GRVC’s ‘Heart of the Herd’ celebrates 57 years
Marsha Barlow is 2026 Ranch Woman of the Year
by Joy Ufford
March 15, 2026
Several years ago, members of the Green River Valley Cowbelles/Cattlewomen (GRVC) decided it was time to move their annual meeting, committee reports and awards luncheon to the weekend before the cattlemen’s meetings and banquet.
The change gives them more time to highlight their own achievements – especially with many women also members of the Green River Valley Cattlemen’s Association. Trying to accommodate both on the same day as in the past meant that they missed out on hearing from neighbors and special guests making presentations.
This year, the Green River Valley Cattlewomen met at Rendezvous Pointe in Pinedale for their "Heart of the Herd" event, with President Haley Clark welcoming local ranch women of all ages, from 7 months to 93 years old.
Treasurer Terrie Springman reviewed income and expenses for all of the GRVC’s fundraising projects – the Chuckwagon Days July 4 Parade, the "Brand Quilt," craft nights and gift sales at holiday bazaars, the Green River Rendezvous and the Sublette County Fair.
On July 4, 2025, Ranch Woman of the Year Susan Hoffman was squired through Big Piney in a decorated Little Jennie Ranch wagon with foreman Parker Greenwood driving the draft-horse team.
Guest speaker Trevor Erickson gave every female a morale boost by reminding them that the family ranch runs much better with their support, hard work and experiences.
This year’s GRVC Brand Quilt, 90 by 90 inches, holds 181 brands. Ranch families can participate for $5 per brand and the quilt brings memories as raffle ticket buyers lined up. A decision to offer a brand’s eternal presence every year for $50 per brand raised more than $3,000 over the past year. The winning ticket, bought by Kenny Mooro of Big Piney, was drawn on March 7 at the GRVCA banquet.
Awards
The highlight of the luncheon – after a meal of beef filet tips and mushrooms in rich gravy –would be the honors bestowed on significant GRVC members.
Mary "Mickey" Thoman was surrounded by family as daughter Kristy Wardell related her many achievements in every aspect of agriculture and horsemanship. She was honored as a Lifetime Member.
Marsha Barlow was stunned to hear the story of her ranch life unfold as Ranch Woman of the Year. Nominated by Terrie Springman and Kailey Barlow, she received flowers, a gift basket and a study steel ranch scene silhouette.
Another prestigious honor is the Friend of Agriclture award, which was awarded this year to author, historian and rancher Jonita Sommers of Pinedale. Sommers received her honors at the GRVCA banquet on March 7.
Fair-ly busy
The GRV Cattlewomen are always looking for ways to educate the public about beef – one anticipated annual event is their Philly Cheesesteak Luncheon at the Sublette County Fair. As soon as the grills are set up, the line begins to form. It’s so popular that a nearby food vendor quits selling the sandwiches to support their cause.
Another successful project was making Buyers Baskets that Sublette 4-H and FFA youth showing livestock could gift buyers at the fair’s Junior Livestock Sale.
GRVC members get together for fun family craft nights, resulting in handmade items to sell with the regular merchandise of "brand napkins," glad rags, coffee mugs, cards, caps, T-shirts and tote bags, cookbooks and whatever else their logo might fit on. They are sold at local arts-craft and holiday shows and at the Fair itself.
After both beef groups supported a new Sublette Bred & Raised class for market beef at the fair, they then created a new category with breeding-quality heifers donated by local ranchers. The goal is to highlight the heifers in one class and then show new cow-calf pairs the following summer.
The Sublette Select Cow Program offers cash prizes, including $500 donated by GRVC. Last summer, the show boasted four pairs and seven replacement heifers with $2,100 paid out. So far, 4-Herswill show five pairs and seven replacement heifers – the "Heart of the Herd."
Officers old and new
With several officers moving away, President Haley Clark had agreed to add one more year to her two-year term, and Treasurer Terrie Springman volunteered as historian. After working out how to offset some alternating terms, Vice-President Samantha Wardell agreed to tackle her own three-year term.
With the Vice-President’s chair now empty, Kristy Wardell volunteered to take on that role as a mentor, most recently serving as President of the Green River Cattlemen’s Association and Walden Campbell moving up to leadership. Both Wardells – Samantha is married to Kristy’s son Rex – were unanimously elected.
