Catholic Church history in Star Valley can be said to start in the early 1970’s.  Previous to this time, it was very difficult for an outsider to purchase land and start a business.  One such family was Aub and Malene Wegmer, along with their five children, who owned the Lazy B Motel in Afton.  Aub was an avid hunter/fisherman and moved to Star Valley from New Jersey.  It was here, in the back office of the Lazy B Motel, along with a couple of other Catholic families, Mass was said periodically by a visiting Priest from Montpelier, ID.

These early “pioneers” providing the first Catholic presence in Star Valley were Aub & Malene Wegmer, Gene & Berky Nelson (Gene was the manager of the ma-Bell Telephone Company), Paul & Ginnie Foster (Paul was a logging truck driver for Clarence Warner out of Omaha, NE), Farish & Sue Thompson (Farish was an independent logging/lumber truck driver for Star Stud Lumber Company), and their children.

In August 1972, under the direction of Bishop Newell, Father Charles Taylor was assigned to Our Lady of the Mountains in Jackson.  Bishop Newell insisted that Father Taylor rejuvenate the mission church of Afton, some 70 miles away.  Mass in Afton, which was actually a mission of Kemmerer, was infrequent, if ever, by a Wyoming Diocesan Priest.  In 1973, Father Taylor started having Mass in the upstairs area of the Veteran’s Hall (now the Lincoln County Branch Office located at 61 East 5th Ave. Afton).  It was during this time, Holy Family was named for the handful of devout families in Star Valley that attended the Sunday Mass.  Every Sunday, an Altar and chairs were set up, Mass said, and then disassembled for weekly VFW affairs.  Mass was at 3pm.

In January 1975, $500 was paid to Mr. Lee Eckman for an option to buy 19.5 acres of land on Highway 89, approximately one mile north of the town of Afton.  In June 1975, the Diocese of Cheyenne bought the property for approximately $19,000.  That same month, Father Taylor went to St. Barbara’s Parish in Powell, and Father Eugene Sullivan came to Jackson. He continued Father Taylor’s interest in the mission at Afton, and in October 1975, at his request, Bishop Newell changed the boundaries of the parish and gave the mission “officially” to the parish of Jackson.

In August 1976, under Bishop Newell’s direction, Father Charles Bartek became the 5th Pastor of Jackson, and Father Sullivan went to Our Lady of Sorrows in Rock Springs.  Father Bartek was born in Ford City, Pennsylvania in 1920 and began his seminary training at age 13 at St. Vincent’s Preparatory School.  He was ordained in 1945 and came to Wyoming as a missionary.  In 1953, he was appointed his first pastorate in the towns of Pinedale and Big Piney.  While there, he built the first Catholic church in Pinedale.  He later moved on to Douglas, then Rock Springs and finally to Kemmerer, where he built another new church.  This background proved to be a real blessing to the Afton community.  Soon after his move to Jackson, Father Bartek sensed the importance of establishing a chapel in the Afton area.  At the time, there were only 16 families in that congregation, but they knew it would continue to grow.

During Father Bartek’s tenure as pastor, perhaps his greatest achievement was the building of the Church at the Holy Family Mission in Afton.  He and Mr. Dale Motzkus designed the 30 ft. x 75 ft. Church, and Mr. Motzkus built it.  Ground breaking was in June 1977, and dedication in November 1978, by Father Bartek.  A blizzard that day prevented  Bishop Newell, as well as many other Priests from attending.  Mass continued to be once per week on Sunday at 3pm.

It is a tribute to Father Bartek that Holy Family Mission Church, which cost approximately $100,000, was paid off already in January 1979 by means of donations from the Extension Society, the various parishes in the Diocese, private donations and the financial astuteness of Father Bartek.  

(Photographs are from the October 1978 issue of 'Extension' magazine.)

Today, Holy Family Chapel is 'Holy Family Church, Inc.'.  Still a mission of Jackson due to the absense of its own priest. Currently with in excess of 110 families, with the projected growth for Star Valley, it is expected that this number will increase rapidly over the next 5 to 10 years.  Now, Holy Family Church  needs to take the steps necessary to meet this ever growing need. (See Future Plans)