Cloudy, 32° F
(Aug. 23, 2007)
A vigil service will be conducted tonight (Thursday), Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Cody for Ann Ulmer, 97, who died Thursday, Aug. 23 at West Park Hospital in Cody.
She was born Feb. 19, 1910, to John and Margaret Collins in Madison, S.D. Her early childhood days were spent living in a sod house built by her father. She grew up during the horse and buggy days, tending chickens, geese, cows, pigs and horses. After receiving her elementary and high school education, walking to school 4-5 miles each way, she went to college and became a teacher. She rode her horse 15 miles to the South Dakota schoolhouse to teach.
During her time teaching, she attended dances at Dog Ear Lake and met her future husband, George Ulmer. George and Ann were married in 1932 and went on a horse and buggy honeymoon. They settled down farming, gardening, raising animals and started a family. Thirteen children were born to the couple.
In 1955, they moved to Cody. Throughout the years of making a home and raising her children, Ann was employed outside the home as a domestic housekeeper and a nanny for many Cody families. Some of these families included the Alan Simpson family and the Dr. Steitler family. She was also active in the Catholic Altar and Rosary Society, the Eagles Women Auxiliary marching group, the VFW, and was a member of Senior Citizens Inc.
Ann loved gardening, canning, cooking, playing cards, bingo, music, dancing, and her family will remember her singing like an angel. She dearly loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George; daughter, Patricia; and granddaughters, Carrie Ulmer and Chancey Ulmer. She is survived by 12 children, 29 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
Surviving children are: Delores Ulmer, Don (Kamber) Ulmer, Connie Dupuis, Peggy (Gary) Lucus, Roger (Linda) Ulmer, John (Myrna) Ulmer, Mary Carol (John) Steele, Kaye (Jim) O’Mara, Carl (JoAnn) Ulmer, Joan (Kelly) Colvin, Jimmy Ulmer, and Bill Ulmer. Surviving grandchildren are Debbie (Steve) Bowers; Russ (Kim), Todd (Claire), Scott and Elise Ulmer; Ronnie (Pam) Dupuis; Rick (Chris), Mike (Sharon) and Tony (Jennifer) Lucus; Dionne (Jose) Ramirez, Melissa (Mark) Campbell and Tamara Ulmer; Tawna, Cory (JoAnn) and Cody (Kendra) Steele; Katyann and Jimmy IV O’Mara; Cheyenne (Jay) Smith and Cyrus (Megan) Ulmer; Beau (Calico) Colvin; Jessica (Tom) Nekouei, Justan, Dalton, and Dylan Ulmer; Michelle (Mark) Wheriski, Shawn Wright and Kelly Wright.