Treasurer Springman and Secretary Marsha Barlow were re-nominated to their longtime offices. Newcomer Tracy Neidig introduced herself as a candidate interested in the historian position; she was also elected and all sworn in by Clark.
Joy Ufford will take over Clark’s earlier commitment to report news to the Wyoming Cattlewomen for its quarterly newsletter.
Other
Attendees talked about ways to increase GRVC’s public exposure and membership. Ideas ranged from creative how-to and homemaker in-person and virtual workshops, beef cook-offs and more social media presence.
For updates, current events and contact information, visit the Green River Valley Cattlewomen’s Facebook page. Visitors, friends, families and new members are always welcome!
The GRVC meets next on Monday, June 8, 2026, at 6 p.m. with a potluck dinner at the Old Daniel School House in Daniel, Wyoming.
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GREEN RIVER VALLEY CATTLEWOMEN
LIFETIME MEMBER 2026
MARY A. (MICKEY) THOMAN
The Wyoming cowboy lifestyle and riding horses have been a way of life for 92+ years. The family operation has been in business since 1900 spanning six generations. They raise fine-wool Rambouillet sheep, a uniform herd of Hereford cattle, and spirited Thoroughbred-Quarter horses. In 1948, she married William J. Thoman and raised seven children (two have since passed on).
In 1957, Mickey and Bill established the one-room Thoman Ranch School. She was among the 33 original founding members of the Green River Valley Cowbelles/Cattlewomen. She was honored to receive the 2014 Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame award sponsored by the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.
4-H has been an integral part of Mickey’s life as a continuous leader for 65 years in 2026. She has attended every fair as a volunteer, supporter, donor, or past horse show secretary and clerk from 1950-2022. Unfortunately, she suffered two strokes, with the last one being two days before her 93rd birthday in October of 2022, leaving her in a wheelchair. Her 4-H involvement started with the Ghost Riders Horse Club in 1961 and later branched off to a lone star club called Green River Riders. Mickey has served on the Sweetwater County 4-H Foundation Leaders Council as an officer, on the 4-H horse committee, and on the State 4-H Leaders Council. Over the years she has led horse, beef, sheep, wool, leather craft, photography, and dog projects. She firmly believes that 4-H is largely responsible for the success and ambition of her children. She has been an active part of 4-H and avid supporter to all things 4-H.
In 2021, Mickey received the Sweetwater County 4-H Horse Lifetime Volunteer award. In 2018, Mickey was honored as an inductee in the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame. She was the Overland Stage Stampede Rodeo grand marshal in 2019. During the Wyoming State Fair in August of 2020, Mickey received the Heart of Ag award from the University of Wyoming Extension. A former rodeo queen, she held the title of "Days of ’47" in 1947 in Kemmerer. Mickey and her late husband, Bill, received the Sweetwater County Ranch Couple of the Year award in 1988 and the Green River Valley Cattlemen’s Lifetime honorary member award in 1997. Mickey was honored with the Green River Valley Ranch Woman of the Year award in2012 by the Green River Valley Cowbelles/Cattlewomen.
The love of agriculture, a strong work ethic, and traditional values have been instilled in her children with 4-H playing a big part in that. Mickey says, "The secret to raising kids is to work with them and do things together."
A cowgirl, role model, a mentor, and a genuine leader, Mary A. "Mickey" Thoman is a Wyoming cowgirl straight out of Western folklore. While life has not always been easy, agriculture and ranching is in her blood and she has faced tough elements produced by both Mother Nature and Uncle Sam. Her grit, determination, love, and commitment to her family and ranching have overshadowed everything else.
With great honor I am proud to nominate Micky Thoman for the 2026 Lifetime Membership of the Green River Valley Cattlewomen.
Respectfully:
Loving daughter Kristy Wardell and loving granddaughter
Samantha Wardell
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GREEN RIVER VALLEY CATTLEWOMEN
RANCH WOMAN OF THE YEAR 2026
MARSHA BARLOW
Born and raised on a ranch in Big Piney, this nominee for Ranch Woman of the Year has spent her entire life dedicated to ranching in the Green River Valley. As a child, she loved working with cattle and horses. When not helping on the ranch, she enjoyed school, sports, and rodeo.
