Velma St. Clair Chavez

Rev. Velma St.Clair-Chavez was born May 5, 1930 to Winnie Welsh and Wallace St. Clair in Fort Washakie, Wyoming.

Her Arapaho name was Na-coo-ah-ha-say (White Swan).

She lived most of her life in Fort Washakie, Wyoming and shorter periods in Hawthorne, California and Thermopolis, Wyoming.

She married the love of her life, Louis Chavez Sr. on October 3, 1948 and they were married for 53 years.

She was employed as a librarian for Fort Washakie School, a housing specialist for Shoshone Housing, and a Grandmother for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First grades at Fort Washakie School for 15 years. She retired in May of 2019.

She served on boards for the Rocky Mountain Hall, Fremont County School District #21, and was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary for the Richard Pogue Post #81.

She was ordained August 28, 2001 for the Episcopal church serving the Shoshone congregation at the Shoshone Mission in Fort Washakie.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Wallace and Winnie St. Clair, her husband, Louis Chavez Sr., sons Louis Chavez Jr., Erno Chavez Sr., her grandson whom she raised Erno Chavez Jr. and grandson-Douglas St. Clair, sisters-Leota Lajeunesse, Harlene St. Clair, Bernadette Oberly, brothers-Wallace St. Clair Jr., Stanford St. Clair, Reuben St. Clair and William St. Clair, and great grandsons-Enrique Chavez Sr., and Robert Tillman Jr.

Her survivors include her daughters-Rita (Floyd) Phillips and Doreen Chavez, sons-Orville (Lynette) St. Clair, and Dennis Chavez, sisters-Lucille (Frank) Foote, Bonnie (John) Washakie, Violet (Leo) Lajeunesse and Iva (Tex) LeClair. She had 14 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

We have a very large family, if we left anyone out, we sincerely apologize.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.

~ Revelation 21:4

Hudson's Funeral Home and On-Site Crematory, 680 Mount Hope Drive, Lander, WY 82520