THREE CLASSMATES WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY ~~~ Too Many Too Soon

 

Sally Vee Tippets

December 6, 1947 — November 29, 2024

Kaysville, Utah

In the early hours of November 29, 2024 shortly after midnight, Sally Vee Tippets (née Anderson; born: December 6, 1947 in Salt Lake City, UT) bravely let go of her body and crossed through the veil at the age of 77 in Layton, UT. 

Though death is a journey we face alone, vigil was held on both sides. On this side, by two of her faithful daughters and, on the other, by her loved ones who have already crossed over. These include her husband Terry Lynn Tippets, her parents, and many others. Although the bulk of the work was in her hands, she was never alone on her journey.

For those who knew her, forgetting her is literally impossible. The immensity of her heart and spirit was the first thing one noticed about her, the second her fiery red hair, followed closely by her intense green eyes and her bewitching smile. 

When Sally got her heart set on something, nothing could stop her. Her brother taught her to read at the age of three and from then on she was a force to be reckoned with. She skipped grades in school while growing up in Wales and Spring City, Utah, graduated at seventeen and then went to college, where she obtained her Bachelor’s. Eventually she met her first husband, Calvin Grotepas, at the publishing company Deseret Press, where she was a typesetter and he ran a printing press. 

She was a hopeless romantic and fell in love at first sight, and eventually landed him—because she was that unstoppable. Five daughters later—all given the most romantic names she could possibly think of (French)—she once again harnessed that unsinkable-Molly-Brown nature and divorced Calvin in 1987, when divorce was almost unheard of, to save herself and her kids. 

At the time, she ran her own type-setting business, Characters, Inc, in Salt Lake City, while balancing the responsibilities of raising five daughters and somehow never faltering. During this time, she kept close ties with her mother in central Utah, and her sister, Linda, who lived next door. Together, Sally and Linda managed to raise what felt like forty thousand kids, many animals, and even a slew of bees. 

A year or so later, she met the love of her life, Terry, with whom she eloped in 1988. They shared a mutual love of reading and the arts of all kinds. They were both passionate about family, hardback books, and drives through the mountains on Sundays after a big family dinner. They were mad for the opera and ballet and they both loved friendly competition over who would get to read the newest Terry Brooks book first. They were always going to run away together, and eventually they did, when all the kids were grown up and had moved out of the house.

Sally will be sorely missed. We believe that she is now with her deceased family, including her husband of 32 years, Terry Lynn Tippets, her mother, father, and three brothers. She will never be forgotten by her eight children: Kelly (Mark), Danielle (Jason), Nicole, Anjanette (Nathan), Lynn (Melissa), Jana (Brett), Cassi (Aaron), and Leslie (Justin). She will also be remembered by her sister, Linda (Larry) and her 6 children, as well as 22 grandchildren. 

A preliminary viewing will be held on Thursday, December 5th at Russon Brothers in Farmington (1941 N Main) from 6 - 8 pm. Another viewing will take place on Friday, December 6th at the LDS Church in Kaysville (1449 S Thoroughbred Dr) from 9:45 - 10:45 am. After a family prayer, services will commence at 11 am, followed by the graveside dedication at 12:30 pm in the Farmington City Cemetery (500 S 200 E). 

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Diane Patrice Jensen

December 31, 1946 — July 26, 2025

Diane Patrice "Pat" Downard Jensen was born December 31, 1946, in Spring City, Utah, to Judith Renee Pedersen Downard and Joseph Coyde Downard. She was the third of four children and enjoyed a very happy childhood in Spring City, surrounded by her family and many dear cousins and friends. She graduated from North Sanpete High School and went on to become an exceptionally gifted seamstress, working in various sewing plants for 35 years.

 

Pat married Larry Jensen on June 26, 1971. Together, they raised two children, Angela and Jeff, who were the center of her world. Pat’s greatest ambition was to be a mother, and she excelled in that role. Her home overflowed with love and her children always knew they could count on her for anything. Times were often difficult and she would sacrifice or go without so that she could give her children the things they needed. She used her sewing talents to make most of her family’s clothing by hand, including beautiful dresses for her daughter, and western shirts for her husband and son. Every Christmas, she created matching outfits for her daughter and her dolls, and each Halloween, her children wore the most imaginative costumes, always lovingly sewn by their mom. As her children grew into adulthood, Pat became their best friend and confidante throughout the entire rest of her life.  Through her example, she taught her children to be loving, kind, compassionate, and selfless. She was also incredibly patient, a virtue her children are still working on. 

