Daniel L. Kinnaman

Daniel Lindsey Kinnaman, more commonly referred to as Dan, passed away on April 24, 2025, due to natural causes. Dan was a foundation of his family as husband, father, grandfather, son, and brother. He was also a pillar of Wyoming and Rawlins as a businessman, historian, and civil servant.

Dan was a Wyoming native, born in Rawlins on March 5, 1933, and, other than a short period of time during military service to serve his country in Korea and post college, lived in Wyoming and more specifically in Rawlins. It was in Salt Lake City where Dan was to meet the love of his life and on November 15, 1958, he and Angeline Marken were married. In 1961 they moved back to Rawlins to start a family.

Dan was a wonderful husband of 66 years to Angeline (Angie) Marken Kinnaman. He and Angie lived a full and happy life together. Angie preceded Dan from this life, passing away on December 25, 2024. Dan was a loving and caring father to three children. Dana Michelle, who tragically passed away at the age of seventeen after a long illness. Dana meant the world to Dan, and he would have moved heaven and earth for her. He also had two sons, Andrew Daniel and John Mark. Dan was a grandfather to two adorable granddaughters, Maya and Ava. Dan was a loving son to Elmer and Ione Kinnaman. Elmer and Dan were close and had many things in common. Dan followed the footsteps of Elmer, who was also a Wyoming native, a successful businessman and Wyoming State Representative and Senator for Carbon County

Dan graduated from Rawlins High School and the University of Wyoming with an electrical engineering degree. He served two years in the army, stationed in Korea prior to graduating from UW in 1957. Following his military service and graduation, he began his professional career in Salt Lake City with Sperry Rand Corporation as an engineer. After a couple of years there he returned to Rawlins. Dan began working with his father owning and operating several NAPA auto part stores across Wyoming. Eventually all the stores except the Rawlins store were sold. Dan made a great livelihood and lived a very successful life in Rawlins running the store until his retirement in 1996. Dan’s retirement allowed him to pursue another passion as a historian.

Dan was active in political and civic service throughout his life. He was elected to the local school board and served for four years as Wyoming State Representative for Carbon County. He was appointed by the Wyoming Governor to serve on the Wyoming State School Board, the Wyoming State Library Board and as a Trustee of the University of Wyoming. Dan was also an Historian Emeritus at the Carbon County Museum and a member of various professional and social organizations in Rawlins, including the BPOE, Shriners, Odd Fellows, and Lions.

Dan had several interests besides the history of Carbon County. He was an insatiable reader on numerous topics, but primarily history. He had various hobbies including handcrafted Kachina Dolls, tinkering with anything electronic and later building all types of robotics and models. Many are still on display at the family home.

Dan and Angie can now be added to the extensive cross-referenced list of obituaries Dan had chronicled beginning with the late nineteenth century. Over the years he accumulated detailed knowledge of the buildings and households in Rawlins, documenting how buildings opened, changed, and often faded into memory and how families seemed to do the same thing. Dan preferred fact over myth and for decades was a source of local history for teachers, other historians, and the merely curious. His three books on Carbon County and Rawlins are densely packed with facts, some with historic significance and some intensely personal, that tell the story of the region and the families who carved out lives here.

Dan is survived by his two sons, Andrew (Eleanor) and John (Christie), his granddaughters Maya and Ava, and his sister Susan Kosmiski (Jim).

Services for Dan and Angie will be held on June 21, 2025. Please see Casada Funeral Home and Crematory Web Site for additional information. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Carbon County Museum, 904 West Walnut Street Rawlins, WY 82301 or your local animal shelter.