On March 6, 2023, Ron Bohleen, our husband, son, Papa and brother
went to be with the Lord peacefully with his loving family by his side
after a courageous battle with cancer.
Ron was born December 11, 1944 to Arthur B. (Bud) Bohleen, Jr. and
Lorraine Adams Bohleen in Livingston, Montana. He was born the day his
Dad was leaving for WWII. Luckily Bud was authorized to stay home an
additional two weeks. He joined his sister Lois Olmstead.
Ron was raised on the family ranch and at a young age loved horses.
He started packing a rope when he was three years old, roping anything
that got in the way.
Ron went to a one-room schoolhouse at Grannis where there were at
most 26 children and two teachers. He graduated from Clyde Park High
School with a class of 15 in 1963. He won the Montana State High School
Calf Roping Championship and attended the National High School Rodeo in
1962 and 1963 with Montana, bringing home the Team Traveling Trophy for 2
years. He was active in sports but rodeo was his main interest. He was a
member of 4-H and FFA. He competed in the annual 4-H Rodeo and won many
events and was the all-around cowboy many times. Ron loved riding,
working cows, roping, and spending most of his grown-up years with his
Uncle Sonny who was his mentor. He loved working and training horses,
although he never considered himself a horse trainer.
Following graduation, he attended two roping schools at Don
McLaughlin's in Fort Collins, Colorado. He attended Northern Montana
State College and was a member of the rodeo club. He was a member of the
Montana Rodeo Association, winning the Calf Roping Championship by
$300.00 in 1964 and $1.50 in 1965. He was president of the Northern
Rodeo Association where he participated in calf roping, team roping, and
bull dogging.
Ron and Sherri were happily married in Livingston, Montana and
celebrated over 57 plus years together and welcomed two children, Lynnda
Kaye (Pete) Thompson and JR (Beverly) Bohleen.
Ron worked the family ranch until 1989. Then they moved to Cedar
City, Utah where he worked as a horse trainer. This led to teaching the
horsemanship classes at Southern Utah University, becoming the coach for
the college rodeo team and the director of the Rocky Mountain
Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Ron was given the honor of having the
fastest knife in the West for rescuing a calf roper in distress at the
College of Southern Idaho. Ron always enjoyed helping kids and gave
lessons 3 nights a week at the stables. His satisfaction came from not
only watching the students learn to rope but to grow. He was always
there to lend a helping hand.
Ron was also a very skilled artist that made spurs, horseshoe art,
wagon wheel tables, miniature farm equipment, sleighs, chuckwagons,
stagecoaches, sheep wagons, a little horseshoeing box (most proud of)
and more. Truly an Amazing Crafstman.
Ron has been a "Cowboy" all his life and said he was born 100 years
too late. He came to Big Piney to work for the Mickelson Ranch and loved
being back to ranching and riding for the brand. He enjoyed riding for
other ranches and just lending a helping hand. He finally retired on
March 6, 2023.
Ron is survived by his wife Sherri, daughter Lynnda Kaye, son JR,
grandchildren Chancee and KC Norby, Emma and Justin Bohleen, and four
great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents Bud and Lorraine Bohleen and daughter Lorene.
