Barbara Herring

Barbara Lanessie Fischer was born July 18, 1919, in Nebraska City, NE, the daughter of Roy H. and Lessie Stuart Fischer. She attended school there and was graduated as valedictorian of her class at age 16. Perky and vivacious, she was involved in most high school organizations and her class, serving as president of "some organization or another," according to a write-up in her school newspaper at the time of her graduation. Her primary talent and interest, however, lay in the performance arts. She made her high school stage debut in "The Blue Tea Pot" and was involved in many other theater productions. She played drums in the school band. She was chosen by the Daughters of the American Revolution for the Ruth Bryan Owen Good Citizenship Award and was a member of the National Honor Society. Following her graduation, she took her citizenship a step further when she went to Washington, D. C., to work in the office of Naval Intelligence and for the secretary of the U.S. Postal Service. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 she saw a greater need. She joined the WAVES, a World War II all-woman division of the U.S. Navy that organized in 1942. She was with the first contingent of WAVES to see duty outside the continental United States, when she was posted to Pearl Harbor. After her enlistment on Jan. 7, 1944, she attained rank of Yeoman Second Class, serving two years until her discharge at Pearl Harbor in March 1946. While at Pearl Harbor she met Harry Robert "Bob" Herring, who also served his country in the Navy. They were married March 9, 1946, and this required her to leave the WAVES. They had one son, Robert J., and the family became Bob, Bobbie, and Little Bob. Following their service to the country, the Herrings returned to Encampment, where Bob had been born and still had a large family. There she had a position with the Encampment Post Office. Moving to Colorado she returned to work in federal service, including a stint with the Regional Office of the U.S. Post Office in Denver. In 1965, they returned to Encampment where they owned the Sugar Bowl, operating it as a soda fountain, game center for young people, and general merchandise store. During this period the woman known as Aunt Bobbie to a legion of nieces and nephews, became Aunt Bobbie to a much wider group of young people in the town. After ten years, the Herrings sold the Sugar Bowl. They spent one year living in Bairoil running The Store, before returning to their Encampment home and spending summers living in Hog Park, running the cow camp for the Vyvey-VX, Saulcy, and Munroe-X7 Ranches. Always interested in performing and music, she could play most instruments particularly the organ and piano, and for a Sagebrush Senior Center musical group she even played the bird. She was often the accompanist for the Grand Encampment Opera Company melodramas. Along with her husband and son, Mrs. Herring was a charter member of VFW Post 6125 in Encampment, serving as post quartermaster for six years, as secretary, and then as commander in 1991-92. To recognize their service, she and Bob took part in an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. She was a Past Worthy Matron of the Order of Eastern Star Lodge No. 17. She had been involved in many other organizations including Sunshine Rebekahs and enjoyed sharing stories of the military as a volunteer at the Grand Encampment Museum Living History days. She served on the Carbon County Senior Services Board and was involved in developing and building the centers. She is survived by her husband, Bob and son Robert J. (Rosalyn), of Encampment; granddaughters Lenessa Keehn (Josh) of Deadwood, SD; Ramona Quick (Donnie), and Rachel Shepherd (Anthony) both of Craig, CO; and Kendra Uken (Rich) of Aunsbach, Germany; and eight great-grandchildren, Abigail and Allison Keehn, Cayman and Deklen Shepherd, Sharon and Donnie Joe Quick, and Trevor and Wyatt Uken and baby girl Uken coming soon. She is also survived by a large extended family including many sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, and one brother, Edward Fischer. Memorials may be made to the Encampment Senior Center, Encampment Presbyterian Church, Grand Encampment Museum, or Grandma's Cabin.

Service

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 10:30am

Encampment Presbyterian Church

918 Rankin Ave.

ENCAMPMENT, WY