For nearly 20 years she worked as the secretary at Big Piney Elementary, forming bonds with kids and teachers in the community and excitedly telling them about her latest ranching adventures, cute calves, and exposing them to the realities of ranch life. During that time, she also volunteered with MESA Therapeutic Horsemanship and was a 4-H leader and volunteer. She still continues to help with the Junior Livestock Sale every year. She also became involved with the Green River Valley Cattlewomen/Cowbelles and has committed countless hours to the success of the organization. In addition to holding offices in the organization, she has also served on many sub-committees. Her largest dedication to the Cattlewomen though, has been her dedication to making the quilt each year. She spends hundreds of hours each year to help plan the pattern, cut material, appliqué brands, sew blocks together, and get the quilt sent to a quilter before its grand appearance during the summer. She contributes to the financial success of the group as she works the many booths the Cattlewomen have during the year, selling quilt tickets, merchandise, and sharing information about the group. She happily transports friends to the Cattlewomen meetings that may not attend if not for her gracious offers.
Over the past 10 years or so, she has stepped into a more vital role on the ranch as her and her husband have taken over the daily ranching duties and care of the cattle. She finds joy in bumping around on a tractor in the spring dragging meadows, watching the newborn calves, and getting to spend summers and falls visiting the Mountain Home, as there is haying to be done and cows to be worked.
Not only that, she has been a strong supporter of her daughters as they have both become involved in the cattle industry themselves, each owning their own cows and forging their way into an industry they grew up to love too. She shares the hard times with them and supports and recognizes their achievements with them. She loves spending time with her three grandchildren and sharing ranch life with them too, even if it makes for a long day in the corral keeping a toddler happy while keeping the cows moving. A lot of our family text messages revolve around cattle and we are all proud to have been raised on a Centennial Ranch in Sublette County.
For these reasons, and many more, it is an honor to nominate a seventh-generation rancher in the Green River Valley, my mom, Marsha Barlow, as the 2026 Ranch Woman of the Year. Respectfully nominated,
Kailey Barlow
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GREEN RIVER VALLEY CATTLEWOMEN
FRIEND OF AGRICULTURE 2026
JONITA SOMMERS
To Friend of Ag Nomination Committee:
"So much of our future lies in preserving our past" was quoted by Peter Westbrook. The preservation of Sublette County's history, and that of the surrounding areas, owes much to the diligent efforts of several individuals, particularly one noteworthy individual. Growing up on a ranch in Sublette County, she not only embraced the ranching lifestyle, but also history and education.
In 1994, she authored a comprehensive history of the Green River Drift, which was subsequently recognized with the Outstanding Publication Award from the Wyoming State Historical Society just a year later. This led her to assist in the editing of various publications, ranging from cookbooks to local historical texts. Additionally, she has conducted extensive research and authored multiple histories for exhibits at the Green River Valley Museum. Her work has garnered recognition in both local, regional, and national publications, including Western Horseman. Over the years, she has continued to write and publish articles and books, culminating in the 2021 release of Homesteading and Ranching in the Upper Green River Valley, which received both the Outstanding Publication Award from the Wyoming State Historical Society and an Independent Publisher Book Award. Her unwavering commitment to documenting the history of our communities will undoubtedly leave an enduring legacy for future generations.
As an educator, she contributed to the History Day program for over 25 years, significantly enriching the knowledge of many students in our community about agricultural history and their family ranches. She dedicated countless hours to assisting students in conducting research, performing interviews, and preparing their presentations for competitions. Many of her students went on to compete at both state and national levels, showcasing their work and the history of agriculture in Sublette County.
Her extensive service on various boards and committees has had a profound impact. She has been an active member of the Sublette County Historical Society Board, the Green River Valley Museum Board, the Sublette County Historic Preservation Board, the Green River Valley Cattlewomen, and more. Notably, she played a pivotal role in getting the Sommers Ranch and Green River Drift Trail on the National Historic Register. Alongside her brother Albert, she generously donated the old homestead buildings of the Sommers Ranch to the Sublette County Historical Society and contributed to their renovation, leading to the establishment of the Sommers Homestead Living History Museum.
Given her tireless dedication to preserving the history of Sublette County, we enthusiastically submit this nomination for Jonita Sommers as the 2026 Friend of Agriculture.
Respectfully submitted,
Kailey Barlow, Marsha Barlow, Terrie Springman
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