 

Pat lived for her family; she didn’t want to leave us. She shared a special bond with each person in her life, and especially with her grandchildren. She wasn’t just a grandma—she was a best friend, a secret keeper, a playmate, a late-night movie buddy, and a quiet, steady comfort in hard times. She gave her love freely and completely, and made sure they each knew just how much they mattered.

 

Outside of her family, Pat’s greatest passion was reading her beloved romance novels, and she always carried one with her. Even when an eye condition left her nearly blind in the last 15 years of her life, and made it impossible for her to continue reading, she just adapted and replaced her romance novels with romance movies.

 

Pat was kind to everyone and she had the biggest laugh in the room. She made you feel better just by being near her. Kind, gentle souls like Pat are very rare. If there were more like her, the world would be a better place. She was our steady rock, our very best friend, and the heart of our family. We will carry her love with us always.

 

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband; brother, Joe Downard; and sisters, Jane Spicer and Wendy Clark. She is survived  her children, Angela (Jason) Johnson and Jeff (Deziree) Jensen; grandchildren, Rhett, Noah, Beau, and Sophi Johnson, Isabella (Dylan) Green, and Leif and Ada Jensen; great-grandchildren, Adysin and Dallin Green; sisters-in-law Judy Fowles, Merlene Peterson, and Marilyn Jensen; brother-in-law Bob Clark; and many nieces and nephews.

~~~~~~~~

 

Linda Zabriskie Obituary

Linda Zabriskie
1946 ~ 2015
Linda Muriel Zabriskie, 69, passed away December 26, 2015 due to a massive stroke, surrounded by loved ones. She was born December 12, 1946 in Mt. Pleasant, Utah to William Marland and Maxine Maxwell Zabriskie. She attended Mt. Pleasant Elementary School, North Sanpete Junior High, and Wasatch Academy, where she excelled in academics and was double promoted, graduating High School a year early in 1964. She is a former Miss Mt. Pleasant and attended Snow College where she was Editor of the Snow Drift and runner up to Snow Queen. While at Snow she met Harlo Newton. They were married in 1967 and later divorced in 1980.
She graduated from Utah State University in 1968 with a Bachelor's Degree in English and Minor in French. She taught at Delta High School, Wasatch Academy, North Sanpete High School, Beaver High School, Milford High School, Roland Hall, and 20 years at Kearns High School. She found her true calling in teaching and touched many lives over the years. She continued her studies, switching her focus to United States History, and received her PhD from the University of Utah at the age of 66, showing her passion for life-long learning. She was proud of her history with Wasatch Academy and received academic accolades for her research paper while in graduate school about the history of Wasatch Academy. She also contributed to the book "Presbyterians in Zion: History of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Utah," writing a section about the history of the First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant, for which she held a special affection. She was active in the Democratic Party in the 70s and supported many liberal causes throughout her later years.
Linda excelled at everything she did - an excellent cook and housekeeper, a woman of impeccable taste and extraordinary intelligence. She was proud of her family and especially adored her grandchildren who called her "Mimi."
Linda's family would like to thank the West Jordan Emergency Response team and the caring staff at Jordan Valley Medical Center for their compassionate care, especially nurses Ashton and Teresa and Dr. Reiser.
She is survived by her son Patrick Newton of Salt Lake City, daughter Nicole (Gavan) Holmes of West Jordan, sister Mary Ellen (Orson) Cook of Moroni, brother David (Cindy) Zabriskie of Farmington, New Mexico, grandchildren, Madison and Jackson Holmes and a grandson on the way.

CANDACE ISABELLE WILCOX IVIE

 

Name: CANDACE ISABELLE WILCOX IVIE

Birth: 1/1/1871 MT. PLEASANT, UT

Death: 12/14/1947 BNTFL, UT

Relations

Father: Joseph Wilcox Mother: Candace Blanchard Rowe

Burial Information

Burial: 12/17/1947 Bountiful City Cemetery, Bountiful, Davis, Utah, United States

Grave Location: B-E-48-6

Headstone Transcription:

Headstone Material:

Headstone Condition:

Date Inspected:

Stone Carver:

information taken from below:

http://www.namesinstone.com/ViewMap.aspx?deceasedId=372835

