Stanley “Henry” Pennoyer

Born Aug. 15, 1918 on the family sheep ranch in Crowheart, Wyoming, he was the son of George and Maud Pennoyer. He attended schools in Crowheart and Lander.

As a young man he worked on the family ranch and other dude ranches in the Dubois area. One of his greatest memories was being able to travel with his dad to British Columbia. His dad, General Manager of the Rocky Mountain Cattle Company, helped financially back the first cattle company in the new untamed frontier of British Columbia. In 1939, at the age of 21, he struck out on his saddle horse with a pack horse and a few head of cattle from Crowheart Wyoming, crossing Blonde Pass to the North Fork of Owl Creek in Hot Springs County. He worked as a cowboy in the area until he leased, then later bought, the Beaver Place from Dell Beaver. He briefly served stateside in the military in the Cavalry Division, honorably discharged in 1945.

In 1949 he met his future bride, a school teacher Eva LaVonne Waln of Ten Sleep. She was teaching school at the Anchor School at the upper end Owl Creek. It was said that he would occasionally find a reason to stop by the schoolhouse and visit with that nice young teacher! Stanley and LaVonne married Sept. 16, 1950 in Worland and continued ranching on Owl Creek. He achieved his dream of owning his own ranch by purchasing what is now the main part of the ranch from the Anderson family. Growing his herd with each piece of property he bought, he was living the life he had dreamed of when he left home. Stanley loved Herefords, their temperament, motherly instincts, productivity and their coloring. He ran Herefords for most of his life until the market was turning more to Angus, then he selectively ran a mixed herd of Hereford, Angus and F1 crosses.

Although later in life his son, Arnold, took over most of the day to day running of the ranch Stanley would always voice his opinion and usually end up with the final word. Even when he no longer would make the day long trail rides he would bring up the rear with the truck and trailer. Some of those times were also spent with his only granddaughter, Jessie. When she was too young to ride she would be with him in the truck. He would try to teach her all about ranching and riding horses. Stanley took great pride in the fact that Jessie wanted to be a fourth-generation rancher.

Even into his late eighties Stanley would spend weeks at a time up in the mountains at cow camp. He would saddle up his trusty steed and ride among the cows to make sure they were all happy and healthy.

Anyone that ever-met Stanley could appreciate all the stories he would tell. Some stories would be of his younger days recounting tales of moving cows in the dead of winter and having to stop and build a fire in the sagebrush just to warm his hands for a bit or when several of the area cowboys would get together and share a drink or two, or three! The saying “A stranger is just a friend I haven’t met yet” sums up Stanley’s social life, he loved talking and visiting with people.

In the early 1950s Stanley and LaVonne started a family-operated big game outfitting business, Pennoyer Outfitting, which they later turned over to their son. Stanley loved hunting and over the years took many hunters out to hunt antelope, deer, elk, moose and bighorn sheep.

Stanley was one of the original founding members of the Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association and Cody Country Outfitters. He was a past member of the Eagles and a lifetime member of BPOE Lodge #1746 (Thermopolis) and #1611 (Cody). For over 30 years he served on the Hot Springs County Rural Electric Association. He also served as a Director on the Northern Big Horn Basin Cattle Feeder Association for many years. He lived for the outdoors, hunting, fishing and the cowboy life, enjoying it with family and friends.