Margaret Esther “Peg” Johnson

Obituary Margaret Esther "Peg" Johnson September 5, 1937 – May 23, 2019 Our sweet wife, mother, grandmother, and friend - Margaret Esther (Peg) Johnson - passed away in Thermopolis, WY in the early morning hours of May 23, 2019 with her husband Bob at her side. While unknowingly ill, Peg fought a fierce battle that surprised us all. Her strength carried her through this battle with grace. Peg was born in Greeley, CO on September 5, 1937 to Gordon and Tony Richardson of Elk Mountain, WY. Peg grew up on the Riverside Ranch in Elk Mountain where she enjoyed many years with her two brothers, Terry and Shorty. As a young girl, Peg was an accomplished seamstress and model in 4-H and Make it Yourself with Wool contest. One year, her talents earned her the honor of being photographed for the cover of a magazine. Among her many adventures, Peg's dad, Gordon, taught her to fly his airplane. The high altitude of Riverside Ranch required that they take off from the hill so they could gather enough "air" for take off. She laughed that she never got her official license because she was afraid of having to go into a "stall." Peg graduated high school in 1955 and then attended the University of Wyoming. She married the love of her life, Robert John (Bob) Johnson on December 27, 1957 during a blinding snowstorm that resulted in the naming of "Bill's Gulch." Bob and Peg were blessed with three children: Jody, John, and Jerry. Bob and Peg traveled with Bob's trucking business until 1968 when they moved back to Elk Mountain to ranch. They moved into the old ranch house on Bob's birthday April 10, 1973 during a spring snowstorm that cost them the loss of a few calves. At that time, there was no barn or corrals to help them calve out 500 plus cows as part of the A-1 operation. They had a good market for their native hay with Bob, Peg, and the kids being the "crew." Peg and Jody swathed many miles of hay as a team. During the school year, Peg drove school bus from Elk Mountain to Hanna and eventually became the transportation coordinator for the Hanna Elk Mountain school system. Peg was one of the hardest working ranch wives in the country, and it really helped keep food on the table. The Elk Mountain area was a good place to raise a family. Bob remembers, "I would bet that I will never know what kind of fun our kids had . . . and it's probably a good thing." Bob and the kids remember many get togethers in the Elk Mountain community and they always enjoyed being a part of them. Peg loved to be around people. She enjoyed life and tried to be the best wife and mother anyone could ask for. Bob says, "We loved each other dearly and I am sure Peg deserved all the parise I gave her, and much more. Our sixty-one years together have produced many memories and I shall dwell on them for the rest of my life." Peg was preceded in death by her parents Gordon and Tony Richardson, her older brother Terry Richardson, and her blessed great granddaughter, Amariah Jayne. Peg is survived by her husband Bob, her daughter Jody (Steve), sons John (Reese) and Jerry (Patty), eleven grandchildren Cynthia (Jake), Shae (Carla), Katie (Zack), Shannon, Lily (Armando), Steven (Jami), Ryan Oline, Amend, Zach (Jessie), Emmett (Aubrey), and Jake (Molly). They were blessed with nineteen great grandchildren with two more on the way. Author Barbara Kingsolver wrote "To live is to be marked. To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know." Joanne Harris wrote, "Life is what you celebrate. All of it. Even its end." Friends and family of Peg Johnson are invited to join Peg's family for a Celebration of Life at the Elk Mountain Elementary School on June 15, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. Help us celebrate Peg's life.