LINGLE – Wife, mother, grandmother, legislator, business owner, leader, Goshen County girl – all words that can be used to describe lifetime resident Cheri Steinmetz, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I am thankful to have been born and raised in Goshen County where life is simple and the things that truly matter are still valuable,” Steinmetz said. “Family, friends and working on the farm are what I remember most when I think of my childhood. I was fortunate to grow up in a strong family who worked together.”
Although growing up as a farm kid required plenty of hard work, Steinmetz has fond memories of her childhood.
“Like many families in Goshen County, our family took turns traveling from farm to farm helping with harvest,” she said. “We started with chopping corn for silage. When I was younger, I was always excited to ride in the truck with my older cousin, Cindy. We were the kids of the crew, so we always drove the oldest truck, which was Grandpa Wells’ old red and white Gimmy (GMC). It was my favorite truck even though it had a radio that scarcely held a channel, no air conditioning, windows that barely rolled down, and the clutch popped when you shifted from second to third gear.
“Back and forth we went from one of my uncles or my dad running the chopper to Grandpa Wells packing silage back at the pit. When lunchtime came, we had a big family meal and, if we were lucky, enough time for a catnap. I still don’t know how mom did it all, driving truck and cooking for everyone.”
In addition to corn, Steinmetz’s family also raised beets.
“Grandma Wells always loved beet harvest,” she said. “When we were young it was our job to walk with her up and down the beet top rows and find the beets that were missed, top them with the beet knife and pile them to throw on the trucks when they came by. We were fortunate to have a beet dump in Lingle in those days especially, considering the condition of farm trucks we had back then, we might not have made it to Torrington.”
When time allowed, and as a testament to the closeness of the family, they vacationed together, as well.

“If we were lucky and worked really hard, the family would get a break between beet harvest and combining corn to go elk hunting at Hog Park,” Steinmetz said. “We loaded up the campers, horses and all of our gear and headed to the mountains. We would hunt all day and return to a big family dinner where we would tell stories and make plans for the next day. It was our only family vacation and I can’t imagine a better one.”
Summertime meant brandings, something Steinmetz also enjoyed.
“In the summer we helped each other brand,” she said. “I will never forget the first time we went to my uncle’s ranch near Wheatland to help brand. We packed up so that we could stay and work for a few days. Then we loaded the stock rack in the old blue truck along with our saddles, horses and yes, Tenny the Holstein milk cow.
“We must have looked like the Beverly Hillbillies with Tenny the milk cow mooing all the way as we drove the 40-mile trip to the ranch. The next year mom had saved up enough milk money to buy a horse trailer.”
Steinmetz attended Lingle-Fort Laramie schools through her junior year and then transferred to Torrington High School to take classes LFL didn’t offer. She graduated from THS in 1988.
“After high school, I attended Eastern Wyoming College and married Corey Steinmetz,” she said. “Shortly after we were married, we bought a place north of Lingle and, other than a year spent in Nebraska, it still continues to be our home.”
The Steinmetzs have one daughter, Celsie Sussex, who is married to Mac Sussex, and a granddaughter, Aria.
“We value family, friends and our rural independent way of life which is why Corey and I decided to raise our family and build our business here in Goshen County,” Steinmetz said. “We made a priority of building Ameritas Financial services while continuing to help with the family farm and raise livestock. Currently Corey has been in the insurance industry for 21 years, and we are both licensed agents as well as our daughter. We had the opportunity to buy buildings on Main Street in Torrington and have located our office there as well as opened a retail business, Home on the Range, and purchased Faces N Furs.”
Steinmetz has always been very involved in the community, as she volunteered at school, as a leader in 4-H and the Rough Riders Drill Team. She is a 2012 graduate of Wyoming LEAD Agricultural Leadership Program, and currently serves on the Goshen County Farm Bureau Board, as the Goshen County Republican Women Vice Chair, and on several committees as state representative for House District No. 5, including: Vice Chair of Travel, Recreation Wildlife Committee, Ag Committee, and as Wyoming House Republican Caucus treasurer.
“I believe I am the first woman to serve as state representative for Goshen County,” Steinmetz said of the role residents have elected her to twice. She said she serves because she feels strongly about her Goshen County home.
“Growing up and raising a family in a community with family and friends is irreplaceable,” Steinmetz said. “If you have ever been lost in a big city or foreign country, you soon realize the value of being known in a community and the peace of mind found in knowing your neighbor. Life is about the people. It is humbling and a great honor to represent the people of Goshen County and the place that is my home in the State Legislature.
“The responsibility of making the hard decisions always hits me as I travel home from Cheyenne. Many times I drive through Torrington late at night, the streets are quiet and everyone has gone home after a busy day. The smell of the sugar factory, the sound of the train, the glow of the lights over the sale barn remind me that home is still here, the people I serve are here living life and the time I have spent away is worth the effort on behalf of the people and place I call home.”
Moving forward, Steinmetz plans to continue cherishing time with her family, working hard and breaking barriers.
“My goals for the future are to enjoy time with my granddaughter, to make every moment count and to go through every open door ahead.”