Jenner Gene Schoening

(April 2, 1931 - Dec. 7, 2013)

Jenner Gene Schoening, 82, of Riverton, died as a result of a massive stroke on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, in Casper.

He was born at home on April 2, 1931, in Genoa, Colo., the fourth of seven children, to William A. and Velma B. (Graves) Schoening. Most of Jenner’s school years were spent in Limon, Colo. His middle school years were spent between Edwards, Avon, and Red Cliff, which at the time were just small country schools where water was carried from streams by the bucketsful and heat was provided with wood stoves. Transportation to and from school was either by horseback when available or on foot, uphill both ways!

By high school, the family had settled back in Limon, where Jenner excelled in all sports. He was named to the first-team all-stars as halfback in football, was an all-conference guard in basketball and represented Limon at conference and state in track.

Jenner graduated from Limon High School in May 1950, and with the United States’ recent involvement in the Korean War, he joined the Navy in December of that year. He served four years on two ships, the USS Norton Sound, the first experimental guided missile ship in the US Navy, and the USS Valley Forge, a 33,000-ton aircraft carrier heading to Korea. In 1954, Jenner was honorably discharged after receiving four ribbons for his service.

After discharge, Jenner attended Denver University, and then transferred to Otero Junior College in LaJunta, Colo., on a football scholarship. Following college, Jenner worked at the Mobil Gas Station in Limon, Colo., and during that time he met Carrol A. Rasmussen. On July 1, 1961, they were married. About nine months later, they moved to Hugo, Colo., where Jenner began operating the Hugo Frontier Service station and bulk gas delivery. In May 1962, they welcomed their firstborn, Joyce. Son Scott followed three years later and a short 18 months later, son William (Bill) was born.

Just 23 days later, Jenner was struck by lightning while out hunting for arrowheads 15 miles east of Hugo. He experienced a broken left eardrum and burns on his chest. Jenner was lucky to have survived, considering the lightning traveled from his left ear, across his chest to melt a keychain on his belt and tarnished the coins in his right pocket, then back across to his left side, just missing bullets in his left pocket, but traveled down his left leg, blowing his left shoe off.

When Jenner regained consciousness, his equilibrium was off, though he was determined to find his shoe and his keys. He managed to crawl to his truck, where he was able to pull himself up to stand on his right foot. His left leg was virtually useless and to shift gears, he had to use his hands to push his left foot down on the clutch. The nurse at the hospital told him later that his blood pressure was zero over zero, however a testament to Jenner’s strong German constitution, he was released a day and a half later.

A few months later, Jenner became a night marshal, still working days at the station. In 1969, the president of First National Bank of Hugo offered Jenner a job, changing the course of Jenner’s career. From 1969-1984, Jenner worked as loan officer and eventually became vice president before  going to work for Citizen’s National Bank of Limon, where he retired as executive vice president.

After retirement from banking in 1991, Jenner and Carrol moved to Riverton, where he worked for the senior citizen’s center as a bus driver and then several years in the Western Gun Shop.

Jenner loved hunting, fishing, arrowhead hunting, golfing with his sons and supporting his kids and grandkids in their various sports’ activities. He helped coach his sons’ Little League baseball team and rarely missed any of his kids’ sporting events.

In recent years, following a stroke in 2003, Jenner was limited in his activities due to problems with his equilibrium. 

Jenner was preceded in death by his parents, his older brothers and their spouses, Bob (Lena), Bill (Betty), Jack (Ree), infant sister, Joyce, and nephew, Micah Sparks.

Jenner is survived by his wife, Carrol, of 52 years, his children: Joyce (Rick) Tillery, Cody, Scott (Nicole), Riverton, and Bill (Krista), Cody; grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Brian (Kory) Tillery and their sons Gabriel and Behr, Florissant, Colo., Brandon (Rebecca) Tillery and their son Stetson, Sheridan, Brett Tillery, Cody, Cameron Schoening, Riverton, Taydon and Tarynn Schoening, Cody.  Jenner is also survived by younger brother, Larry (Barb) Schoening, and younger sister Peggy (Tim) Power, all of Cody, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.  

Services will be held at Ballard Funeral Home in Cody, on Friday, Dec. 13, 2013, at 2 p.m. Viewing will precede the services at 1 p.m. Jenner will be buried in Cody, where his parents and older siblings are all buried. An online memorial is available at www.ballardfh.com