The following obituaries appeared in the October 13, 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.
August 15, 1978 – October 8, 2021
Hi.
We’re guessing that you’re reading this obituary for 1 of 3 reasons:
1. You are reading this because you loved Christina Jenkins Nice. We loved her too. We loved her so much and we are so sorry for your loss. Christina was strong and she was kind. She faced many challenges in her life with grit and determination. She worked extremely hard. She worked hard to understand herself and her relationships and she worked hard at her actual work. She got her CNA license her senior year of high school and never looked back. She absolutely loved her job and prided herself on the quality of care and the listening ear that she gave her patients. She treated everyone who crossed her path with empathy and respect. She adored her children and her nieces and nephews. She loved playing games and going to the movies and she was always up for a concert or a trip. She was adventurous and tried everything, even if it scared her. She had a big smile and great laugh and the best hair.
2. You are reading this because you love us and you know that we are all devastated by the loss of Christina. We have experienced so many acts of kindness, love, and generosity. It has come from far and wide; from friends, family, colleagues, and strangers. We appreciate all of it. Big or small. The texts, treats, meals, hugs, flowers, thoughtful gifts, and visits. The vulnerability of sharing your own experiences of loss and grief with us. The people that are in our lives are the best kind of people. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU. You have shown up for us and we will show up for you, hopefully with increased sympathy because we have gone through this with you by our side.
3. You’re perusing the obituaries and you want to know how someone so young died. (It’s cool, we do that sometimes too.) Christina was diagnosed two months ago with adrenocortical carcinoma, a very rare cancer with very few treatment options that was unfortunately, also very aggressive. Christina faced this diagnosis with incredible bravery, courage, strength, and grace. She didn’t waste time or energy with anger or despair. Christina chose instead to spend as much time as possible with her children and her family. Looking back, it was remarkable how much she chose to live when we now know that she was in a tremendous amount of pain.
In lieu of flowers, please take a moment today to reach out to someone you know who is going through something tough or challenging or who just might need some hope or to feel loved. It’s easy, just cut and paste the following words into a text or slide into their DMs: “No need to respond. I am thinking of you and sending my love.” Trust us, the recipient will be grateful.
A graveside service will be held on Saturday, October 16, 2021 and a celebration of life party on October 23, 2021. Please contact anyone in our family for details.
Sincerely,
Pam and Jake Jenkins (Christina’s parents)
Alexis and Eliza Nice (Christina’s daughters)
Judy Hoopes (Christina’s grandmother)
Natalie House and Janaan Weaver (Christina’s sisters)
Alek House and Edward Weaver (The best brothers in law a sister could have)
Georgiana, Franklin and Walter Weaver and Estelle and Josephine House (Christina’s nieces and nephews)
Jae G Heiner was called home on September 29, 2021 after a struggle with covid. Born in 1955 to Ted and Janeene Heiner in Afton, Wyoming,
Jae grew up on the farm and dreamed from a young age of building satellites. After serving a mission to Korea for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he studied electrical engineering at BYU, where he met and married his wife Lillis, and began a prolific career in aerospace working on satellite communications.
He was heavily involved in Boy Scouts, receiving the Silver Beaver award in 2017. He also spent many years researching and editing a new science textbook with colleagues, The Universal Model.
Jae’s life is a legacy of the pursuit of knowledge, hard work, family, and devoted church service.
He is missed by his wife, eight beloved children, eleven grandchildren, and a multitude of lives touched by his integrity and his testimony.
The funeral service were held on October 9th at 11:00am at 1550 N Val Vista Dr in Mesa, with viewing beginning at 9:30am.
My Life as a Baseball Game
by Jim Moore
I equate my life to running the bases in baseball. To get to 1st base it took 20 years, starting in a farm house in Hopkins County Kentucky. I was the oldest of seven. Six boys and one girl.
Dad was a coal miner and raised what he could on our 25 acres. We had barely what we needed but were happy kids till two of our baby brothers died of whooping cough and soon thereafter Dad got black lung and we moved to Colorado for his health but his black lung developed into TB and he passed when I was nine years old. Mom became a positive TB patient as well and was removed from our home, leaving my grandmother to raise the five of us. We struggled but finally I managed to get through high school and finally got to 1st base.
They started drafting for military service so I joined the Navy. Basketball had become my extra curricular passion so at 6’6” I was immediately spotted by the Navy coach in Norman Oklahoma where I was going to Aircraft Machinist mate school. So I spent basically four years playing ball!! I was honorably discharged in 1956 with my sights set on college. Upon enrollment at Colorado University while standing in line for an algebra class the basketball coach Sox Walseth spotted me and asked if I played any ball. I had grown two more inches in the navy so 6’8”. I said “some”! He told the young man with him to stand in line and get my algebra class for me and he sent me to the gym to play a little one on one with Billy Lewis, a big name that year. The coach intervened when I got a little rough with him. I said “in the Navy it’s not a foul till you draw blood”! After one year at Colorado University I transferred to Regis College, a small male college with a great basketball team!! Again I had a scholarship and played ball. My buddy encouraged me to come to Adams State College in Alamosa Colorado where I again played ball, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.
1962-halfway to second bass graduation and a coaching job in California. A great opportunity which lasted till an auto accident put me out of coaching and teaching. You might say I slid into second base and was still able to head for third.
