Friday, November 24, 2023

Michael Heard


 Michael Heard passed away Oct 31, 2023. More info to follow.

Thursday, March 23, 2023

IN MEMORY OF....

 March 23, 2023

I recently found this Document in the Joseph and Minnie Whitaker Reunion Box! 


Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Melvin J. Heard

 



Melvin “Mel” J. Heard of Ventura passed away on November 14, 2022. He was born on June 27, 1932, in a farmhouse in Hatton, Utah. One of 6 siblings he lived in Black Rock, Utah for the first 3 years of his life and then moved to Jean, Nevada, because his father, Sam, went to work for the Union Pacific Railroad. This began his life-long love of living in the desert.
Mel attended Good Springs High School where he was one of three students in his class! His family moved to Puente, California where he graduated from Puente High School in 1950. Mel worked at various jobs after high school including at a Chevron gas station and his favorite, working at an Arabian horse farm where he got to show the horses to potential buyers. Mel then enlisted in the United States Air Force and proudly served his Country during the Korean War, working on B-29 airplanes. It was during this time he met the love of his life, Dolly Lee, and they were married on December 29, 1956.
Mel and Dolly settled in Diamond Bar, California and raised their 4 children there. They developed lifelong friendships in the neighborhood and had many fun days in their second home in Baja, Mexico.
Mel was a hard worker and provided for his family well. He worked for Chevron in La Habra, California as a machinist for 33 years.
After retirement, Mel and Dolly enjoyed building houses and remodeling them. They had houses in Big Bear, Cottonwood, Arizona, Bullhead City, Arizona, and then settled in Ventura. He also loved rebuilding old cars and he and Dolly loved the LA Dodgers.
Mel is predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Dolly Lee, who passed away in February of 2021. Also, by his parents, Sam and Muriel (Whitaker) Heard, and all of his 6 siblings. He is lovingly survived by his 4 children: Michael Heard, Russell (Sher) Heard, Melanie (Steve) Fekete and Patrick (Christine) Heard. He had 8 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. He also leaves behind many nephews and nieces that he loved dearly and his pup Shiloh.
Mel, our dad will be greatly missed, but we rejoice in the fact that he is now with his sweetheart and his parents and siblings.
Funeral arrangements will be handled by Conejo Mountain Funeral Home and Memorial Park.


Services for Melvin J Heard
Wednesday November 30
1100 am
Conejo Mountain Funeral Home
2052 Howard Road
Camarillo CA 93012









 


Friday, September 30, 2022

Mary Heard Hutton

 


Mary Heard Hutton... November 25, 1926 - Sept 17, 2022

Daughter of Samuel and Muriel Whitaker Heard

Denise Heard Thompson reports. . . We lost another one of my dad's siblings this week, Aunt Mary, she was 95. Have not seen her since 2015, and just love each one of my aunts and uncles and only wish distance wasn't such a barrier as visits are way too far and few in between. Until we meet again ....

From her son Sam:

Here’s a little information about my mother, Mary Hutton.

She was born November 25, 1926, to Sam and (Meral unsure of the spelling) Heard in Los Angles Ca. (unsure of her birthplace also) She used to tell me about growing up in Jean Nevada. Every time we drove through that area it was like her childhood memories came flooding back. One story I recall was Grandpa making them sleep on the roof because it was to hot in the house and he was afraid that coyotes would get them if they slept on the ground. 

My Father died in 1957 and I don’t think she ever stopped loving him and our lives took a real downturn after his passing. To briefly go into that a horror story, we had to leave Sonora in the middle of the night and history has proven it probably saved her life. She left behind a house, friends, and a working gold mine that my father owned, and lost it to back taxes! About twenty years ago I went to Tuolumne County and did a record search only to find the amount of back taxes and it was not much (75 cents or $7.50 I forget) I also found that my father died on the same date that I was doing the record search, that ended my search.

We ended up in Castaic Ca. living with her sister, my Aunt Leah and cousins John, Mary, and Alfred for several years (or so it seemed) She took odd jobs to make ends meet, Waitressing and house keeping for the most part.

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Sterling Pritchett


 


Obituary

Sterling Pritchett was a caring husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend. He left this world on February 24, 2022, at the age of 75, after complications from a sudden stroke. He was surrounded by his family, and was greeted on the other side by many loved ones.

He was born in Portland, Oregon on August 7, 1946 to Hope and W.T. Pritchett. He graduated from Orem High School in 1964. After graduation, Sterling enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he actively served for 3 years. He continued in the U.S. Naval Reserves until his retirement in 1986. He was a proud veteran and deeply loved the friendships made during his service. He attended Weber State College, worked for the IRS, and retired from the Utah State Government Tax Commission after 30 years.

