Beth Fry
Beth FryRichfield, Utah
Beth Pearson Fry, 84, of Richfield, passed away at home surrounded by her family, June 24, 2012, in Richfield. She was born September 6, 1927, in Mt Emmons, Duchesne County, Utah. She was the oldest child of Leslie Neils and Elda Case Pearson. She lived most of the first nine years of her life in Mt. Emmons except for a little while that her father spent working in the coal mines at Hiawatha in Carbon County. In 1937 her father bought his father's farm in Boneta, Duchesne County and the family moved there. He was a cattle rancher and raised hay and grain to feed the cattle and horses and a large garden to feed the family. Work was no stranger to the Pearson family and it was at the end of the Great Depression so everyone was in the same place. They all had to struggle to make a living.
Beth was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held many church callings. She was called as a Primary teacher at about 16 years of age. She was the youngest Primary teacher that the ward had ever had.
She received her schooling first at Mt. Emmons Elementary School and then at Altamont High School where she graduated in 1945. She received a scholarship to Westminster College in Salt Lake City but didn't use it. When she graduated from high school she went to Ogden where she found employment at the Army Supply Depot as a clerk typist, working there for the next year. While working there she met the love of her life, John J. Fry. They were married in Ogden, May 22, 1946. Their marriage was solemnized in the Mt. Timpanogos LDS Temple on October 21, 2004. He preceded her in death on November 4, 2007, after 61 years of marriage.
They moved to Idaho Falls, ID, where Jack had employment. While there, their first two children were born: Delbert James and Carole Jean. Jack's employment later took them to Salt Lake City, and finally to Richfield, where they added three more children to the family: Julie Ann, Teresa Lynne and Sheila Marie.
Beth is survived by her children, Delbert(Virginia) Fry, Richfield; Carole Dumas, Pleasant Grove; Julie Winn, Kearns; Teresa Fry, Richfield; and Sheila (Greg) Higgins, Richfield; 13 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren; brother, William Pearson, CO; sister, Marge Lundell, Pleasant Grove; sisters-in-law, Joann Fry, ID and Betty Higdon, CA.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack; parents; grandson, David Jeff Beck; great-grandson, Patrick Douglas Higgins; and sister, Kathleen P. Brown.
Funeral services will be held Monday, July 2, 2012, at 12 Noon in the Richfield 2nd Ward LDS Chapel, 700 W 200 S. Friends may call at the Magleby Mortuary, 50 S 100 W, in Richfield, Sunday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. and at the ward chapel Monday morning from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Burial will be in the Richfield City Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook at www.maglebymortuary.com
The family would like to thank all the medical personnel who have taken care of Mom the past 18 months, with a special thanks to Shauna, Brooke and Shara for their loving care.
Published in Deseret News on June 28, 2012