Jerry Lanchbury was born in Park County at the Powell hospital in Wyoming November 9, 1930. He spent the first 5 years of his life out on the Eagles Nest Stage stop which his Grandparents Thomas and Emma Lanchbury had started in the later 1800s.
There he was influenced by his Uncle Sam Lanchbury who was an expert horseman that raised and trained horses for the Calgary. Legend is Sam could run beside a mustang and jump on him and ride him to the ground. When Jerry turned 5 his father John and mother Lora along with his little brother Don moved to the family homestead out in cotton creek 10 miles north of Cody, the Lanchbury Ranch.
Jerry and Don grew up working hard cowboying and working chores on the ranch. Feeding cattle, fixing fence, branding, and taking care of all the critters. The family lived in a one room cabin with a fresh spring right outside the door for water a beautiful spring lake and an outhouse on the hillside. There were a plethora of critters from bobcats, coyotes, badgers, pack- rats, muskrats, magpies, and owls as well as bears. Both Jerry and Don were excellent shots and hunting with their dad at very young ages. They rode the bus to school and Jerry graduated from Cody High School in the class of 49. His classmates still keep in touch today. One of them being our famous former Senator Alan Simpson.
Jerry spent his coming to age and young adult years working on ranches, rodeoing, and outfitting. He worked on Glenn Neilsen’s ranch north of Cody and was drug a mile after getting hung up at the age of 16. He was flown to Denver and they put a plate in his head. He worked for outfitters Merle Fales and Sterling Spieglberg. He traveled and guided many a ride and exposition through the thoroughfare into Yellowstone. A couple of those trips he was guiding the Country crooner Ray Price. He guided and outfitted with Mel Stonehouse, and many wonderful cowboys for most of his 20’s. In 1954 Jerry along with the Spieglberg outfitters hulled all the equipment and materials into the Thoroughfare to build the Ranger Station Thoroughfare Cabin. There are photographs of Jerry and Dean Spieglberg lifting bags of cement off there horses on this ride at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody. Jerry was 24 for years old.
Through his early 20’s Jerry rode the circuit with his best friend, World Champion Enoch Walker. They traveled all over and had many rodeo friends all over the country. Jerry especially loved learning poetry at this time with the Canadian Cowboys who could recite books of poems.
Jerry eventually met and married Barbara Baston (Spieglbergs niece) at 28 and they had five kids. He still worked the ranch with his brother Don and they raised their nine kids together. Jerry was a master farrier and shoed horses as an extra income until he was trampled by a horse at the age of 84. He worked for WyDot for 23 years and shoed horses every night and weekends to support his family. He taught farrier classes for NWCC through the 80’s and 90’s. Jerry’s true passion has always been to give back. He taught many a kid to ride and shoe a horse. To travel the backcountry and become a true kind human in life and nature.
In the 70’s Jerry had a boy scout troop with leaders Dr. John Bluher, Alan Simpson,and Gary Smith. These amazing leaders led a troop of over 20 boy scouts over the 50 mile hike from Pahaska Tepee to Lee City in Sunlight. This event made such an impression on these young men’s lives they all became very successful as citizens and professionals. It was a confidence they all learned from surviving a true adventure of the cowboys way.
In Jerry’s later years it has been his true mission to minister to those less fortunate than him. He had a cowboy ministry through the 90’s and early 2000s out at the Cody night rodeo grounds. Jerry and his wife Barbara started a christian ministry at the long term care center in Cody and a bible study at the assisted living. Jerry also ministered and had a bible study at the Cody Jail. He has done many funerals for old cowboy friends who’s church was the mountains and minister was the tests they endured.
Jerry also heads up and finds bell ringers every Christmas season for the Cody Salvation Army. Jerry is and was a Wyoming Cowboy to the very epitome of the name. He followed naturally the true cowboy way. he was practically born on a horse. He loves all people and has a real drawn nature to all animals. Animals of all kinds know his nature and love him. All ages of people are in love with Jerry and his beautiful cowboy heart. He is the real deal still caring for animals and people of the West. One of the few still alive.