The following obituaries appeared in the July 24, 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.
Jim Harmon
Jim E Harmon, 69, passed away on July 13, 2024 in Taylorsville, UT, peacefully surrounded by loved ones, after a quick and difficult battle with non-small cell lung cancer and neuroendocrine carcinoma. He was born October 30, 1954 in Afton, Wyoming to Don and Kerma Harmon. He joined an older brother, Donnie (Don); shortly after this came Joe, and Kip soon followed.
Jim graduated from Star Valley High School in 1973 and joined the United States Navy where he was stationed with VP-47. Jim married Tammy Lou Merrill on May 31, 1975 in Osmond, Wyoming, and they were later sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on June 27, 1980. They began their married life by immediately moving to Sunnyvale, California where Jim was stationed in the Navy. They later lived in Boise, Idaho; Heyburn, Idaho; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Salt Lake City, Utah. They chose to live in Afton, Wyoming where they raised their two children, Tiffany and Merrill.
Jim had several different jobs over the years and was a journeyman carpenter, iron worker, and certified welder. Until his retirement in 2021, he built skyscrapers, schools, libraries, data centers, luxury resorts, and custom homes, to name a few.
Jim lived a fulfilling life as a grandfather, father, husband, brother, son, and friend. In 2020, the love of his life, Tammy, passed away from cancer. Jim’s quiet, gentle nature helped ease the grief that his family felt during this time. He was naturally a calm soul and a man of few words. He spent his retirement playing with his granddaughters, reading, watching movies, and fishing with his girlfriend and friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife, both of his parents, and his youngest brother.
He is survived by his daughter, Tiffany; son, Merrill (Lacie); granddaughters, Hazelie and Stevie; and two brothers: Don and Joe (LouAnna). He was loved by everyone who knew him, and he will be sorely missed by everyone.
Viewings were held Friday, July 20, 2024 from 6-8 p.m. at the Afton Tabernacle and Saturday, July 21, 2024 from 10-11:45 a.m. at the Afton Tabernacle, followed immediately by funeral services at 12:00 p.m. He was interred at the Afton Cemetery.
Janice Altman
Janice Marilyn Altman was born in Watertown, South Dakota to Andrae Palmer Kirkeby and Fern Deloris Kirkeby (Thoe) on January 3, 1935. She had one sister Bonita Willer (deceased). Janice went to see her heavenly father on July 13, 2024, she was at home when she passed.
Janice and her family ended up in California, where she worked at a bank for many years. She graduated from Monrovia High School. She worked in the office at Whittaker Corp, in Monrovia, California, where they manufactured aircraft parts, and also where she met our dad. They we’re married in Las Vegas on January 11, 1971.
Janice loved the outdoors, her and dad would take the camper down to Palisades Lake (Old Alpine) and camp by the big old tree. They also spent may times up Greys River with family and friends. She loved to sew, she worked at the Powderhorn in Afton, then Wyoming Woolens when it changed over. She opened her own little sewing shop called Hobby Horse Farms here in Thayne many years ago. Sewing was her passion. She also worked at the US Forest Service in Afton for a lot of years. And about 10 years at Maverik.
Jan and her lady friends would get together once a month to play cards and drink wine. They would also go out to lunch. Jan had a thing for the Arabian horse, she would say that she always wanted to be in one of their shows, all dressed up. She fancied the greys with the black nose. She also loved some good old music, and was also part of the bowling league, had some really good times at State and at National’s in Reno, Nevada.
Janice is preceded in death by her loving husband Jim Altman, both parents Andrae and Fern Kirkeby, Bonita Willer (sister) Mitchell Davis (nephew) John and Severina Thoe (grandparents).
Janice is survived by her two daughters Jennifer VanHuysen (Duane) Ocie Hoopes (Willy), nine grandchildren, Matthew VanHuysen (Valerie) Shay Long (Del) Jacob VanHuysen (Brittney) Kendra Jorgenson, Garrett, Taylor, Jace, Madison and Payton Hoopes, seven great grandchildren, Kyler and Maeson Beard, Willy Long, Adrianne and Aidden VanHuysen, Briley Jorgenson and Alexander Raudman, and Chris Davis (nephew).
A Celebration of Life was held on Saturday, July 20, 2024 at Emmanuel Bible Church in Thayne.
Carol Gardner
Carol Wilkes Gardner, age 100, passed away July 12, 2024 in the Star Valley Care Center.
Carol was born December 9, 1923 in Afton, Wyoming to William (Bill) and Lillie Wilkes. They moved to Freedom where Bill worked in the creamery, and later moved back to Afton.
When she graduated from high school, she and her sister Helen went to Whittier, California to work at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach where they were building B-17 bombers and C-47 cargo planes for the war effort. After the war, they came back home to the Valley.
She married Bruce R. Gardner in 1949 and they had two children, Roy William (Bill) and Judy Gardner Cox.
Carol had a talent for work. For 15 years she was the office manager and accountant for Star Valley Creamery/Swiss Cheese Company, first located in Afton and then consolidated at Thayne. Later, she was an aid-secretary to four different doctors, a dispatcher for Federal Protective Service and a secretary to IRS attorneys in Salt Lake City. She worked as a secretary and bookkeeper for the Town of Afton for four years, and as a coordinator and bookkeeper for Star Valley Senior Citizens, Inc. for five years.
When Judy died of cancer in 1994, Carol was a great help to Judy’s children, living near them in Smoot.
Carol was an avid reader, grew flowers and cross-stitched. She kept up on current events and enjoyed watching baseball on TV following the Yankees. She enjoyed exchanging letters with family. Carol had two children, 13 grandchildren, 43 great grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren, and she is survived by her son and one sister.
No funeral will be held per her wishes. Her memory will be treasured.
Joy Armstrong
Joy Armstrong, age 87, a resident of Star Valley Care Center in Afton, WY, was welcomed into the loving arms of Jesus on July 19, 2024.
She was the devoted wife of Robert Armstrong (deceased) for 50 years; loving mother of Rocky (Mike) Baughman, Vicki (Steve) Dennis, Keith (Kim) Loson, and Shannon (James) Kolesar; grandmother to Dawn (Terry) Desaulniers, Erica (Dan) Walters, Nicholas Baughman (deceased), Tammi (Dustin) Richards, Jessica (Patrick) Steger, Kristalyn (Scott) Atwood, Chad (Ashley) Loson, Spencer (Sydney) Kolesar, McKenna (Nick) Wells, 20 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Joy was born on March 21, 1937 in Ithaca, New York to Charles and Genevieve Fowler. She graduated from Lansing Central School. During her childhood, Joy loved dancing and was a determined, strong woman from a young age. Later she moved to Chester, Virginia where she and Bob were foster parents to numerous children and she became a mentor to mothers. One of the jobs she was most proud of was a daycare in her home called “The Joyful Noise” where she cared for and helped nurture 6 babies from birth to Kindergarten. She and Bob enjoyed several years in Florida as empty nesters. They were very active in the local VA for veterans.
Joy lived for Jesus and family, and thrived among family and church. Although petite, Joy was known for being a woman of great compassion, strength, faith, love and grit.
A Celebration of Life will be held at North Lansing Rural Cemetery on August 31st at 3:30 in Lansing, New York where family and friends can gather to commemorate a life well-lived. In lieu of flowers, we kindly request donations be written to Star Valley Health Charitable Foundation, 901 Adams Street, Afton, WY 83110 or donate online at starvalleyhealthfoundation.
