The following obituaries appeared in the March 31, 2021 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.
De Ann Papworth Hawkes, age 79, passed away peacefully on March 19, 2021, in the St. George Regional Hospital. She kept her nurses laughing to the end with impolitic observations of her doctor’s bald head.
De Ann was born on November 28, 1941, in Afton, Wyoming. She grew up with her beloved brother, Robert in Star Valley, where they loved to camp and fish with their parents. Often mischievous, she enjoyed dancing on the Afton Cemetery gravestones with her impudent friends. De Ann also tagged along with her father to the cutter races, where she developed a love for horses. For her, the worst insult of the pandemic was the cancellation of the 2020 Kentucky Derby. Watching the Derby with De Ann meant hours of instruction on each colt, filly and jockey — and which horse you were required to support. Her all-time favorite was Secretariat, with Seattle Slew coming in a strong second.
De Ann was the first in her family to attend college. She studied English at the University of Wyoming where she met her first husband, Frank Emerson. They married in Afton on September 30, 1961 and had three beloved sons, Mark, Todd and Ryan. De Ann and Frank ran a successful advertising agency in Colorado for many years before De Ann transitioned to travel agent in Salt Lake City. She traveled frequently, favoring Polynesia and utterly ignoring Europe. Her favorite place on earth was Tahiti.
She later married Rich Hawkes in Orem, Utah on April 6, 1994 and was sealed to him for eternity in the Saint George LDS Temple on November 24, 2018. They both loved animals and adopted a cacophonic cockatoo (Sydney) and a series of well-groomed dogs that only liked their owners. (Hobson, Bitterman, Sugar and Spice). If the Derby had a rival, it was the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
De Ann is preceded in death by her devoted husband, Rich, and by her father and mother, Covey and Donna Papworth. She is survived by her brother, Robert (Christine) Papworth; and her children: Mark (Leeza) Emerson, Todd (Dianne) Emerson and Ryan (Shawnalee) Emerson; stepdaughters: Clarice (Chris) Goodwin and Emily (Jimmy) Bokinskie; stepsons: Elden (Tracy) Hawkes and Rich (Maranda) Hawkes; and her fifteen grandchildren, twelve step grandchildren and one great grandchild. (Three more on the way!)
Funeral services were held Saturday, March 27, 2021 at Metcalf Mortuary, 288 West St. George Blvd, St. George, Utah.
De Ann will be laid to rest next to her dear Rich in the Afton Cemetery at noon on Friday, April 2, 2021 under a gravestone she designed. Ever mindful of her rest, the stone is ill-suited for dancing.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, (435) 673-4221. Please visit the website at www.metcalfmortuary.com for condolences, complete obituary and funeral listings.
Faye Bruce passed away on March 23, 2021. Faye was born on July 10, 1925 in Utah to John and Ella Schofield.
Faye married Buff Bruce in 1942. She worked multiple jobs from waitressing to working at Gamble’s and retiring from Uinta County Courthouse.
Faye loved going camping, fishing, playing horseshoes, bunko, playing slot machines, and bowling. She loved spending time with her family and especially her great grandkids, who called her Grandma Fru.
Faye is survived by her daughters JoAnn Hayes and Debra Olson (Oly), grandkids Amy Evans (Frankie), Lance Hayes and Jeff Robinson, great grandkids James Largent (Jordan), Ty Sweeney (Keely), and Davis Robinson, great great grandkids Addy Largent and Rylan Largent.
Faye is preceded in death by her husband Buff Bruce; daughters Barbara Bruce and Sarah Bruce and grandkids Todd Hayes and Angela Morrow. She had ten brothers and sisters.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Joan J. Lancaster passed away peacefully at her home on March 28, 2021 in Hyde Park, Utah due to complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). She was born in Afton, Wyoming on June 28, 1962. She was 58 at the time of her passing.
Funeral services will be held on Friday April 2, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. at the Hyde Park Center Street Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (65 E. Center, Hyde Park, Utah).
A viewing will be held at White Pine Funeral Services, 753 S. 100 E. in Logan on Thursday April 1st, 2021 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. A viewing will be also be held at the church prior to the services from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Funeral services will be live streamed at the following link: https://zoom.us/j/96390360014?pwd=S1lNTTlhSi9DTWthK2Z2a2I5cytnUT09
A complete obituary can be found at www.whitepinefunerals.com.
