Grace Spendlove Iverson

Aug. 28, 1928-April 8, 2022

Grace Spendlove Iverson, age 93 — Mother — slipped into Dad’s waiting arms peacefully on, April 8, 2022, in Washington, Utah. She was born on Aug. 28, 1928, in St George at her grandfather Sullivan’s home, which was later donated by the family to the church north of the temple. Her parents were Ianthus and Blanche (McAllister Sullivan) Spendlove.

She married Grant W. Iverson on May 13, 1948, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and later they were sealed in the St. George Temple on March 25, 1952, a beautiful love story of over 70 years together.

Mother served as primary president, and when the new Washington chapel was being built, she helped raise money for the monument out front by doing bake sales, selling quilts, etc. The Primary, which she loved, was one of the many positions she held in the church.

Our home always smelled of fresh-baked bread, cinnamon rolls and cookies, fresh out of the oven. She was a wonderful cook. She bottled peaches, apricots, grapes, beets, corn — anything that she grew in the garden. When it came to fudge, nut rolls and divinity, no one could ever make candy as well as she. She also was an excellent seamstress. Mom made all our clothes starting from our early childhood up to the late sixties. She loved to quilt; quilting frames were always set up in the living room. She made all of us and most of her grandkids baby quilts and gave them as wedding gifts.

She also was talented when it came to crocheting. Beautiful doilies were in abundance in her home. Mother’s mom had taught her well even the old remedies of the horrible mustard plasters and enemas if we were sick.  There was always music playing in our home, fresh clean clothes and that fresh hot-out-of-the-oven bread when we got home from school. Mom even made baloney sandwiches taste good with enough salad dressing.

Mother worked a little out of the home bunching onions and radishes while we were in school. She even worked part time at the turkey plant. Dad was gone a lot on the truck and together they worked hard to make ends meet, we felt like the richest kids in town, because of a lot of love in our home. She taught us how to work hard, how to play and enjoy the simple things of life with picnics below the Virgin River Dam, or just floating down the canal. She would not let us swim at the Warm Springs until the snow had completely melted off Pine Valley Mountain. The little girl in her loved Disneyland and she made it so fun for us whenever we had the opportunity to go. Our first ride at Disneyland was always the train around the park.

Mother was adventurous; in April 1943 she and five of her girlfriends climbed the west side of the mountain in Hurricane, known as Mollies Nipple, set the top on fire, but got no notice from in town.

Mother loved the Shirley Temple and Betty Boop dolls; we celebrated her 90th birthday party with a surprise Betty Boop family party. One of the highlights of her life, though, was when she and Dad went to the Rose Parade, and Shirley Temple was the Grand Marshal. She was the same age as Mom. 

When her work was done, and we were taken care of, she would get lost in books. Her favorites were “Gone with the Wind”, anything about the South and even the Australian Outback; she felt like she traveled the world through reading. Mother set a great example for us. She made a beautiful home for us to come home to, where we felt safe and loved. We lived in the cleanest home in town, and to snuggle into the sun-kissed crisp sheets at night was magical.

Mother gave dad three beautiful daughters: Connie (Gary) Jenkins, Carmen (Stanley C.) Snow, and Sharon (Dennis) Stucki. Mother was very proud of her 12 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren, one deceased, with another one due in July. 

Living family include brothers-in-law Wayne Kendal Hinton, sister-in-law Cle’ (Deal) Spendlove and Dennis and Jeri (Burgess) Iverson. She was the last surviving member of her family. 

Those who proceeded her in death were her husband Grant W. Iverson, her daughter, Connie (Gary) Jenkins, her parents, Ianthus, and Blanche (Macallister Sullivan) Spendlove, brothers Mac, Weston, Jerry and Dennis and sister Carolyn (Hinton) Spendlove.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. with viewing from 9-10:30 a.m., Friday, April 15, 2022, at the Washington Main Street Chapel, with interment at the Washington City cemetery.

Arrangements are under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S Bluff Street, St. George, 435-673-2454. Family and friends are invited to sign Grace’s online guest book.

 

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