He married Kristine Cook on December 3, 1971. Together they had four children. He married Linda Dee Smith on December 16, 1997, where he also gained a son, and they spent a joyous 24 years together until Linda’s passing on April 28, 2021. One of their favorite pastimes together was singing karaoke and Linda especially loved when he sang anything by Elvis.

Sterling was a long-time member of the Aspen 5th Ward in Orem, UT, and most recently the Paradise Branch in Alpine, UT. He enjoyed serving in the church and held various callings in the high priests group, young mens, and as a ward missionary. He was also a gifted singer and loved singing with the church choir.

Words were important to him. He was a master speller (and would oftentimes challenge his grandchildren to spelling contests), never gave a card without a heart-felt message, and collected inspirational quotes that he loved to share. Many of his loved ones were the recipient of his “Words of Wisdom” quote compilation book. He was a good, kind man and a loyal friend. Nobody in his life doubted his love or concern for them. Other things in his life that brought him joy were skiing, writing, cars, movies, monthly dinners with his navy friends, and socializing.

Sterling is survived by his sisters, Pam Wily (Bob) and Paula Hinckley (Greg); one son, Chad Pritchett (Jill); daughters, Heather Dawson (Fred), Laurie Coleman (Dustin), and Lacie Koford (Kelly). He is also survived by his 16 grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He cherished his family and was always so proud of them.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Dee Smith Pritchett, his parents, Hope Whatcott Pritchett and W.T. Pritchett, his son, Ronald “Ron” Lee Williams, and his grandson, Greg. He is having a great reunion with those family members and friends that he missed and loved so greatly in this life.

Services will be held at 12:00pm on Tuesday, March 1, at the Walker Sanderson Funeral Home located at 646 E 800 N, Orem, Utah. A viewing will be held prior from 10:30am - 11:30am. Interment will be at the Orem City Cemetery.

The family would like to thank all of the caring nurses and doctors who served him during his last days, especially the nurses in the cath lab at Mountain Point Hospital and the ER nurses and doctors at Utah Valley Medical Center.

“The road of life is fraught with many detours and side-streets. Our loving Heavenly Father and Savior will aid in the mapping out of our journey and will also aid in our staying on the course that will lead us to our ultimate destination.” -Sterling Pritchett

Condolences and memories may be shared with the family online at www.walkersanderson.com.

David Whitaker Stevens





David W. Stevens was born May 28, 1945 in Fillmore, Utah to Merlin Stringham Stevens and Georgia Whitaker Stevens, of Lehi, Utah. He passed away peacefully February 16, 2022 (76 years old) at the hospital surrounded by his adoring family, loving on him for 2 days. He'd been dealing with COPD and weekly dialysis for 5 years and recently got pneumonia. His poor body was tired of the fight.

David grew up in Fillmore with 1 brother and 3 sisters. His grandmother raised him until he was 3 years old because his mother was very ill when he was born.

He graduated from Millard High School in 1963 and then went into the National Guard. While hanging out in his little town of Fillmore he met his first wife Rosemary Jacobs in a little cafe. They fell in love and married in 1965 in Pocatello, Idaho and had 4 wonderful children; Angela (Angie), Mindy, Hazen, and Coleman. They were married then latter divorced after 18 years.

He served in the Lehi Auxiliary Ambulance department in the 70's.

In September 1990 he met Stella Zobell Christensen and they fell in love and they married April 13, 1991 and celebrated 30 wonderful years last year. They are snowbirds and loved to go down south for the winter months and play at the casinos in the warmer weather.

David has had many jobs in his lifetime such as a Meat Butcher, Service Station Attendant, Trane Company Air Conditioning Systems, Self Employed - Stevens Cedar Fencing, Steel Mill Worker, Truck Driver and many others.

He is survived by his loving wife Stella Stevens, 5 children: Angela (Angie), Mary Allen (Don Dee), Mindy Linn Brown (Darl), Hazen David Stevens (Angie), Coleman Jacob Stevens, Marcy Walker (Bryan); 14 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren; brother Phillip Stevens of Sale Lake City, Utah, sisters; Karen (Lamont) of Fillmore, Utah, Rosemary (Rod) of Beaver, Utah, Merlene (Glade) of Holladay, Utah. He is preceded in death by his father Merlin Stringham Stevens, and mother Georgia Whitaker Stevens, Grandfather Hazen and Grandmother Hattie Stevens, Grandfather Joseph and Grandmother Minnie Whitaker.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 1:00 pm in Wing Mortuary, 118 East Main Street, Lehi, Utah 84043 with a viewing between 11:00 am-1:00 pm. Graveside will be dedicated in the
Highland City Cemetery at 2:30 pm, 6200 West 11000 North in Highland, Utah. Lunch will be served at 3:30 pm at the Lehi 6th Ward at 220 West 200 South, Lehi, Utah.




Friday, February 11, 2022