Zona Hougham, 81, formerly of Sundance, WY, passed away on September 17, 2022, at The Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center, in Gillette, WY, where she was a resident in the Memory Care Unit.
Zona, the youngest of seven children, was born at Fort Washakie, WY, November 4, 1940, to Frank Surrell and Rose Lahoe Surrell. She and her family were members of the Eastern Shoshone tribe. At 20, she moved to Thermopolis, WY, where she worked as a nurse’s aide at the Rest Haven in Hot Springs State Park. It was in Thermopolis that she met Darrell “Red” Hougham. Together they had three children and adopted their first granddaughter.
Zona was a stay-at-home mom, becoming a camp cook during deer and elk seasons as Red guided hunters from a camp on the Red Creek Ranch, during the 60’s and 70’s. When the older 3 kids were grown, Zona and Red separated and she and their youngest daughter eventually moved to Lander where she became a CNA at Westward Heights nursing home, until moving to Sundance, WY in 1995.
Zona loved spending time with her kids and grandkids, was an avid rockhound, loved classic country music and Elvis Presley, and enjoyed collecting things, including her prized and vast collection of cigarette lighters.
Zona was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Rose, all of her siblings, Charles W “Billy”, Isadore “Dode”, Leroy, John, Lillian Goggles, and Marlene Wolfrang, and husband, Red.
She is survived by her children: Rick (Heather), Sandi (Jose) Torres, Deb (Rod) Malo, and Cedar (Jack) Scribner, grandchildren Billy, Marino, Mariah, great-grandchildren Hailee, Tegan, and Chelsey, and great-great- grandsons Wyatt and Colter.
A visitation will take place from 3 PM – 8 PM, Thursday, September 22, 2022, at Hudson’s Funeral Home in Lander, WY. According to Zona’s wishes, no funeral service will be held. A private family burial will take place at Sacajawea Cemetery.
Services under the direction of Hudson’s Funeral Home. Condolences can be shared with the family here.