The following obituaries appeared in the July 8, 2020 edition of the Star Valley Independent.
For more area obituaries please visit Schwab Mortuary.
Readers also find a huge digital collection of obituaries and headstones compiled by the Star Valley Historical Society.
Earl Max Walker passed from this life to meet his Savior on June 24, 2020, with his family by his side.
A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Earl was born on July 7, 1944 in Afton to Oral Max Walker and Iona Libby Kunz. He was born during WWII and was named after his uncle, Earl T. Walker, who was missing in action. Later in life he was assumed to be Earl T. Walker’s son since they came from the same family line.
Earl’s father and most of the family got rheumatic fever, which gave them bad hearts and early deaths. Earl’s father had his stroke at age 26 and was left paralyzed on his right side. He couldn’t speak. He lay for three months before coming out of it. He died, leaving Earl, age 9, the oldest of five children.
When school let out, Earl’s mother hired someone to move their two-room house to Montpelier and set it on a corner of land which was his grandpa Jake Kunz’s.
Earl graduated high school in Montpelier the same year as his younger brother, Dennis. Earl had dropped out of school and joined the Air Force. After basic training he was released with an Honerable Medical Discharge. He came home and finished high school.
In 1964 he and his brother, Dennis, came back to Star Valley to work at the new Star Studs Sawmill. A few days later he met his future wife, Kathryn Anderson. They were married on Dec. 4, 1964. Together they shared 55 and a half years.
They have five children; 27 grandchildren; and five and a half great grandchildren; and many other family members.
Earl was a very giving man, always putting others needs before his own. He never closed his door to anyone in need.
He helped raise three of his wife’s siblings: Tena, Shaun and Brett Leavitt. He loved and treated them as his own.
Earl is survived by his wife, Kathy; children: Rick (Mary) Walker; Lora (Don) Gibson; Bonnie (Todd) Smith; Johnny (Emily) Walker; and Ira (Susan) Walker; siblings: Dennis Walker; Jerry (Valene) Walker; Maxine (Frank) Davie; Michael (Arlette) Walker; and Nancy Hale.
Internment in the Auburn Cemetery.
Julie Ann Draper (Nichols) 57 passed away peacefully at her home July 5 2020. She was surrounded by the people that she loved and those that loved her dearly.
Julie made a huge impact on her community, from organizing the Easter egg hunts, Santa Claus, food drives, helping with Mountain Days. She also organized benefits for anyone in need. She will be remembered for her famous quote “Absolutely.”
Julie’s family was number one above all. She loved her boys and her precious daughters. Her grandchildren had her heart and you could always catch her bragging about one of them at any given time. Her husband was the love of her life and has been her best friend for the last 33 years.
Her life was full and her heart was huge. Julie helped anyone in need without a thought. Her bright and sunny smile brightened all of the hearts that loved her. She will remain in our hearts and we will always remember her with a smile.
She was proceeded in death by her parents: Robert and LaRue Nichols; her brothers Roger Nichols, Bobby Nichols, Karl Nichols and Christopher Nichols.
She is survived by her husband Rex Draper (Alpine); her daughters, Heather McCoy (Idaho Falls) and Wensdae Draper (Idaho Falls); grandsons Anthony and Izaah Tamayo (Burley, Idaho); her son Jerry Draper (Alpine); grandson Reid Draper (Alpine); her son Taylor Draper (Thayne); granddaughter Taylee Draper (Thayne); her brother Clair Nichols (Pocatello); nephews Jason Nichols, Josh Nichols, Robert Nichols; and neices Amber Nichols and Tiffanee Giske; her brother Neal Nichols (American Falls, Idaho); nephews Justin and Christopher Nichols; niece Jill Nichols; her brother Doug Nichols (Pocatello, Idaho); nephew Eric, and nephews Justin and Jesse Nichols and Rich Nichols and nieces Brandy and Wendy Nichols.
KarLee Fern Kennington Thurman returned home to her Heavenly Father on July 4, 2020 at the age of 100, peacefully surrounded by family. KarLee was born on March 24, 1920 in Fairview to Alonzo Richard Kennington and Ida Susan Dixon Kennington. She was the 12th child of 14 children.
