Jean Ostermyer, 76, passed away at her Sheridan home November 28, 2024. She was born January 16, 1948, to Cecil and Dora (DeLapp) Lupton at the Reynolds’ Home in Sheridan. Her birth was quickly followed minutes later by her twin sister, Jaci. She was the eldest of several siblings whom she loved dearly.

Jean grew up on the Lupton place on Ash Creek, which was homesteaded by her grandfather, Frank Lupton. Many of her neighbors and childhood friends growing up were cousins who also lived on Ash Creek, including the Baker and Kester families in particular. 

She was a member of the Ash Creek Mixettes 4-H Club, which first convened in the Lupton home in January 1959. In March 1960, the Ash Creek Mixettes combined with the Tongue River Wranglers to form the Wyotana Grizzly 4-H club. Jean spent the next six years serving in various positions in the club.

She attended Ash Creek School, a one-room schoolhouse, through the sixth grade. She attended junior high at Ranchester High School and attended high school in the new Tongue River High School when it was built in Dayton. In high school, she was active in Pep Club, Future Homemakers of America, French Club, Future Teachers of America, Science Club, and Drama Club. She worked as a staff member on the school newspaper, the Eagle’s Call, as well as the high school yearbook, The Eagle. She was her sophomore class president. Additionally, she was a charter member of the National Honor Society at Tongue River High School. 

Jean graduated from Tongue River High School in 1966 and attended Sheridan College, from where she graduated in 1968. She then attended the University of Wyoming for a year and a half before attending Acme Beauty College in Billings, Montana. She graduated from beauty college in June 1970 and found work in Buffalo, Wyoming, working for Betty Worthington as a beautician at Bertie’s Beauty Shop.

While working at Bertie’s, a client of hers, Sally Ramsbottom, arranged for a blind date between her and Larry Ostermyer, a ranch hand employed by her husband on the Meadowbrook Ranch near Kaycee. Jean and Larry were married September 1, 1972, at the First Presbyterian Church in Sheridan. She wore a short, empire waisted dress of white crepe that she made herself. Her beloved friend, Sandi (Workman) Ziler served as her maid of honor. 

Not long after getting married, the young couple moved north of Sheridan and worked for Bill and Carol Perkins before moving to Piney Creek in 1975, where Larry started working for the Bar Six Bar Ranch, then owned by Texaco. In August, their daughter, Lea was born. Three and a half years later, son Kim joined the family. For the next 27 years, the Ostermyers resided near the waters of Piney Creek. Friends and family celebrated birthdays, holidays, and many haircuts and perms were given to family by Jean along the way. 

In what would open the door to a lifetime of service to her community, Jean joined the Shell Creek Piney Homemakers club on January 14, 1976. While in the club, she served as club president from 1982-1990 and 2005-2010; vice-president from 1978-81 and 1984-85. In 1986, she was chosen as Johnson County’s Outstanding Homemaker. She also served as secretary and treasurer for several years and served on countless committees. She served as an officer on the state level on several occasions. She also helped plan and organize many Homemaker events during her career with the organization. 

On June 12, 2010, The Wyoming Homemakers honored her with the Susan J. Quealy Award for Outstanding Leadership in Homemakers and Cooperative Extension Service. The Quealy awards were established to recognize farm women for their often under appreciated hard work and service to their communities. Since 1946, less than 300 women have been recognized as “Quealies”. As of 2023, only 14 women from Johnson County have the distinction of this honor, many of whom were her colleagues. 

Jean helped organize and acted as the Community Leader for the Kearny Krusaders 4-H Club, and served as the gardening and crocheting leader. She organized and taught crafting lessons at the 4-H Mountain Camp held at Tie Hack west of Buffalo. 

She was a pioneer woman, following in the steps of her grandmothers, and their mothers; she could skin any fur bearing animal with the precision of a surgeon. She was an accomplished hunter and a capable butcher of wild game. She was a self-taught master gardener and managed the family garden on Piney Creek that was 3,000 square feet in size. The garden had several dozen varieties of vegetables and fruits growing each year. While Jean was an accomplished vegetable grower, she was equally capable in cultivating flowers and had an extensive collection of houseplants. She shared her love of gardening while a member of the Story Garden Club.

She was also a tremendous baker, often making cookies for school events for Lea and Kim. Her banana bread was exceptional as were her cinnamon rolls. She also canned extensively, with chokecherry syrup being canned in the summer, and apple butter and apple sauce being made in the fall.

Jean crocheted and made several afghans for the home. She also crocheted doilies and won many awards at the Johnson County Fair for her efforts. She was very supportive of Larry’s hobbies and was instrumental in cataloging and maintaining the records of their railroad date nail collection, which consisted of over 180 railroads and over 12,000 nails. She also helped inventory their considerable barbed wire collection, which consisted of several hundred strands of wire and various tools.

She loved butterflies, the color cobalt blue, watching sports on TV, and enjoyed watching old westerns late into the evening. She was always keen to discuss the politics and goings on at the The Long Branch Saloon and who the bad character was in the most recently watched episode of Gunsmoke. She enjoyed listening to country music, particularly The Statler Brothers, Charley Pride, and Johnny Cash.

She enjoyed playing cards with family and friends, and played cards nearly every week. Card games were always a part of her life, from playing cards with Lea and Kim growing up, to playing with friends and family regularly. Playing Funny Rummy and Bid It with someone else filling her seat at the table will be a reminder of the lack of her presence. Hopefully there are wild cards and jokers in heaven to help with her hands in Funny Rummy.

She served as an election judge for Johnson and Sheridan Counties for several years. She also volunteered for the Johnson County Fair as a judge and helped with various sections of the fair over the years. 

Larry and Jean lived on Piney Creek until Larry retired from Chevron Texaco in 2002 at which time they moved to town and lived in the house they had purchased next to Jean’s parents on North Gould. Following Larry’s death in August 2008, Jean, along with her mother, Dora, and daughter, Lea, completed a trip in October to visit Jamie and Kim and their newborn son, Ander, in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a trip Larry and Jean had intended to make to meet the newest addition to the family, but missed the opportunity to do so with Larry’s passing.

While in Sheridan, Jean worked at McDonald’s and Wal Mart, from where she eventually retired. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, Ander and Coen, and was fortunate enough to see them mature into the wonderful young men they are becoming. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry, parents Cecil and Dora (DeLapp) Lupton, and brothers Marvin and Rex Lupton.

Survivors include her daughter Lea (Kevin) Koenig of Sheridan, son, Kim (Rachel) Ostermyer of Billings, Montana, grandsons Coen and Ander Ostermyer, step-granddaughter, Mahalia Lane, sister Jaci (Walt) Austin of Sheridan, brothers Ray Lupton of Sheridan and Stanley Lupton of Laramie, and her former daughter-in-law, Jamie Ostermyer.

A celebration of life ceremony will be Saturday, June 7, 2024 at 11 a.m. at Kane Funeral Home, with reception to follow. Attendees are encouraged to wear blue.

Friends wishing to make donations in her name are encouraged to support Dementia Friendly Wyoming, 211 Smith St, Sheridan, Wyoming, 82801.

‍

‍