Wyoming, Star Valley Independent Obituaries - FamilySearch Historical Records

United StatesWyomingLincoln County

What is in the Collection?
This collection an index and images of obituaries from the Star Valley Independent newspaper located in Afton, Wyoming. The collection includes obituaries from Star Valley and surrounding areas for the years 1901 to 2015.

Collection Content
Obituary records may contain the following information:
 * Name of deceased
 * Date of death
 * Place of death
 * Place of burial
 * Birth date or age
 * Names of parents, spouse, children and siblings
 * Residence at time of death
 * Photo of deceased

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Your ancestor’s name.
 * Approximate year of death

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name: Fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination.

To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the 'Surname Range' category which takes you to the images.

Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the age at death to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the place of death to locate an original death certificate from the county.
 * Use the death or burial date to find other records that may provide more information on your ancestor. These may include obituaries, grave markers, sexton’s records, or a civil or religious death records.
 * If your ancestor is found in death or birth records, continue searching those records for other family members who may be in the same record collection.
 * Pay attention to any notes about your ancestor such as occupation or marriage status. This information can be used to locate other records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Remember that a burial date is not always the same as a death date.
 * Sometimes a person is buried in a city or town in which they did not die. Do not assume that a burial place is the same as a death place.
 * If your ancestor had a common name be sure to evaluate all available information to determine the correct individual. This may involve comparing the data from multiple records. Note the age at death, occupation, residence, or family members.
 * Family members were often buried near each other. Pay attention to individuals buried in the same cemetery as your ancestor—they may have been family members. Similarly, if your ancestor is buried near other relatives, it may be a clue that you have located the correct individual.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

What if I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For?

 * If a death or burial record cannot be found for your ancestor in the locality where it is believed they died, try searching the records of nearby localities.
 * Try searching newspapers for an obituary, death notice, or notice of your ancestor’s estate to determine when your ancestor died.
 * Search cemetery transcripts for a transcript of your ancestor’s grave marker.
 * Look for probate records for the region and time period in which your ancestor supposedly died. These records may give clues about when he or she passed away.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You can then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection citation:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image citation: