The Dedicatory Prayer for Josephine Mitchell Neeley and Dad's 'Tribute' At Her Funeral


Dedication of the Final Resting Place of  Josephine Mitchell Neeley

Our Father In Heaven, by the authority of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood, which I hold, I dedicate and consecrate this spot of the earth as the resting place, beside her husband, of Josephine Mitchell Neeley.  I pray Lord, that this spot may be hallowed and protected from all fell things and remain a sanctuary of peace until the time of the resurrection when the body and spirit are united, and that the family may find peace and comfort in knowing that the dear persons lying here are united again and will be there to meet us when we all leave this mortal world.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

A Brief History of Josephine Mitchell Neeley

The Parowan Years 

Our Mother was born on august 31, 1902, the eighth of twelve children to William C. Mitchell III and Laurette Orton in Parowan, Utah.  51 years after Brigham Young sent the saints to the area under the direction of George A. Smith, and only 55 years after the pioneers came to Utah in 1847, Parowan was much the same when Mother was born as it was when it was settled.  How did news get around about gatherings like this?  But Parowan was a magical place as Mother told to her children in story form.  There was Paragonah (of Santa Claus fame), Beaver, ‘The Gap’ (where the ancients left undecipherable messages on the canyon walls), Little Salt Lake, Parowan Canyon (the most beautiful and sweet smelling canyon of all), the ‘jump off’ (where Mother said her cousin slid down the vertical walls, leaving red streaks on them from her red pantaloons), the Vermilion Cliffs, Sidney Valley, Monument Mountain (or Brian Head as it is now called), Uncle Walter’s saw mill (where the skiers now swoosh down the mountain), Bear Flat, the ranch, Summit, and Cedar Breaks

Mother was well educated: up to high school in Parowan, a season The Normal School in Beaver, a year at the church college in Gila, Arizona, and two years at the University of Utah -- meant to be four, but Dad came into the picture and changed all of that.  

Note:  Also be sure to visit: Stories of Josephine M. Neeley -- the early days (and then some)

(She) married Parley R. Neeley at the Salt Lake Temple on December 21, 1928, (and) lived in Coalville at Dad’s folk’s house (while)  Dad on the echo dam project with USBR, until moving to Kamas while Dad was a field engineer on the Kamas Valley Project.  First child: Parley M. (Pat), born at this time 1930, in Salt Lake City.  Mother (was) always sensitive about her age ( she was 1 year older than Dad).  To illustrate this, my birth certificate (Dad married Mom 3 years after I was born, but Mom married Dad 2 years before I was born).

The Colorado River Storage Project Years

From 1930 to 1933 Dad was an investigation engineer on the Colorado River Storage Project.  We lived in Welton and Blythe California and Yuma, Arizona in the winter, and Big Piney and Lyman, Wyoming in the summer.

The Ogden Years 

In 1933 Dad was transferred to Ogden as the construction engineer on the building of Pine View Dam, and of course Mother and I came with him.  At Ogden, Barbara was born in 1933 and David was born in 1937.

The Glendive Years 

In 1937, Dad was appointed the project engineer for the Buffalo Rapids Project near Glendive, Montana and we all moved there.  Douglas, Mother’s last child, was born in Glendive in 1939.

The Williston Years 

In 1939, Dad, Mother and all 4 children moved to Williston, North Dakota where Dad was the project engineer on the Buford-Trenton project near Williston.

The Price Years 

In 1943 Dad, Mother, myself, Barbara, David and Douglas moved to Price, Utah where Dad was the chief engineer on the Schofield Dam Project,

The Spanish Fork Years 

In 1946 Dad was appointed the area engineer of the Central Utah Project and Dad and Mother moved to Spanish Fork with all of us and where Douglas lived until July 23, 1966 when he was killed, and Dad lived until May 28, 1986, until his death in Canada, and where Mother lived alone in the house Dad had built for her on Escalante Drive until October 21, 1997.

In 1986, Mother had the part time help of very nice people from a home health organization, and also in 1996 a very good and capable woman, Zelma Clayton, came to stay with Mother full time.  At Easter time in 1997, Mother suffered a stroke and after an extended stay in Mountain View Hospital, went to stay in a rest home.  Just over 2 weeks ago Mother contacted pneumonia and seemed to suffer some more strokes and slipped away from us very quietly, and with dignity on Tuesday, October 21, 1997 at the age of 95 years, 1 month, and 21 days.   Mother had surely endured to the end. 

During this time, Mother had accomplished more things than I can tell, among them:

·        Made 15 major moves of relocation

·        Married in the temple

·        Worked in the Sunday School

·        Worked in the Young Womens

·        Worked in the Relief Society

·        Directed music

·        Sang in the choir

·        Completed a full time mission with Dad

·        Wife to a bishop

·        Wife to a bishop’s councilor

·        Wife to a branch president

·        Wife to a high councilor

·        Long time temple worker

·        Wife

·        Mother

·        Grandmother

·        Great Grandmother

·        Great, Great Grandmother

·        Telephone messenger

·        Telephone operator

·        Mercantile clerk

·        Cancer drive chairperson

·        Heart fund chairperson

·        84 direct descendents

·        110 family descendents (spouses plus direct descendents)

Mother, the children will surely miss you on Halloween and we all will miss you so very, very much -- we needed you. 

Amen    


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