Myrna Lynn Mead, age 80, passed away March 8, 2023 at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem, Utah, after a short illness. She passed from this mortal existence surrounded by a host of family, friends and loved ones, and most certainly was welcomed on the other side by the same.
She was born in Price, Utah on June 20, 1942, to Lynn W and Fern Lenore Hunsaker Jones. Raised in coal and mining camps in and around Carbon County, she had fond memories of Latuda, Soldier Summit, and especially Hiawatha. She remembered every house and store and building and how the town was laid out. She loved to reminisce about the people and experiences of her childhood in these busy mining towns, which are ghost towns today.
She was the oldest child of six, and took on the responsibilities of helping to raise and nurture her siblings willingly and with great care and resourcefulness. Her patience and kindness with them created a lifelong bond as she watched over and worried about them until her dying day.
This inherent love of children and family served her well throughout her lifetime. In addition to her own family of six, she was a foster mother to countless children through the states foster program. Some were welcomed into our home for only a day or two and others for months at a time, or even years. She hated to see siblings split up and would take all the children in a family at once to prevent separation from each other. Some were newborn babies, while others were teenagers, and every age in between. Each child was treated with dignity and respect and shown as much love as possible in a busy home on a small farm.
This inclination to nurture was manifest to strangers as well. Mom never passed up a hitch-hiker. Even with a car full of kids, she’d pull over and offer them a ride, a meal and a place to stay. We remember sharing our home and meals with young German tourists hitch-hiking across the country! As we matured, we came to realize this unselfishness was a response to the knowledge that her young brothers were hitch-hiking somewhere and she hoped some stranger would do the same for them. “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” That was her unspoken mantra.
When she was 16 years old, she married the love of her life, Benjamin Leroy Mead at the Mead farm just outside of Wellington, Utah, on November 9, 1957. They remained true and faithful to one another for over 65 years. To this union were born six living children and three who died in infancy. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Manti, Utah temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mom was a faithful member of this church throughout the remainder of her life, dutifully fulfilling countless teaching and service positions. With her spouse, she fulfilled a Service Mission for the church at Joseph Smiths birth place in Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont in 2015.
Mom was a proud member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP) and loved doing genealogy and family history. When she first joined the group, she was recognized as the “youngest member” of the local chapter. Recently, she was honored as the “oldest member” of this group!
Mom loved square dancing and her and dad would teach and participate in square dances all over the state and nation. She also loved camping, swimming, telling ghost stories around the campfire, and watching old movies.
At retirement, she and dad decided to follow their lifetime dream, and purchased the Nine Mile Ranch in beautiful Nine Mile Canyon. (A nearby ranch was their first home as newlyweds). As a little girl Myrna camped with her family at the Old Folks Flat campground in Huntington Canyon. She loved it so much, she dreamed of having a campground someday. For the next 25 years they poured their heart and soul into this endeavor, and never looked back or second-guessed that decision.
She is survived by her husband, Ben Mead, Wellington UT; children, Leroy Mead, Wellington, UT, Allen (Sharon) Mead, Orem, UT, Lisa (Ryan) Butcher, Murray, UT, Kristy Mead Hart, Bullhead City, AZ, Carla Mead, Wellington, UT, Jacob Mead, Lyman WY; two siblings, LaRelle Jones, Kyle Jones; seventeen grandchildren, and nineteen great-grandchildren.
Preceded in death by her parents; step-father, Klell Mecham; three infant sons; three siblings, Ravenna Firth, Randy Jones and Reggie Jones; and a granddaughter Tisha Mead.
Funeral service, Saturday, March 11, 2023, 1:00 p.m., at the Wellington Stake Center. Family will receive friends Friday evening from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Mitchell Funeral Home and on Saturday one hour prior to service at the church. Interment, Wellington City Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Mitchell Funeral Home where friends are always welcome and may share memories online at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net.