Beth Walker

Our wonderful mother and grandmother, BETH RUSSELL WALKER, passed away on 7 February, 2008 and returned to the presence of her Heavenly Father to be reunited with her husband, J. Harris Walker.

She lived an exemplary life and left behind a large posterity. The ninth of 11 children, Beth was born 3 February, 1916 in Ogden, Utah to Mary Ellen Criddle and William Francis Russell. Shortly thereafter, the family returned to Canada, where Beth lived most of the first five decades of her life. Her parents were among the early pioneers in Southern Alberta, where they settled in 1899. The Russells were a large and loving family who valued hard work and excellence in academics. Beth grew up in Lethbridge and lived there until she married. At age 16, she met Harris Walker, who was her brother's roommate. He later told her that, upon meeting her, he determined immediately that she was the girl he wanted to marry. They were married 17 September, 1937 in the Cardston Alberta Temple. Beth stood by Harris as he taught school, and worked to help support them as he studied at the University of Utah, and finally received his M.D. degree at McGill University in Montreal. Harris and Beth were married for 60 years, until he died in 1997.

Beth was a stalwart and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Perhaps the greatest sacrifice she made was leaving home, family and friends in Alberta after 26 years of marriage and, at the age of 47, moving to a new home in Salt Lake City while Harris finished his residency training in plastic surgery. A faithful and devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Beth served in many leadership positions, including Counselor in two Relief Society presidencies and in the Mutual organization, Relief Society homemaking director, Relief Society and Mutual teacher, and music director in many auxiliaries. She was a member of the Raymond First Ward for over twenty years. Beth attended the temple until her health would no longer permit. She instilled a love of the Savior in her children and closed every letter to them with, "Say your prayers." She was an enthusiastic fan of the Tabernacle Choir and attended every Christmas concert until 2007, when she was too ill. Beth loved good music. She listened to the Metropolitan Opera broadcast each Saturday morning for decades, and was a supporter of the Utah Festival Opera and the Utah Opera, of which she scarcely ever missed a production. She sang in the ward choir for many years and wrote several programs for the choir to perform. She was the ward organist for over 20 years. Beth enjoyed crossword puzzles, word games, and was a true expert at anything involving language. She loved learning and reading. She served as a member of the Raymond School Board -- the first woman to do so. Until she was 90, she attended the Utah Shakespearean Festival every year. An avid sports fan, Beth closely followed all of the BYU teams, the Utah Jazz, Major League Baseball and any event in which her family members were involved.

More than anything, Beth loved her family. She had a phenomenal memory and prided herself on remembering every grandchild and great-grandchild - both names and birthdays - to the very end of her life. She was a gracious hostess who, over the years, fed and housed hundreds of guests. In the last few weeks of her life, she instructed her daughters to make sure there were plenty of clean sheets, in case she needed a bed for someone. She worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to bring the family together. She was concerned with and kept in touch with her large extended family and was beloved by numerous nieces and nephews, who frequently stopped by to pay a visit, or sent cards and letters. At the age of 80, Mom bought a computer and learned to use it so that she could correspond via e-mail with all of her family, and research her genealogy on the Internet.

Beth's handmade quilts are treasured by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She delighted in giving quilts away to those she loved. One of her quilts was on display during a Conference weekend at the General Relief Society building. She was an enthusiastic genealogist who, beginning in the 1950s, spent long hours in front of the microfilm machines searching for ancestors on both the Russell and Walker lines. Her descendants are the beneficiaries of her intensive research, and she submitted thousands of names for temple work. Beth also cultivated flowers, including orchids, hibiscus and bougainvillea. She was an accomplished watercolorist and also created many lovely knitted, crocheted and needlepoint items. Beth received her high school education at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute (LCI) and, although she did not have the opportunity to pursue a college education herself, she was proud that all of her children were college graduates, with numerous advanced and professional degrees, as well. She encouraged and delighted in her sons and grandchildren, nieces and nephews who served missions, and she wrote hundreds of missionary letters.

Beth is survived by 4 sons and 3 daughters: James R. Walker (Sharon), Orem; Elder William R. Walker of the Second Quorum of the Seventy (Vicki), Sandy; Helen W. Jones (Walter), Salt Lake; David R. Walker (Claudia), Rexburg, Idaho; Barbara W. Murdock (David), Austin, Texas; Joan W. Lelis (Craig), Salt Lake; and T. Russell Walker (Aleese), Bountiful. She is also survived by a brother, Mac Russell, of Lethbridge, Alberta, and a sister, Ruth Cutler, of Penticton, British Columbia, plus 31 grandchildren (including Elder James C. Lelis, serving in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission) and 44 great-grandchildren. She also leaves many beloved brothers- and sisters-in-law: Florence Russell (Penticton, B.C.), LaNola Russell (Salt Lake City, Utah), Hilda Russell (Cardston), Freda Russell (Lethbridge), Hattie Russell (Lethbridge), Mary Russell (Diamond City), Art Cutler (Penticton, B.C.), Glen and WillaRae Walker (Provo, Utah), Reed & Marilyn Walker (Brigham City, Utah), Barbara Benson Walker (formerly of Calgary, now of Salt Lake City, Utah), as well as Beth Zemp, Mary Fairbanks, Jane McMullin, Fay Walker and Ralph Walker - all of Raymond.

Beth was preceded in death by her parents, 2 sisters (Julia Asplund and Faun Peterson), and 6 brothers (Francis, Austin, Warren, Bill, Ken and Glenn Russell.)

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, February 15 at THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, Raymond Alberta Stake Centre, 2 North 200 West, Raymond, Alberta. Friends may meet the family prior to the service from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment will be at the Temple Hill Cemetery in Raymond, Alberta, Canada.

Beth loved flowers, but if desired, contributions may be made to the Perpetual Education Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Utah Festival Opera in Logan.