The following are obituaries and death notices that appeared in the September 10, 2009 edition of the Star Valley Independent.

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009 Douglas A Barrus, husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather went home to his sweetheart, June, and our Heavenly Father. He was 88 years old.  He was born March 29, 1921.  He married June Brown on Oct. 9, 1946.   She died on May 22, 1986. He then married Venna Kennington on Sept. 8, 1987.    Doug grew up hunting, fishing, working hard and loving the beautiful Star Valley.  He served a mission for the LDS church in Northern California. Following his mission he served as a Marine in the Marshall Islands during World War II.    He spent his life as a teacher, principal, and education director for the Bureau of Reclamation Job Corps. Doug was a dedicated servant of the Lord. He held many church callings and fulfilled many responsibilities including that of Bishop in the Clearfield Second Ward and as a member of the Stake Presidency in the Clearfield Stake. Doug and Venna happily served a mission together and worked in the Idaho Falls Temple for many years.    He had a kind heart and was always giving to others. He was an example of stalwart gospel living.  He was a talented singer with a beautiful bass voice that gave many hours of pleasure to all who heard him.  He was a fun loving father and grandfather. His sense of humor and warm ways have become a legend among his family. His familiar sayings are quoted daily by each generation, and none of us escaped the 7 a.m. Saturday morning wakeup call “Are You Up For All Day?”    Doug was preceded in death by his parents, 11 brothers and sisters, his wife June and his infant son Ren.   He is survived by a sister Lucy Wilkes; his wife Venna;  his four children Barry (Jean); Kim (Beth); Ryan (Marge); Derena (Bob); and his step children, Melanie (Nolan); Jim (Dixie); Irene (Dallas deceased); Kevan (Kathy); Karen (Steve); Garry (Joyce).  Doug, June, and Venna shared the joy of many grandchildren and great grandchildren.     Funeral services will be held Sept. 12, 2009 at 1 p.m. at the Fairview LDS Ward Chapel.  Friends and family may call from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the church.

Graveside services for Ray McNeel, 77, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009 at 10 a.m. in the Afton Cemetery.  Visitation with family and friends will take place on Friday, Sept. 11, 2009 from 3-9 p.m. at Schwab Mortuary in Afton.  Raymond Waugh McNeel was born on Aug. 29, 1932 in Afton to Glidden and Elizabeth McNeel the second child of 10 and the oldest son of seven boys. He passed away on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009 at the Amie Holt Care Center in Buffalo, Wyoming.   He was raised on the McNeel family ranch in Alpine and attended elementary school in Etna. He graduated from Star Valley High School in 1952 and in 1958 he went to  a welding trade school in Cleveland, Ohio.    Raymond was inducted into the U.S. Army and served in South Korea. He received an honorable discharge from the military in 1957 and returned to Alpine where he worked on the family ranch and in the Glidden McNeel and Sons Hunting Camp on Elk Creek.   In 1965 he moved to Huntington Beach, Calif., where he was married to Penny Heap.
Raymond worked at various jobs in California until 1966 when he took a job with McDonnell Douglas. He worked a total of 28-years with McDonnell Douglas before retirement.    After his retirement in 1995 he spent summers and falls in Wyoming and moved back to California during the winter months.  Raymond became a resident of the Amie Holt Care Center in Buffalo in March of 2005 where he lived until the time of his death.  Raymond attended a school of dance in California and spent his leisure time on a ballroom dance floor and touring the state in his black corvette.  He had a deep passion for fly fishing and spent many hours fishing on the Snake River, Greys River and Salt River near the family home and also in the Wind River Mountains.  He is survived by four children and their families; one son Matthew McNeel of Idaho Falls, Idaho; three daughters Amy Chord of Francis, Utah; Audra Shumway of Cottonwood, Idaho; and Jana Bryant of Afton; four brothers Paul McNeel of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Edwin, Merrill and J.C. McNeel all of Star Valley; and three sisters Julia Ritchey of Buffalo; and Erna Deutz  and Cheryl Tarrell both of Grafton, N.D.    He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers Glen R. and Clifton L. McNeel.

Funeral services for Don Wendell Wood, 95, will be held on Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 at 11 a.m. in the Afton Third/Fourth Ward LDS Chapel.  A meeting with family and friends will begin at 10 a.m., prior to funeral services at the church.

Funeral services for Caitlyn Nelson, the daughter of Jeremy and Meghan Nelson, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009 at the Thayne LDS Stake Center at 1 p.m.  Viewings will take place on Friday, Sept. 11 from 6-8 p.m. at the Thayne mortuary and Saturday at noon prior to funeral services at the church.