Obituaries

Edna Julia Fedell Copyak

Edna Julia Fedell Copyak, 88, of Rock Springs passed away peacefully surrounded by her family Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, after a brief stay at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

A resident of Rock Springs since 1938 and former resident of Helper, Utah, Mrs. Copyak died following a lengthy illness. 

She was born Dec. 13, 1917, in Breezy Hill, Kan., the daughter of the late Joseph and Leona Senechal Fedell.

Mrs. Copyak attended schools in Kansas and Price, Utah, and was a graduate of Carbon County High School with the class of 1938.

She married George Walter Copyak in Green River on June 11, 1949.

Mrs. Copyak was employed most recently at the Rock Springs Rocket Miner as circulation manager, where she retired in 1979.  She was a member of Episcopal Church of Holy Communion, Young At Heart Senior Citizen’s Center, Tyrolean Trenti of Wyoming and Sweetwater Diabetes Chapter.

Her interests included spending time with her family, making dried flower creations, crafts, painting, writing stories and poems, and working puzzles. 

Survivors include her husband, George Walter Copyak of Rock Springs; three sons: Dennis Copyak and wife, Leanne, of Salt Lake City, Utah, Fred Copyak and wife Jeanette of Clearfield, Utah, and George J. Copyak and wife Linda of West Valley City, Utah; eight grandchildren: Bryan Copyak and wife Jenie, Tiffani Martin and husband Chris and Kurtis Copyak and wife Jamie, all of Salt Lake City, Jody Lynn Copyak, Rocky Copyak and Domingo Copyak, all of West Valley City, Jack Copyak and Kelly Copyak of Clearfield, Utah; four  great-grandchildren: Isaac Copyak, Ethan Copyak, Chandler Copyak and Haley Copyak; several nieces and nephews, including Jolene Jensen of South Dakota, John Bonomo of Texas and Bill Bonomo of Montana.

Memorial services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Episcopal Church of Holy Communion,  Corner of Second and “B” streets in Rock Springs.  Dr. Bernadine Craft will conduct the services. Friends may call at the church one hour prior to services. 

The family of Edna Julia Fedell Copyak respectfully suggests that donations in her memory be made to The Cathedral Home For Children, P.O. Box 520, Laramie, Wyo., 82070, or the charity of your choice.

Paul R. Haarala

Paul R. Haarala, 76 and a retired forest ranger, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006, in Williamsburg, Va.

He was born Aug. 3, 1930, in Houghton, Mich., to Sophie and Gusti Haarala. Paul was the youngest of 12 children and his parents were Finnish immigrants. He was a genealogy enthusiast and recently traveled to Finland to meet some of his relatives.

Paul graduated from Michigan Technological University, class of 1956, receiving his bachelor of science in forestry.

Mr. Haarala began serving the U.S. Forest Service in Washington state in 1956. Paul was a district ranger for the Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming, It was here where he met and married Esther Haarala, daughter of Bernice and Bill Carmichael, former Pinedale residents. While in Ogden, Utah, he was an active member of the Ascension Lutheran Church.

Paul worked in the intermountain regional office in Ogden before moving to the Washington, D.C., office of the Forest Service in 1976. Over the 40-plus years of government service at the USDA Forest Service, Paul assisted in the legislation of Indian rights and land settlements. Paul was an authority on land title issues and one of the most knowledgeable, experienced and responsive lands specialists and title claims experts to ever have been employed by the Forest Service. He continued to be an invaluable resource for the Forest Service long after his retirement.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Judith; children David, Duane, Wendy and Lisa; siblings Matthew, Edward, Martha, Miriam and Ruth; grandchildren Christina, Paul, Hannah, Megan, Madison, Josh, Jessica and Eric.

The family would like donations to be made to hospice house in lieu of flowers via www.williamsburghospice.org.