Showing posts with label Leavitt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leavitt. Show all posts

Saturday, January 31, 2026

KEITH ALONZO LEAVITT~~~ DEAR FRIEND ~~~ A REAL GENTLEMAN

 

Keith Alonzo Leavitt

August 31, 1934 — January 28, 2026

Ephraim

Listen to Obituary

Keith Alonzo Leavitt, age 91, passed away peacefully at home. He was a kind and gentle man who devoted his life to his family, his faith, and quiet service to others.

Keith was born on August 31,1934, in St. George, Utah, to Laurel Leavitt and Melvina Durrant. He was the third of seven children. He spent his early years in Bunkerville, Nevada, and at the age of nine moved with his family to Homedale, Idaho. Those formative years shaped his lifelong love of farming, the outdoors, and hard work. He especially treasured time spent farming and hunting alongside his father and brothers.

An accomplished and enthusiastic athlete, Keith lettered in four sports during high school. His strong work ethic and love of people later led him to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Eastern States from 1954 to 1956, where he also had the memorable opportunity to participate in the Hill Cumorah Pageant.

In 1957, Keith was drafted into the United States Army and served honorably until 1959, including two years stationed in Dachau, Germany.

Keith married Linda Swensen in 1960. They were blessed with eight children. Keith earned a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and taught school for several years in Idaho. In 1971, Keith and Linda moved from Idaho to Provo, Utah, where Keith worked for eight years at Jones’ Paint and Glass. However, Keith was a farmer at heart. They dreamed of having a farm, so in 1979, they moved to Missouri. After two years, they returned to Idaho to help run his father’s apple farm. In 1988, they moved to Mt. Pleasant, Utah, where Keith taught school again, this time as a Special Education teacher.

At their home in Mt. Pleasant, Keith planted a fruit tree orchard and tended a large garden. Growing, tilling, and tending the earth was the labor of his life. He loved sharing garden produce with family and friends. Many boxes of apples, squash, tomatoes, and garlic were personally delivered around the neighborhood each summer. Keith and Linda loved Mt. Pleasant and the friends they made there. It was where they spent some of the happiest and most fulfilling years of their lives.

Keith and Linda shared a deep commitment to service. For 20 years, they served together as Humanitarian Service Missionaries, giving generously of their time and talents. They also loved serving in the temple. Keith was a devoted and supportive husband, always encouraging Linda in her many projects and callings.

Above all else, Keith loved his family. He delighted in time spent with his children, grandchildren, and extended family. Cousin parties and family reunions were among his most treasured memories and he took great joy in watching his family grow.

Keith will be remembered for his gentle spirit, quiet strength, and unwavering love for the gospel of Jesus Christ. His legacy of faith, service, and family devotion will continue to bless generations.

He is survived by his brother, Leon Leavitt, his 8 children and their spouses, 29 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, February 7, at 1:00 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 450 N 200 W E, Ephraim, UT. Family and friends are invited to attend. Interment in the Mt. Pleasant City Cemetery with Military Honors.

To Watch Service Live, Click Here. The Live Zoom Link will Activate at 12:45 a.m. MST prior to services

Saturday, November 23, 2024

LINDA LEAVITT ~~~Such a Lovely Lady

 

Linda Leavitt

November 14, 1942 — October 31, 2024

Mt. Pleasant

Linda Swensen Leavitt was born November 14, 1942 in Ontario, Oregon. She passed away in her home in Ephraim, Utah on October 31, 2024 with her adoring husband and faithful daughters by her side.

 

Linda was a war baby, born as the first child to Max and Lucie Swensen in the wake of Pearl Harbor. Her father served faithfully as a Navy weatherman during World War II while his new bride raised their beautiful little girl. Six more children would follow and Linda worked hard through her youth to help her parents and younger siblings. She was a cherished daughter and a wonderful sister.

 

By the time she was 12 years old she was six feet tall. We can only guess that this was necessary to house all that ambition, energy, drive, passion and talent. She was a whirlwind and moved through life with an incredible flourish of speed, imagination and vision.

 

Two weeks out of high school, at age 17, she married the handsome Keith Alonzo Leavitt in the Logan, Utah LDS temple. His life centered around her. He was completely devoted to caring for her, supporting her and helping her shine in her projects and pursuits. Together they welcomed 8 children, 2 boys and 6 girls.

 

Her life revolved around her beautiful children that she “loved to pieces.” She especially excelled as a grandma, welcoming newborns, holding sleepovers, cousin parties, celebrating birthdays, baptisms, holidays and having tea parties in her little village of 3 playhouses.

 

Linda was immensely gifted. She was an accomplished seamstress, an artist, and a gardener. She loved reading and learning. A force to be reckoned with in the kitchen, she could cook a meal big enough to feed an army or can hundreds of quarts of garden produce. Mass production at high speed was her specialty.

 

Two main themes of her life were her love and devotion for her Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ and also her joy and delight in nurturing and serving her family. She had a pure mother's heart. She was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and truly wore out her life in service.

 

She worked endlessly serving in the church. She held many callings over the years. Perhaps her favorite was the Humanitarian Service mission with her husband. She used her sewing talents to make hundreds of blankets, clothes for children, dolls and toys, infant burial gowns, and many other things that were sent around the world. She was an organizer and a manager who got things done. She loved temple and family history work, spending hundreds of hours researching family names, indexing and serving in the temple. She has left a priceless legacy that will span through the generations.

 

She is survived by her husband, Keith, 5 siblings and spouses, 8 children and spouses, 29 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.

 

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 30, 11:00 a.m at the Mt. Pleasant 6th Ward building (461 N 300 W).  Family and friends are invited to attend.