Louis Robert Rankine was born June 6, 1949 in Worland Wyoming to John and Elaine Rankine as the power was being turned on to the Ranch on Gooseberry Creek. He went to grade school and junior high in Grass Creek Wyoming. After graduation from Thermopolis High School and Casper College he married Marsha Sutherland in Worland Wyoming on December 29, 1969.
Louis and Marsha were divorced in the late 70’s. Louis later married Ann Greer from Modesto California October 9, 1981. Together while ranching on Grass Creek they raised World and National known Jack’s making several trips to the Rose Bowl parade. They continued raising the Best Asses in Wyoming selling semen from Washington State to Texas till the late 1980’s.
When Louis returned to the Big Horn Basin in 1977 he leased the Kellogg ranch on Grass Creek. Running a herd of 200 to 250 head of Hereford cows. The Kellogg ranch was a life experience of moving cows by horseback from pasture to pasture throughout the seasons. His best help was his son and his dogs.
Louis Rankine has been very active in the Big Horn Basin taking care of the ranch moving the Rankine Brothers livestock from Spring range on Blue Ridge to Prospect Creek, sometime as many as 700 pairs at a time, and helping at neighbors’ brandings and weaning’s during summer and fall ranching operations. He was very well known for starting at 3 or 4 in the morning and waiting an hour or two for daylight to begin the day, but he was never late.
Louis Rankine and his dad John donated their time to, build an addition onto the Worland Sales ring in 1969 and 1970, all while taking care of the Livestock operations on the Gooseberry Ranch. Louis served as Secretary Treasurer for the Northern Big Horn Feeder Cattle Association for twenty years, working long hours on horseback sorting cattle and shipping livestock out of the Feeder sales at the Worland Livestock Auction. He was one of the last to load rail cars out of the Auction yards.
After the sale of Rankine Brothers Inc. Ranch. Louis and Ann bought the Gibbs feedlot in Neiber, Wyoming, where they feed over 6,000 head of cattle a year for local ranches. Louis is still in the saddle taking care of a small heard of his own livestock, along with taking care of Livestock for absentee owners who live out of area.