Donald Leroy Ranes was born to Francis Lafayette Ranes and Mary Elizbeth (Perry) Ranes on November 12th 1943 in Fort Benton Montana. Don was the youngest son and the second youngest of 14 children (a set of twins died at birth). Growing up on the Montana Highline, first on a ranch and later in very small towns, came with it challenges in the 1940’s and 50’s. Don remembered how bitter cold it would get and that at night you could hear the train from 30 miles away. There was also plenty of mischief to get into as he recalled that he and his sister came up with a brilliant idea of differentiating which chickens belonged to who by painting them. (The chickens started molting).

Later Don joined the Army where he was shipped overseas and was stationed in post war Germany, where he often received assignments at the famous ‘Check-point-Charlie’. He recalled how odd it was to see American and West German soldiers with tanks and guns facing East German soldiers with tanks and guns while men built a wall between them.

After being discharged from the Army, Don moved to Arizona where his sister Judy lived. Here would be the beginnings of two major things that would shape the rest of his life. He started his Electrical apprenticeship in the gold mines of Kingman Arizona. He would spend the rest of his working life in the electrical industry. The second life changing thing in Don’s life was also at the gold mine. Here he met a coworker that stood out as different than the other employees. This man was very respectful, clean cut, and had a different demeanor than the other coworkers. Don later found out that this man was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This man shared things from the Bible with Don that he had never heard before, and thus seeds of Kingdom truth were planted.

In the mid 1970’s Don moved to Wyoming. Here he would eventually begin studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Don dedicated his life to Jehovah God and got baptized on November 15, 1975 in a rather unconventionally way. As he was working as an electrician for the school district, he had access to school property. When he decided to get baptized, he called up Dallas Swisher and told him he wanted to be baptized that very day. Don was baptized in the NCHS pool. Later Don revealed that he didn’t know that you typically wait for an assembly or convention to get baptized until after the fact.

On December 12th 1975 Donald married Nancy (Potter) Oler. They remained married for 40 years until her passing in 2016. Together they had two children Ryan Donald Ranes born November 5th 1978 and Tiffany Dawn (Ranes) Thomas born January 18th 1981.

With ‘boom or bust’ economy of Casper, Don would move his family trying to find work. They moved to Fairbanks Alaska as well as Lancaster California and Columbia Falls Montana, but they always returned to Casper as it was home. Don would for a time own and run his own electrical contracting business, but eventually he would become an inspector, first for the State of Wyoming and then for the Natrona County building department where Don was the head building official for many years. As such, he was well liked in the community with people often commenting on how “fair” Don was with everyone.

Don loved his God Jehovah as well as his Christian brothers and sisters. He served for many years as an elder in the congregation. He enjoyed sharing the truths that he had found in the Bible with whoever would listen. He studied the Bible with a number of different people through the years. He enjoyed fishing and going for rides but loved taking in creation whenever he could.

Donald Ranes was 82 years old when he passed on September 6th, 2026.

Donald is proceeded in death by his parents Frank and Mary, his brothers Perry, Melvin, Thomas, Joeseph, William, John, his sisters Marie, Alberta, Judy, Barbara, his stepson Erik Potter, and his wife Nancy. He completely believed and looked forward to the time when “all those in the memorial tombs…will come out.”

Donald is survived by his sister Margaret ‘Maggie’ Hays, his son Ryan, his daughter Tiffany and her husband Johnny Thomas and grandchildren Olive, Ivan, and Isla Thomas.