Merlene Jeanselme Lambert is absent from the body and face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ. She was taken by our Lord on December 15, 2023. She departed in peace and without suffering with her son and daughter-in-law by her side thanks to the grace offered by our Lord.
Merlene was born on March 5, 1933 in Price, Utah to Arthur Jeanselme, Sr. and Lola Ann Burress. She was also blessed to have her little brother, Arthur Jeanselme, Jr. arrive on March 25, 1937. She grew up in Price and loved her magical little town even when life took her to other destinations. She was immediately love-stricken when she laid eyes on Ernest Leroy Lambert as he walked into the Price First Baptist Church wearing a red corduroy shirt and according to her; her “heart went pitter patter!” They were married in Price after a short courtship on January 21, 1953. She was blessed with three boys, Gary Lee Lambert (born January 27, 1954), Larry Dean Lambert (born November 20, 1955), and Timothy Layne Lambert (born November 5, 1959).
Though she worked many jobs as an administrative assistant, and Ernie’s job took them many places (Farmington, New Mexico; Midland, Texas; Lubbock, Texas; Dallas, Texas) her primary love was always her family; both immediate and extended. During her time away from Price, she always had a strong yearning to return to her extended family here and she and Ernie were fortunate to be able to do so when she returned to Price in 1998. Both she and Ernie spent the remainder of their lives living in Price in her childhood home where she enjoyed welcoming family and friends. She was privileged to leave this life in her beloved Price where her grandparents, parents, brother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and husband have lived and also departed.
She is survived by her three sons, Gary (married to Amy), Larry (married to Diane), and Tim (married to Monica); seven grandchildren, Andrea (married to Jeff), Kelly (married to Kevin), Brian (married to Teresa), April (married to Robbie), Kris (married to Joe), Kim (married to Nick), and Mike; and fourteen great-grandchildren, Jaxon, Rylee, Anthony, Ella, Mari, Kristin, Alrik, Amanda, Allison, Cory, Ellie, Paisley, Lincoln, and Kinsley.
Merlene was preceded in physical death by her loving husband of 61 years; her parents; and her little brother.
Merlene was a loving, kind, and caring person and will be missed by all who knew her; but know that she is with our Lord and re-united with the man in the red corduroy shirt and she is predestined for a place of no more sorrows, no more tears, no more pain for the old things have passed away.
Funeral service will be on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., at Price Chapel (611 Price River Drive) in Price. The family will receive friends at the church from 10:00 – 10:50 a.m. prior to the service. The interment will be in the Price City Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Mitchell Funeral Home of Price and Huntington where friends are always welcome daily and may share memories of Merlene online at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net