Details For Marriage ID#246502
Groom Last Name:	IVIE
Groom First Name:	Justin T.
Groom Residence:	Mt. Pleasant
Bride Last Name:	WILCOX
Bride First Name:	Belle C.
Bride Residence:	Mt. Pleasant
Place:	Manti
Date:	17 Apr 1895
County of Record:	Sanpete
State:	Utah
Volume:	3
Page:

The above information can be found:  http://abish.byui.edu/specialCollections/westernStates/westernStatesRecordDetail.cfm?recordID=246502

HOME OF JOHN K. MADSEN AND WIFE MARY VIRGINIA WHITLOCK ~~~ Researched and compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

 

This home may have new residents now.

SALT OF THE EARTH ~~~ GORDON B. HINCKLEY ~~~1948

 

Gordon B. Hinckley

Salt of the Earth by Gordon B. Hinckley

THE CHURCH NEWS, SEPTEMBER 15, 1948 Salt of the Earth: Fruits of Bitterness, Hate Are Eternal Salvation for Many By Gordon B. Hinckley It is a remarkable thing that in the case of Adolph Merz the fruits of bitterness and hate have become eternal salvation for scores now living and for thousands of the dead. For this quiet, inconspicuous man was, as a child, torn from his mother so that he might not become a Mormon; yet he not only became a member of the Church but he has done missionary work, both for the living and the dead, that is almost without parallel in our time. He was born seventy-nine years ago in Zurich, Switzerland, where hatred for the Mormons knew few bounds. With the death of his father, the Merz family became the victims of that cruel bitterness. The mother needed a little assistance, and the community answered with an order that her two eldest children should be placed in an orphanage lest they grow up to become Mormons. Adolph was nine, his sister eight. There was no recourse. When the mother was afforded an opportunity to go to America and requested that her children be permitted to go with her, the official replied, “You are a Mormon. You can go, but you will have to leave your children.” It is easy to imagine that in that dark hour she must have known something of the heaviness of Abraham’s heart when he was commanded to offer up as a sacrifice his son, Isaac. But she left in the faith that somehow in the providence of the Almighty the family would again be reunited. It goes without saying that those were hard days for the orphaned boy. The impress of those years probably accounts for the quiet manner of the man today. He was apprenticed to learn the marble cutting trade, but always care was taken to see that he was kept away from members of the Church. But as he grew he came more and more to appreciate the quality of his mother’s sacrifice, and when he was released from the jurisdiction of the orphanage he determined to find out for himself the truth of the philosophy for which his mother had paid so heavily. The result was that he became active in the Church, and at the age of nineteen, while he was yet a priest, he was called to serve a full-time mission. When the authorities learned of what he was doing they were infuriated. Seven years in the orphanage had been in vain so far as indoctrinating him away from Mormonism. He was arrested and tried, but without avail. When released from his mission, he was penniless and threadbare. Then to his room one day came an aged woman, a member of the Church. “For twenty years I have tried to go to America,” she said, “but I have never been quite able to make up my mind. Now I am old. Here is the money I have saved for the trip. You take it and go to Zion.” Tears and rejoicing were unrestrained when the boy’s mother again put her arms around him after eleven years of absence. When he had been taken from her he was a child. Now he was a man, but her prayers had been answered. And through his efforts, his sister was able to come to America. To this reunited family the valleys of the mountains were verily Zion. In the spring of 1890, Adolph Merz married Ida Rutishauser. They had lived within thirty miles of one another in Switzerland, but had never met before coming to America. A few years following their marriage he was called to a second mission which lasted from 1897 until 1900. Eight years later he returned again to Switzerland and Germany, and remained there until 1910. During both of these missions, his wife worked at home to sustain him. In the course of these missions, he was banished from Germany on three different occasions, under severe penalty not to return. But each time he risked imprisonment to preach the gospel. While serving as president of the Frankfurt-on-Main conference, he took two new missionaries