Georgia Humphrey Gardner, our loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great-great grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully on March 6, 2020 at her home.
Georgia was the third of four children born to Ray Bailey and Cristy Rosalyn Poulsen Humphrey. She was born on George Washington’s birthday (or as her father always said, George Birthington’s wash day), February 22, 1927, thus the name Georgia. She married Van Johnson Gardner on October 3, 1946 in the Salt Lake Temple. Georgia was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She and Van served a full-time mission to the South Dakota Rapid City Mission from 1993 to 1994 and were ordinance workers in the Manti Temple. She also served in many other Ward and Stake callings.
Georgia was a member of the Buckhorn Promenaders Square Dance Cub with her husband, Van. She also belonged to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and the American Legion Auxiliary.
Survivors: Lyndon and Shauna Lee Gardner, Castle Dale; Joyce and Victor Staley, Orangeville; Earl and John Landreth Gardner, Ogden; Beth Gardner, Altamont; Darrell (deceased) and Natalie and Jay Mark Humphrey; 15 Grandchildren; 14 Great Grandchildren and 1 Great-Great Grandchild; and her Gardner in-laws that aren’t in-laws at all!
Preceded in death by her husband, Van; daughter, Kathryn; son, Darrell; her parents; three sisters and 1 grandchild.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday March 10, 2020 at 12 noon at the Orangeville LDS Church 45 West 100 South in Orangeville. A viewing will be held at the Church Monday evening from 6-8 and 1 hour prior to service. Interment, Orangeville City Cemetery.
The family wants to thank everyone who has helped take care of grandma during this precious time and a very special thank you to her granddaughter, Cristene, who was there for grandma when she needed her. As a family, we wish to also thank mom’s Symbii family; especially Doctor Cameron Williams, Sandy Jensen, RN and Mandy Bennett, CNA with a very special thank you to her hospice angel, Shauna Colonna. They all went above and beyond in her care and in everything they did for mom. We also want to thank her many family and friends that took time out of their busy lives to visit with her, show kindness and compassion to mom.
Family and friends may sign the online guestbook and share memories of Georgia at www.fausettmortuary.com.
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| My Blessing 1993 |
Grandma Gardner is an incredible example of enduring to the end and finding joy in the journey. I have been lucky to call her my Grandma. I thought I would share a few memories I have of her.
Grandma always supported my young wants. I remember being at her house as a child and my cousin D'Lee and I would put on shows. She would always come and watch our performance and encourage us to keep putting on the shows, even if they were painful to watch.
D'Lee and I would also wake up early in the mornings to make breakfast for everyone. It was usually pancakes. