Lois Herring ascended into the spiritual world on June 10, 2016 at the age of 94. Born in Denver, Colorado on March 13, 1922, she was the youngest of three daughters born to Alvin and Ruby Garrison. Her sisters were Nici and Shirley. She earned her Registered Nurse certification during WWII and became a school nurse for the Long Beach School Unified District circa 1960. During this time she also ran a summer camp for under-privileged girls in the White Mountains of Arizona. After moving to Wyoming in 1972, she worked for many years as nurse at the Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie which is fittingly where she spent her final days in hospice. Lois was a talented and accomplished artist. A print of one of the many paintings she did of the late Centennial Sculptor, Pop Schlotzer, is hanging in the Nici Self Museum in Centennial. The original was burned up in the big fire at The Old Corral decades ago.
On April 19, 1942, Lois married Mont Johnson in Salt Lake City, Utah.
She is survived by her three children from that marriage: Monty Craig Johnson, Dennise Swanson, and Susan Johnson and through them by 8 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. That marriage dissolved in 1968. In 1970, Lois took a 3 month cruise around the southern hemisphere during which she painted the local people and scenery in Cambodia, Thailand, Hong Kong and New Zealand. On that cruise, she also met her 2nd husband, Arthur Ahuna.
They were married on November 20, 1971, and shortly afterwards, moved to Wyoming to make their shared dream of owning a cattle ranch a reality.
They chose the Centennial Valley to be near her sister Nici, who along with her husband Pat Self owned and ran “The Old Corral” for over 40 years. In 1976 they founded the “Ahuna Ranch”, just below Albany, and started raising Murray Grey cattle (an unusual breed for Wyoming). Unfortunately, Arthur died in 1980 and Lois was on her own until 1984 when she met George Herring.
Lois and George were married on October 19, 1984. Together they ran the
Ahuna-Herring ranch quite successfully for over 20 years. Due to her failing health, they sold the ranch and moved to West Laramie in 2006, where she was cared for by George until her passing.
Lois’s life will be celebrated and remembered on Saturday July 30 at 11am at the Bear Tree Café in Centennial Wyoming. www.beartreetavernandcafe.com
I am so glad that my kids (two of the 18 great-grandchildren of Lois) got to meet Lois on a Thanksgiving trip to Wyoming. We were fortunate to see her painting of Winnie the Pooh in the Centennial Public Library and we were able to see the Ahuna ranch. Lois led an adventurous life and I hope that her adventurous spirit will live on in my children. My 11 year old daughter, Julianna Dennise, enjoyed reading the summation of Lois's life. My condolences to all the family and friends of this amazing woman.