H. Ramona Niland

Quite a few years ago, the family had a very dear friend that passed and Ramona loved his obit! He wrote it himself. She said she wanted to do the samie thing…so the past few years she was asked to write own things so we knew what to say. This is in Ramona’s own words:

I was born in Federal, Wyoming on June 4, 1931 to King and Marie Merritt. A dad who set out on his own to become a self-made cowboy from Georgia. He found his heart and soul in Wyoming with his wife, Marie (who was raised on the Smith ranch north of Cheyenne along Horse Creek. She was the steady rock and the backbone to our family. I am the last of 6 kids, Dan (Sonny), Orlene (Sis), James (Hyde), Horace (Cotton), and Virginia (Ginger).

I muddled through school, attempted college at UW, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Born and raised a cowgirl I did my best to accelerate in the western world. I was proud to be raised as a native of Wyoming. I competed and accomplished much as a young cowgirl in showing my daddy’s quarter horses along with jockeying racehorses, roping calves, tying down steers, hazing for a lot of cowboys, even becoming Wyoming Barrel Racing Association President, which surprised a lot of people especially me.

I married John Dalton, whom I had 5 children all born in the 50’s. I worked at Little America Resort for 18 years and developed a lifetime of loyal friends.

Most of all…my love for Wyoming, my second husband, John Niland, for my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren was by biggest most enjoyable accomplishment of all. Nothing makes me happier than to be home and watch my grandkids grow.

There are things I might have done differently, but all in all I had a pretty good run! I got to live my whole life in Wyoming, hard to beat that. I had a remarkable mom, dad, brothers, and sisters. My devoted kids, Dan, Jock, Jon J., Tracey, and Melanie; my four cool stepchildren, Laura, Colleen, Nell Ann, and Bill; many neat cousins; oodles of awesome nieces and nephews, lots of friends, lots of great horses beneath me; and some neat cats and lots of special dogs.

I don’t want a funeral. Never liked them and I think I’ll skip this one. Do not grieve for me for I am in a peaceful, better place. In saying goodbye, you can say hello as well, a different relationship, never to leave again. Like the sun, only when you set in the west can you rise in the east.

My family knows to just scatter my ashes with my sheep herder husband by our cabin that sits at the great divide in the Wyoming Wind….

Happy Trails,

Ramona