May 28, 1927 – March 8, 2021
Ferral Leavitt Jones, our mother, grandmother, relative, and friend died Monday, March 8, 2021 of causes incident to age. Her parents, Lottie Bowler and Howard Melvin Leavitt, celebrated her birth on May 28, 1927 as their first child. Though born in St. George, Utah, she spent most of her childhood years in Gunlock and Veyo surrounded by beloved cousins and friends.
Ferral’s father died when she was only four years old, so she and her younger brother Wayne along with their mother lived with her grandparents and aunts and uncles until Lottie married Albert August Ulrich when Ferral was eight years old. In her own words, “I could have gone the world over and never found a better father.”
While Ferral worked at the family store in Veyo, she and Lorin Vaughn Jones fell in love and were married on Feb. 28, 1947 and were later sealed in the St. George Temple. They created a formidable team ranching, farming, building, remodeling, and rearing four children as they moved from Veyo to Southern California, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, then back to a retirement home they built in Veyo.
Lorin passed away Feb. 21, 2004 and since then Ferral resolutely cared for her home and acre of land with her own two hands and a bit of help from her sons. She had a gift for making things grow and flourish, and anyone who visited her property marveled at her attention to detail and collections included in her rock garden.
“Work” could have been Ferral’s middle name because she loved accomplishing good things and expected her children and grandchildren to match her enthusiasm. She created beautiful ceramic pieces, colorful quilts, crocheted and tatted doilies, not to mention her love of painting any hard surface and wallpapering the rest. Once she single-handedly painted the Veyo town water tower “because it needed it.”
A faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ferral served in every auxiliary. One of her favorite callings was in Relief Society when she helped build, paint, and furnish the chapel in Redlands, California.
Ferral loved her extended family and made an effort to visit as often as possible including arranging “Gunlock Golden Girls” gatherings. She spent countless hours spoiling her grandchildren, but she also taught them high moral values, a strong work ethic, and the importance of contributing to the community by serving and sacrificing for others.
Survivors include three sons and one daughter: Russell (Maria) of La Misión, Mexico; M. Royce (Jill) of St. George, Utah; Kristine (Allan) Carter of St. George, Utah; and Kevin (Tina) of Veyo, Utah; 18 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Wayne (Lucy) Leavitt of St. George, Utah, and Boyce (Bonnie) Ulrich of Farmington, New Mexico; and dear in-laws, Maurine (Ed) Hoff of St. George, Utah, and Mary Jones of Veyo, Utah. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lorin Vaughn Jones.
Funeral services will be Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 1 p.m. at the Veyo Chapel, 176 East Center Street, Veyo, Utah. Visitations will be Friday, March 12, 2021 from 6-8 p.m. at Metcalf Mortuary, 288 W. St. George Blvd., St. George, Utah and Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., prior to services, at the chapel. Interment will follow in the Veyo Cemetery.
Masks are required for those attending services.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, 435-673-4221. Please visit our website at www.metcalfmortuary.com for condolences, complete obituary and funeral listings. Friends and family are invited to sign our online guest book.