KarLee spent her childhood on the Kennington farm in Fairview. She had a fun childhood surrounded by a large tight knit family. She often talked about the fun times they shared.
KarLee attended grade school in Fairview at one point her older sister Maud Ranzenburg was her teacher. They had a one room school with all ages in the same class room.
She often told stories about the wonderful Christmas’s she had when she was a child. Each Christmas morning, she and her siblings would each get a stocking filled with hardtack candy, a small toy often handmade, a pair of socks and the favorite thing — a large orange.
She attended Star Valley High school where she met her future husband Ray McCombs Thurman.
They were married in the Salt Lake City Temple LDS Temple and made their home in Grover. They went on a two-year mission to The Great Lakes Mission.
When they returned home, they were blessed to be able to adopt three children. Karla Rae in 1954, Ronald Kenneth in 1961 and Susan Kay in 1963.
During her life she was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings. She loved everyone and everyone loved her. She was the favorite aunt to all of her brothers and sisters’ children from both the Kennington and Thurman families. Everyone always stopped at Aunt KarLee’s house where they were always greeted with homemade goodies and lots of love.
Her children and grandchildren loved visiting her because she always made the best food, such as Chicken Noodle Soup with mashed potatoes, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cinnamon Rolls, White Sauce on Toast and her wonderful bread and rolls.
She loved her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She always did fun things with them such as bonfires, picnics, hiking and long walks. She loved to read to them and feed them apples while she read. She would tell bedtime stories mostly made up. A favorite story she made up was about a badger. She would often fall asleep while she was telling it and say the funniest things.
Her entire life was spent in service of others.
She is preceded in death by her husband Ray, her son Ronald, her parents and her 13 siblings.
She is survived by her daughters Karla Rae Clark and Susan Kay Potter, 14 grandchildren and 35 great grandchildren.
A public visitation will be held on Friday, July 10 from 6-8 p.m. at the Schwab Mortuary in Afton. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, July 11 at 11 a.m. at the Grover Cemetery Please bring a lawn chair if you need to sit.
Pat Marolf was born in Lowville, New York as the only child of Harry and Jackie (Jackson) Marolf. Growing up, his father was in the military, allowing the family to move around from New York to Texas to Colorado, eventually settling in Olathe, Colorado. Pat graduated from Evergreen High School in 1966 and went on to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Glenwood, Colorado.
In 1972, Pat’s family opened the 3-R Grocery and Campground, later named The Frontier. It was about a year later that he met his future wife at the family convenience store. Karen and Pat began dating and were married on April 6th, 1974 in Montrose, Colorado. They were married for 46 years. In December of 1985 they welcomed their first child, a son, Russell. A few years later in 1989, they welcomed their daughter Amy, and their little family was complete.
Pat was many things in his life. He rode bulls in college, he was a state patrol officer and a dispatch officer, he worked the family convenience store and other retail jobs. In 1998 the family moved to Alpine, Wyoming. In Wyoming, Pat started a handyman service and for the last 14 years he worked in maintenance at Snow King Resort in Jackson. He was also on the Town of Alpine Planning and Zoning Board for several years.
He loved many things in life: hunting, fishing, 4-wheeling, Friday Night Family Dinners, and he loved his family and friends. He never met a stranger and everybody around Snow King new his Black Tahoe… a Yellow Lab named Aspen even knew that was the car to get treats from. One of his greatest joys was watching his kids in 4-H Shooting Sports and teaching them about the outdoors.
Pat was preceded in death by his father Harry, and his grandparents.
He is survived by his wife Karen of Alpine; his son Russell (Alycia) Marolf of Idaho Falls; his daughter Amy Marolf of Alpine, WY; his mother Jackie Marolf of Delta, CO; and his Granddaughter Baylee of Idaho Falls.
Services will be July 3rd, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. at the Alpine American Legion Baseball Field in Alpine Wyoming. Schwab Mortuary and Lynn B Flowers are assisting in the arrangements of the services.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Diabetes Association.