to police headquarters for registration. The police commissioner called him into a private office. With fear in his heart that he was detected, Elder Merz expected the worst. The man reached in his desk drawer, and to the Elder’s surprise took from it a copy of the Book of Mormon. “I have read part of it,” he said, “and I know it is the truth.” “Then why don’t you join the Church?” the Elder countered. The man then explained that he could not afford to lose all that he had and become a Mormon. He then went on to explain that he knew who Elder Merz was and of the banishment decree against him, but told him that neither he nor the other missionaries had anything to fear in that district. Following his return to Mount Pleasant, Utah, Elder Merz was sustained as bishop, and shortly thereafter as president of the North Sanpete Stake, a position he filled with honor for eight years. But by nature, he is not robust, and his health broke under the heavy responsibilities. He was asked by the General Authorities to fill a mission at the Salt Lake Temple. That was twenty-five years ago, and he has been there ever since, for several years as supervisor of the archives. This work was confined largely to his daytime hours, and for more than seventeen years, he served also as president of the Liberty Stake Mission. It has been said that for nearly every year during that period, the missionaries under his direction brought more people into the Church than were converted in any of the full-time missions. That example gave great impetus to local missionary work in the Church. Not satisfied with their labor among the living, this man and wife have never rested in their work for the dead. Since their marriage fifty-eight years ago, they have labored continuously at genealogical and temple activity. Assisted by good friends, they have completed the record of fifty thousand of their kin and have completed work in the temple for them. They have never computed the cost in time and hard-earned dollars, but they know that in the aggregate it has been tremendous. The years have now come upon them. At best they cannot be very far from the other side. And in talking with them about this magnificent labor of love, one feels that when they pass over to the other side, there will be a tremendous welcome awaiting this quiet man and woman, while thousands of others who sought instead this world’s honors are largely forgotten and disregarded.

RANDOM PHOTOS FROM OLD PYRAMID

When the Mt. Pleasant Pyramid Office was moved

to Springville these photos were given to us to

share at the Relic Home.  Some do not have names 

or descriptions.  Let us know if you can add

any details. 

 

1947 CENTENNIAL COMMISION PROGRAM

CENTENNIAL PROGRAMS ~ 1947

CHILDREN GROUP WITH NAMES (circa 1885)

 

 

JOHN HASLER OBITUARY (From our archives)

 

MOUNTAINVILLE GAMES ~~~Taken from Mountainville History by Melba Shelley Hill

 

Melba Shelley Hill 

HOME OF JOHAN FRIEDRICH FECHSER AND WIFE IDA CHRISTIAN JOHNSON (From our archives)

 

 

 This home has since been torn down.

LORNA MARY ROWE BECK

 

Lorna Mary Beck

October 6, 1958 — August 6, 2025

Mount Pleasant

Listen to Obituary

Lorna Beck, age 66, of Mount Pleasant, Utah, passed away peacefully on August 6, 2025.

 

Born on October 6, 1958, Lorna was the daughter of Rodney Rowe and Frances Nielson. She was a loving mother, a proud grandmother, a devoted sister, and a beloved friend to many.

 

Lorna is survived by her mother, Frances Nielson; her children: Jacquie Wavra (Josef), Amanda Brown (Greg), and Rod Brown; her grandchildren: Rylie, Ayden, and Robert; and her sisters: LouAnn Poulson (Jim), Lois Shepherd (Bob), Debbie Martens, and Tammy Owen (Mike).

 

She was preceded in death by her father, Rodney Rowe; her husband, David Beck; her son, Waylon Brown; and her faithful dog, Viena.

 

Lorna spent many years working as a waitress, a job she took great pride in until health issues led to her early retirement. She was known for her quick wit, big heart, and the kind of conversations that stayed with you long after they ended.

 

A private celebration of life will be held with close family members and friends, in accordance with Lorna’s wishes.

 

If you knew Lorna, you know she always asked the same question anytime you talked to her:

“What are you having for dinner?”

In her honor, we hope you’ll share a meal with someone you love and keep that question going.

In her honor, we hope you’ll share a meal with someone you love and keep that question going.