Louise Ralston

Louise Ralston, 88, passed away Sunday, March 29, 2020, at Sheridan Manor.

Louise Carmen Ralston was born May 30, 1931, to George and Jane (Elizabeth Campbell) Bartholow. She was raised at Wakeley, a railroad whistle-stop and attended Wakeley School, a rural grade school for eight years, graduating from Sheridan High School in 1949. She was proud to be a native of Sheridan.

Louise married Paul Ross on June 25, 1950. Paul and Louise had three children; Paula, Mack and Lorene; and later two foster children; Bill and Tom Bohm. In 1963, they bought the Ideal Cleaners next to Carroll’s furniture on Main Street. They operated the cleaners until they were divorced in 1968.

Louise married Jack Ralston on November 23, 1968, adding four boys to her family-Jack II, Jerry, Jeff, and Jay. Together and with the help of family and friends, they built and operated Ralston Repair. Louise worked as a steam presser at Tudor Cleaners and at the Trail’s End Motel as a maid. In 1980, Louise and Jack moved to the Big Horn Mountains by Dull Knife Lake and operated Knotslar Timber Co until 1983, cutting posts and poles for ranchers and cutting guard rail posts for the state. Jack and Louise had a lot of good times exploring a lot of old roads and places and looking for gold.

In Louise’s lifetime, she was an active housewife sewing, gardening, and canning and working part-time in the school kitchens. She and Paul took in Bill and Tom Bohm raising them as their own for 5 years. She was a Past Noble Grand in Diamond Rebecca Lodge #5 and a long-time member of the First Christian church. When Tudor Cleaners closed, she and her youngest daughter, Lorene, opened “A Stitch in Time” mending and altering clothing for Sheridan residents and tailoring clothing and making wedding dresses. She retired in 1995. You could find her most mornings holding court with her friends and family at the Cowboy Café or at Perkins.

Louise was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Jack, a brother-Bruce; four sisters-Elsie Black, Alice Zimmershied, Marion Krenzlok, and Marge Bowman; her companion-Ed Husan; her daughter, Lorene Podgornik Hartman; three grandchildren-Travis Ross, Jill Ralston, and Allan Ross; daughter-in-law, Linda Ralston, and her beloved Maine Coon cat-Sir Chat, aka Brat.

She is survived by Paula Lenz, Mack (Joyce) Ross, stepsons-Jack (Andrea) Ralston II, Jerry Ralston, Jeffrey (Yanik) Ralston and Jay (Debbie) Ralston; Bill (Sue) Bohm and Tom (Jerri) Bohm; her son-in-law, Charles “Boogie” Hartman, 14 grandchildren, numerous (in the thousands) great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews who doted on her. She is also survived by her 100 closest friends, all of whom she loved.

A celebration of life will be held at Kane Funeral Home on Saturday, July 18^th at 11:00am with Pastor Doug Goodwin officiating. The family asks that you respect family members and friends with compromised immune systems by wearing a mask. If you do not have your own, a mask will be available at the door.

A celebration of life for Louise Ralston, who passed away March 29, 2020, will be held at Kane Funeral Home on Saturday July 18^th at 11:00am with Pastor Doug Goodwin officiating. A luncheon at Killy’s will be held following the service at 12:30pm.

The family asks that you respect family members and friends with compromised immune systems by wearing a mask. If you do not have your own, a mask will be available at the door.

Online condolences may be written at www.kanefuneral.com.

Kane Funeral Home has been entrusted with local arrangements.