OBITS: The Spectrum 2 Nov 2005; St. George, Washington co., Utah text-formatted by W. David Samuelsen for The USGenWeb Archives Project *********************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ut/utfiles.htm *********************************************************************** Source: St. George The Spectrum http://www.thespectrum.com Joan Lee ST. GEORGE - Joan Lee, 86, died on Oct. 30, 2005 at her home in St. George, Utah. She was born April 28, 1919 in Kanab, Utah to Joseph G. and Anna Marie Fawcett Brown. She married H. William Wright in October of 1938 and they later divorced. She married Alden Lee on April 11, 1981 in the St. George Temple. Joan was a lifetime member of the LDS Church where she held many positions, including a mission in Illinois. While in Kanab she served as president of Ladies Literary League, president of American Legion Auxiliary and president of D.U.P. Joan was a beautician in Kanab for 50 years. After Alden and Joan moved to St. George they served as ordinance workers for 13 years at the St. George Temple. They were then called on a mission to serve in the Bishop's Storehouse, where they served for six years. She thoroughly loved the Lord, serving him, and spending time with her loved ones and family. Joan is survived by her husband, Alden Lee; three children, Lonnie Joy (George) Kirby, Tony (Linda) Wright and Nick (Billie) Wright; seven step children, Ronald (Raola) Lee, Wayne (Eleanor) Lee, Ralph (Carmen) Lee, Candy (Robb) Allen, Terry (Sid) Lee Cindy Lee and Wendy (Lee) Simmons; 27 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, an infant daughter, Julie Anna Wright and a great granddaughter, Miranda Ann Kirby. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, November 2, 2005, 11 a.m. at the Kanab LDS South Chapel, 100 E. 600 S., Kanab, Utah. A viewing will be held on Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m., prior to the services at the Kanab Chapel. A visitation will also be held on Thursday, November 3, 9-10:30 a.m., Metcalf Mortuary, 288 W. St. George Blvd., St. George, UT. Graveside services and interment will follow on Thursday, November 3, 11 a.m., St. George City Cemetery, St. George, UT under the direction of Metcalf Mortuary (435) 673-4221. Originally published November 2, 2005 Arthur Joseph Overas HURRICANE - Arthur Joseph Overas, 79, passed away Saturday, October 29, 2005, at his home in Hurricane, in the presence of his wife, son and daughter, after a long illness. He was born on January 7, 1926, in Watertown, South Dakota, to Sigurd and Mary Daly Overas. He was married to Dorothy Haight Overas on June 26, 1954, at Immaculate Conception Church in Watertown. Art attended Immaculate Conception and Watertown High School. After graduation, he entered the University of Texas in the Unites States Navy V-12 program, where he graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Commissioned with the rank of Ensign, Art served his duty as a Naval Engineering Officer aboard U.S. Naval vessels, until he was honorably discharged in July of 1946. Art returned to Watertown and married Dorothy Haight. They moved to New Jersey where Art was employed as a Professional Mechanical Engineer with Combustion Engineering (CE) in New York City. The majority of Art's professional responsibilities were defined in the design and construction of coal-fired power plants in the U.S., Australia and Scandinavia. After moving to Connecticut with CE in 1965, Art later took on the job as U.S. Manager for Nordisk Ventilator from offices in Simsbury. Art and Dot then moved to Michigan, where Art worked for American Standard and then Chrysler, where he retired in 1994. Dorothy and Art then returned to Watertown to eventually retire in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Art's interests were in all things mechanical, and he kept quite occupied at home with repairs and remodeling, automotive repairs, and cabinetry. After retirement, Art literally filled their homes with wooden furniture pieces that he crafted in his shop. Art is survived by his: wife of 51 years, Dorothy; son, Mark (Michele and their daughter Katie), of Fredonia, AZ; and daughter, Deborah (Keith) Furnell, of Mandurah, West Australia; his only sister, Margaret Naughton, of Bridgeport, CN; and his older brother, Bob Overas, of St. Paul, MN. There will be a memorial service Saturday, November 5, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. at the Chapel of Immaculate Conception Church in Watertown, South Dakota. Interment will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery. Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S. Bluff St., St. George, UT, (435) 673-2454. Friends and family are invited to offer their condolences at www.spilsburymortuary.com. Click on the dove. Obituaries are also available at our website. Click on the rose. Originally published November 2, 2005 Esther Tait MT. CARMEL - Esther Brown Tait was born March 13, 1918 in Kanab, Utah to James Arthur and Pearl Edna Pugh Brown. She slipped quietly from this earthly life on October 31, 2005 at the Kane County Skilled Nursing Center at the age of 87. Esther has now joined her beloved husband, parents, grandson Kris Jerry Glover, three brothers James Arthur (Viola) Brown, Norris Pugh (Maude) Brown and a stillborn infant, and six sisters Emily (George) Brinkerhoff, Vola (Melvin) Rider, Zelda (Doin) Boardman, Afton (Milton) Ray, and Elizabeth and Lucille Brown who both died in childhood. Esther was the tenth of the eleven children. Her older sister Alice B. Tait is the only surviving child. Esther graduated from Kanab High School with the class of 1936. Following graduation she worked at the Parry Lodge as a waitress. She met her sweetheart Lamond V. Tait and they were married in the Kane County Courthouse on March 30, 1937 with many WPA workers peering on. Following the marriage they moved to Mt. Carmel where she resided until her recent placement in the care center. Esther's marriage was solemnized in the St. George Temple on June 11, 1964. Three children were born to the marriage; Deanna Pearl (Jerry) Glover of Kanab, Arthur L. (Roma) Tait of Cedar City, and Dell Mond (Meriann) Tait of Mt. Carmel. Esther is a grandmother to nine living grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. Esther was an industrious individual learning how to work when she was nine years old by turning on the Kanab City Lights each evening and extinguishing them each morning. She would accomplish the work riding her bike in the summer and on horseback in the winter. Her work continued as a waitress at the Mt. Carmel Jct. Thunderbird Caf‚ and the Clear Creek Caf‚. She was a school lunch cook in Orderville and cooked at the Long Valley Senior Citizen's Center for a number of years. Esther also worked as a clerk at the Crofts Store in Orderville and the Glendale Mercantile in Glendale, Utah. She loved caring for her family, and enjoyed working beside her husband in the garden and on their farm. She took great pride in her home. She loved to feed migratory birds and watch them through her living room window. Esther was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and gave many hours in the service of the Lord. Of notable interest: she and her husband gave more than twelve years of service in the Kanab Family History Center and in excess of fifteen years doing Spanish Name Extraction at the Extraction Center in Orderville and later in her home. Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 5, 2005 at 2:00 PM in the Orderville LDS Chapel. Viewings will be held Friday evening from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Mosdell Mortuary in Kanab and Saturday morning from 12:30-1:45 p.m. at the Orderville Chapel. Burial will be in the Mt. Carmel Cemetery under the direction of Mosdell Mortuary. Originally published November 2, 2005 Claudia Thorley Thompson Claudia Thorley Thompson passed away October 28, 2005 at the age of 91 due to complications of old age. Claudia was born Oct 13, 1914 in Cedar City, Utah, a daughter of Stuart and Mary Ann Williams Thorley. She was married to Wayne J. Thompson June 5, 1934 in the St. George Temple. After raising her family in Ogden, she worked at Wasatch Elementary in the school lunch program for 20 years. Her co-workers became her lifelong friends. Claudia was a wonderful loving wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend. With great compassion she was drawn to the less fortunate who were in need of acceptance and recognition, offering words of encouragement and a heart felt pat on the back. She served her family by preparing extraordinary Thanksgiving feasts and was known for her famous chicken and noodles. Mom could make any food taste good. She was active in the LDS Church and was a faithful visiting teacher well into her 80's. She is survived by her beloved husband of 71 years. Three children, Floyd (Elsie) of San Marcos CA, Don (Sylvia) Las Vegas, NV, LaRue Paschal (Spence), North Salt Lake, and many wonderful grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Thursday Nov. 3, at 11:00 a.m. at Leavitt's Mortuary, 836-36th St., Ogden. Viewing will be Thursday, 1 hour prior. Interment will be at the St. George City Cemetery on Nov. 4th at 2:00 p.m. Send condolences to www.leavittsmortuary.com Originally published November 2, 2005