During this time I met Brother and Sister Lieb, a couple who invited us to the Gold and Green Ball. I immediately had the missionaries over and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before joining, I was going to the Baptist church and played ball on their team. They were city church champs beating the Latter-day Saint team. But we turned it around the next year and the Latter-day Saint team were city champs!!
Shortly after the accident we moved to Kentucky and I eventually got a teaching credential in Tennessee but never taught there as I found I could do better driving a truck which I did until 1992 when I stole third base in Mansfield Ohio. I had a heart attack and triple bypass thus taking away another occupation which I enjoyed. My testimony really grew during the time I spent recuperating. Brother and Sister Strong were serving their mission in Paris, Tennessee where I was living. They got word that I was heading into surgery on a Sunday and somehow in Columbus Ohio, just minutes before I went under the knife, two elders from Columbus showed up and gave me a blessing. I had no hope prior to the blessing of ever coming out of the OR as they were giving me 37 drips of nitro per minute and had rushed me in on Sunday because I was not going to make it to Monday when I was scheduled for surgery.
After recuperating I headed home after dodging the bullet again. The next 20 years I spent doing something else I loved since 1947 when I set pins in the bowling alley. I bought and operated the pro shop in the local bowling alley. I had finished my 20 years there and thought I would just relax and kick back for the rest of this life. Instead I discovered I was up to bat again. This time I hit a home run when I met and fell in love with my beautiful bride Holly B Moore.
James Ogle “Jim” Moore was born 23 Apr 1932 in Nortonville, Hopkins, Kentucky to Bryant T and Flora Justine Bryant Moore. As the oldest child he was big brother to Richard “Dick”, John, Dorothy, Muriel, Henry and Verlus. He left this life on the 26th of September 2021 with his loving wife at his side.
He is survived by his sweetheart, Holly Bateman Moore; daughter Deborah Weiner, son James Glen Moore, daughter April Middleton and son Kevin Moore; 11 grandchildren and several great grandchildren; stepchildren, Corbin Bateman, Tifany Bateman, Alissa Papi, Kelvin Bateman and Jordan Bateman; 16 step-grandchildren and five step-great grandchildren. He also leaves behind many bowling friends.
He was preceeded by his parents, his grandmother Lula Bryant who raised him and his siblings, four brothers and his son Kyle.
He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.
Raymond Shelby Hutchinson was born on March 28, 1954 to Robert Reed and Afton Jeanne Petersen Hutchinson. He was the second child of three with his brother Robert Reed Junior (Bobby), and sister Sherie Jeanne. Raymond, surrounded by his family, passed away on September 30, 2021 in Montpelier, Idaho where he was born. As a young man, he loved to be out on the family ranch helping with the many jobs that entail running a cattle ranch. He graduated from Cokeville High School in 1973. From there he worked various jobs until he found his niche on the Union Pacific Railroad where he worked as a heavy equipment operator for 38 years.
When he wasn’t enjoying himself on a piece of heavy equipment, which was his favorite hobby, his life was filled with the richness that being in the mountains brings, 4 wheeling, hunting, camping, skiing and fishing. He liked to travel and working for the railroad provided that means to satisfy that itch. He also traveled with family and friends to a few far-off places. He met and later married the woman he loved, Joy Crandall. They spent their life together often in “you guessed it” the mountains. Their two children, Billie Jo and Joshua Chase, to tag along on these adventures and he passed his love of the outdoors on to them and his grandchildren. He so loved and was so proud of his children, and was thrilled when each of his five grandchildren came to join his family. He was willing to give a helping hand and loved to use “Old Blue” and the dump trailer while doing it.
He is survived by his wife Joy, his children Billie Jo Welchman and her husband Chane and their two sons and daughter in law; Joshua Chase and his wife Melanie with one son, and two daughters. His sister Sherie and her husband Tim Davis, along with brother and sister-in laws, and nephews and nieces. Raymond was preceded in death by his parents and brother.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 1:00pm in the Cokeville Ward Chapel. With a viewing prior to the funeral from 10:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Interment will follow the service in the Cokeville Cemetery.
Ted R. Miller, age 79, lost his battle with Alzheimer’s Disease on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at the caring and loving community of Harmony Hills Assisted Living in Meridian, Idaho.
He is preceded in death by his parents Arlo and Willa and his brother Bob.
He is survived by his love, Anne; and children Ashley (Casey Darragh) and Amy; and step-children Rachelle (Brian Marx), Rebecca, Shawn (Deserii Davies), and Crystal (Charlie Spencer); his three grandchildren Willa Belle, Jaxon Wyatt, and Miller Louis; and his many step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Ted graduated as Senior class President in 1960 from Star Valley High School in Afton. He then went on to University of Wyoming where he received his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and History. From there Ted went on to live a life of teaching in the winters and employed as a fly-fishing guide during the summers in the Grand Teton area.
If you knew Ted, his pranks and jokes were things you would remember forever with a smile on your face. To know Ted and to have his love and friendship was a privilege; he was a good man, a great father, and an excellent fly-fisherman.
Graveside service was held at 12pm on Friday September 24, 2021 at the Afton, Wyoming Cemetery where he is laid to rest.
We are comforted knowing that Ted knows who Ted is again.
