TAMRA JORGENSEN KELLY OBITUARY

 

Tamra Jorgensen Kelly

October 19, 1964 — March 16, 2025

South Jordan

Tamra Jorgensen Kelly

Tami was born on October 19, 1964, in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, the first of seven children born to Robert and Betty Jorgensen. With one sister and five brothers, she grew up surrounded by love, adventure, and the great outdoors. She had a deep love for nature, spending her childhood riding horses, herding sheep, and sharing precious moments with her dad and her siblings on the mountain.

A true social butterfly, Tami had a gift for making everyone feel seen and heard. She was a friend magnet who never met a stranger, always remembering birthdays and making people laugh with her wit and warm heart. She had a brilliant mind, excelling as a Sterling Scholar and carrying her love of learning and hard work throughout her life.

One of her greatest joys was being a mother to her son, Kevin, and later, a devoted grandmother to her granddaughter, Cadence, and step-grandson, Ethan. She was everyone’s biggest cheerleader—first as a high school cheerleader and then as a lifelong supporter of those she loved.

Tami’s faith in the Lord was unwavering. She had an unshakable testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the light of Christ shone through her daily actions and thoughtful words. She brightened the lives of all who knew her with her humor, kindness, and positive spirit.

Even through tremendous physical struggles, she remained a warrior, showing strength and grace in all she endured.

One of the deepest and most cherished relationships in her life was the bond she shared with her only sister, Annie, standing side by side as best friends and a constant source of love and support.

Tami is survived by her loving mother, Betty Jorgensen Jonson, and stepfather, Jan Jonson; her son, Kevin Kelly (Jenny); granddaughter, Cadence; step-grandson, Ethan; and her siblings: Trent Jorgensen (Julie), Troy Jorgensen (Staci), Annie Jorgensen, Scott Jorgensen (Clara), Brian Jorgensen (Tiffany), and Tyler Jorgensen (Jessica). She also leaves behind countless friends, cousins and loved ones who were blessed by her kindness and light.

Her life was testament to love, faith and joy, and her legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew her. She will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

 

Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. in the Mt. Pleasant 4th Ward Chapel (49 South State) with a visitation from 10:00 – 10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment in Mt. Pleasant City Cemetery.  

To Watch Recorded Funeral Service, Click Here.

To Watch Recorded Graveside Service, Click Here.

HUNK OF MEAT ON A STICK ~~~ ALICE HAFEN

 

Inside Ericksen Meat and Grocery

In about 1885, Grandpa Ericksen (Henry Ericksen) and his brother Allif started a meat and grocery store in Mt. Pleasant. Grandpa managed the store while Alif ran the farm and livestock; buying, feeding and slaughtering for the store. They would notify the townspeople that on a certain day they were going to kill a beef in the evening and bring it to the store the next morning, so that people could get a "hunk" of meat.

There were steaks, roasts, boils, stews or hamburger - just a chunk of meat. They would start cutting just back of the ears and end at the hind shank. all the cuts sold for the same price per pound; whether it was the neck or the porter house. Then, to carry it home, the customer whittled a sharp stick, jabbed it in the piece of meat and went home to mama, to have it prepared for the family dinner. There was no paper, twine or plastic to wrap the piece of meat in.

In 1893, they built their store on Main Street and took in another partner; brother-in-law, Judge Ferdinand Ericksen. The store was incorporated as the Ericksen Meat and Grocery Co. Their store was in a two story brick building with a full basement. It was considered one of the finest institutions in the community.

Ferdinand Ericksen was a lawyer and occupied three rooms on the second floor for his law practice. The town doctor, Dr. W.W. Woodring, occupied the other two rooms on the second floor.

In 1920, Soren M. Nielson and Uncle Harry, Henry's son, bought the store. Then in 1925, Uncle Harry, bought Nielson's half interest and owned and managed the business alone. Uncle Harry put in about forty five years operating the store. They did their own slaughtering and feed their own livestock such as hogs, lambs and cattle. Before the meat packers came into the state, they shipped out daily loads of dressed meat to Salt Lake City, Bingham, Eureka and also Carbon County.

During those first twenty years of operation they started to make their own lunch meats, bologna, minced ham, corned beef, head cheese, hamburger and sausage. But when the big packers came into the state that phase of manufacturing was discontinued. Until 1925 they handled the livestock with a first class saddle horse. After that, motor trucks and trailers were used to move the livestock between range, feed lot and slaughter house.

Ice was used in the store coolers until 1915, when modern refrigeration was installed. Before that, ice blocks were stored in the ice house under sawdust, and used to refill the store's ice about once a week. With the advent of electric home refrigerators, the store discontinued using their own ice supply.

After Uncle Harry sold the store, there has been several companies using the Main Street building, including Al and Naomi Berti's Red and White store, Terrel's Red and White Store.
The Ericksen Meat and Grocery Co. had a lot of competitors come and go, but operated for over sixty two years. And since 1986 it has been the home of the Mt. Pleasant Pyramid, the local newspaper.

MT. PLEASANT CITY NEWSLETTER ~ MAY 2025

 

STORY OF MORMONISM ~~~ Taken from "Birth of Mormonism in Picture" Published by Deseret Sunday School Union

 

LEONA MELVINA TERVORT BESSER

 

CHRISTMAS PLAY PHOTO SHARED BY JUDITH JACKSON

 

MT. PLEASANT EIGHTH GRADE BASKETBALL TEAM 1907-08

 

NORTH SANPETE HIGH SCHOOL 1956 REUNION ~~~ HELD 2016

 

AFTER FOUR SCORE YEARS By C. N. Lund, 1939

 

C.N. Lund 

AFTER FOUR SCORE YEARS By C. N. Lund, 1939

Today, as four score years have come and gone, we praise our cities' founders one by one.

 

And through time's window see the faithful band that put life's breath into the goodly land.

We pay our tributes to our pioneers who came and conquered through the stirring years;

Who came like pilgrims from their lands afar and followed bravely hope's shining star.

Transformed to fields, and gardens by their toil a wilderness of sage and sun-baked soil;

And by their contact with the arid clod, brought man a little nearer to his God.

The work they wrought, the homes they reared are faith's true answer to the call they heard.

May years fall gently around each narrow grave, and heaven reward them for the good they gave;

The proudest memory of a state still new; we bless their souls for they were nobly true.

HOME OF EDWARD CLIFF AND ELIZA CRESSWELL (from our archives)

 

MAYOR CHESLEY RAY CHRISTENSEN FUNERAL (from our archives)

 

ISAAC THOMAS AND ELIZABETH EVANS IVIE FAMILY ~~~ PIONEERS OF THE MONTH ~ May 2025

 

L to R: Back Row: Maurice Earl, Florencc Isabel, James Evan, Edith May, Justin Thomas, Lula Clara ,

Front row: Edna Elizabeth, Isaac Thomas, Marjory, Elizabeth Evans, Robert Elmo, 

Ripley's Believe it or Not!!! Noted Simpson Family (from our archives)

 

Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. The Believe It or Not panel proved popular and was later adapted into a wide variety of formats, including radio, television, comic books, a chain of museums and a book series.

 

You can find more articles about Joseph Simpson and "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" 

in Utah Digital Newspapers, Mt. Pleasant Pyramid.