Manning and Debra (Bruce) Murray; grandchildren, Ammie Murray, A.W. (Rachel) Manning, and Man Dee (John) Moore; great grand-children, Tessa Mae Manning, Aubrey Manning, PaisLee Moore, and twins Bella Gray Moore and Annie Mae Moore; sister, Mary (Chuck) Engebretsen; sister-in-law, Irene (Bill) Lindmier; numerous nieces and nephews; a host of wonderful friends and numerous other relatives.

Serving as pallbearers will be JV Boldon, Luke Thar, John Ralph Sullivan, Joe Rankin, Chris Hickman, Chad Budd, Todd Wright, and Freddie Thomas.

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Jess Rodgers, Dennis Irwin, Artie Joss, Bob Hageman, Joe Hageman, Jimmy Shepperson, PeeWee Johnson, Chloe Haefele, Jane Irwin, and all of her Twenty Mile Rodeo Club Kids.

Memorials may be given to the Converse County Ranchers Scholarship Fund in care of Converse County Bank, P.O. Box 689, Douglas, Wyoming 82633, the Wyoming Pioneer Association Building Fund, P.O. Box 1313, Douglas, Wyoming 82633 or to the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame, 938 Shoshone, Powell, Wyoming 82435.

The Gorman Funeral Home - Converse Chapel of Douglas, Wyoming is in charge of the arrangements.

Condolences may be sent to the family or at www.gormanfh.com

Images & Attachments

Related/Linked Records