The following obituaries appeared in the November 27, 2024 edition of the Star Valley Independent.
For more area obituaries, please visit Schwab Mortuary.
For more resources including headstones, please visit the Star Valley Historical Society.
Anita Hokanson
Anita Blake Hokanson was born on July 13, 1939 in Grimsby Lincolnshire England to Albert Blake and Phyllis Kinloch Reade Blake. She was welcomed by an older sister Valerie and later welcomed a younger brother Steve. The month Anita was born, Hitler began his invasion of Europe. She spent the first years of her life growing up during the ravages of WWII. She spent time in Kingston upon Hull, the most heavily bombed part of England by the Germans. It was not uncommon to spend evenings in a bomb shelter built in their back garden. After the war, things slowly returned to normal. She spent time with her many relatives playing and creating fond memories that they always shared throughout the years. Schooling, theater, music, and ballet were some of the interests and hobbies of her youth, and she became an expert in knitting and crochet skills she shared with many others over the years.
Later in life, missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stopped by her home and visited with her mother who said she was not interested, but she stated she had a daughter that might be. Anita later accepted the restored Gospel and became a member of the church. She accepted a call to serve a full time mission in England. She met many lifelong friends and was able to share the Gospel with her fellow countrymen. She received an opportunity to come to the United States and work at the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City, Utah after her mission. She arrived in the United States and three days later President Kennedy was assassinated. She would reply when asked what she thought of that historical event with, “I wondered, what kind of country had I come to!”
At a mission reunion she met with an elder she was acquainted with by the name of Kenneth Miller Hokanson. His former companion, Brent Gudgell, was a bit of a matchmaker in this meeting. After several weeks of driving to SLC from Thayne, WY to date, Kenneth proposed and the rest is history! To this union were born Neil, Elizabeth, and Patricia. They spent many wonderful years on the Hokan Hokanson homestead that they purchased in Thayne near the Greenhead Slough, Flat Creek, and Salt River. They raised registered purebred Herefords and ran a dairy for many years in partnership with Wilford Hemmert on the Salt River Hereford Ranch.
Anita later worked for the school district as an aide and librarian at Holdaway Elementary for many years. She loved her students and the staff she worked with. She was even able to be with her oldest granddaughter, Hannah, when she started Kindergarten. Health issues took her into retirement, and she was able to enjoy her grandchildren that came to her family over the years. Anita and Kenneth also enjoyed spending time in the Rowlett, Texas area later in life.
Anita served in many church callings with wonderful members and friends in both Thayne Wards including Relief Society President of the Thayne Ward. She volunteered in the community through the Star Valley Arts Council, 4-H, and served anyone that was in need. She grew to love Star Valley even though it was much different and far away from the home of her youth, it became her new home.
Anita passed away on November 18, 2024 in Texas and was preceded in death by her immediate family members, father Albert Blake and mother Phyllis Kinloch Reade Blake, and her husband Kenneth Miller Hokanson. She is survived by her sister Valerie Pickard and brother Steve Blake and several brothers and sisters in law on her husband’s side; her son Neil and his wife Dianna and their children Hannah, Charles & wife Marrisa, Ronan, Nicholas, and Heather; Elizabeth and husband Charlie Hinton and son JR & wife Stephanie Hinton; and Patricia Hokanson; and many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews in the States, England, and other parts of the world.
A viewing will be held on Friday November 29th from 6-8 pm at the Schwab Funeral Chapel in Thayne, Wyoming. A short “graveside service” will begin at the Schwab Funeral Chapel in Thayne, Wyoming on Saturday November 30 at 10 a.m. and will end at the Thayne Cemetery with the dedication of the gravesite. The family requests no flowers or plants please.
Dale Leslie
Dale Leslie went home to be with the Lord on Nov. 24, 2024. He passed away in his Etna, Wyoming home with his wife and son there to celebrate his victory when he finally beat the war with cancer. Dale, a devoted husband, beloved father, and new grandfather is survived by his wife Esther, son Xavier, daughter Rachel, son in law Steven, and a sweet granddaughter.
Dale was born to Lovell and Donna Jean Leslie in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1961. He had an older brother and sister and later would have a younger sister and brother join the family. He grew up playing outside, and riding his bike to town for fun. Being a gifted artist and lover of rock and roll somehow led him to become a munitions airman in the air force following high school. He spent this time enjoying Guam and Cannon AFB (where his daughter and son in law are currently stationed) and driving his Camaro at high speeds.
After his three years in service Dale decided to leave the Air Force in favor of being a tree planter in the southern US. This led to his greatest adventure, meeting Esther, whom he chose to insult when he first met her. Then he spent the next several years begging her to marry him. Or at least that is the story he often shared. But it was also this meeting and knowing Esther that later brought him to Jesus and ultimately transformed his life, including overcoming his substance and alcohol abuse. After several years as tree planters and then river raft guides Dale finally convinced Esther to marry him at a small church in Tennessee. Being the adventurers they were, the two of them decided to honeymoon road tripping for six months through Central America to Costa Rica and flying down to spend time in Ecuador. They even took a break to be river raft guides for a friend in Costa Rica and summited several Andes peaks while in Ecuador including Cotopaxi.
Upon returning to the states, Dale convinced his new wife to join him on a four and a half month backpacking trip to complete the Appalachian trail where they met many friends and saw God take care of even the most basic needs. This was one of the most treasured periods of Dale’s life. The following year he decided he wanted to be a hunting guide and outfitter out west so, though they were flat broke, he moved to Idaho so he and his wife could attend an outfitting school to learn about horses and big game hunting. After several years of outfitting in the fall and spring and firefighting in the summers Dale welcomed his daughter Rachel, who was a complete surprise. This motivated him to begin another career as a heavy equipment operator for the state of Idaho. After his son Xavier was born, Dale and Esther felt the Lord’s calling to go to Ecuador for two years to work with the Cofan indigenous people, who had a mandate from the Ecuadorian government to make their traditional territory into a national park. During their two years there they developed a ranger training school for the Cofan.
Upon returning to the states Dale looked long and hard for the best way to take care of his family and landed a job with the national park service. This led to jobs in Bandelier National Monument, at the Grand Canyon, and to Grand Teton National Park, where he would eventually retire. These jobs also put him near his favorite places in the outdoors and he had plenty of amazing hunting opportunities. Dale retired finally in 2023 after 23 years of government service and began planning the Alaskan hunt of a lifetime, though that will now have to be enjoyed by those who are left behind.
Dale loved his family and friends fiercely, continually sought knowledge and good stories, and knew the Lord as both his savior and friend. While he will be deeply missed, we know that Dale is finally fully healed and in his eternal home. We can’t wait to see him there.
A memorial for Dale will be held at New Hope Fellowship on Dec 1st, 2024. Light lunch, starting at 12:30 pm, will be served and the memorial service will begin at 1:00 pm.
We will have a time to share stories if you have a fond or funny memory to share. If you choose to watch the live stream you can put memories in the comments section for others to enjoy.
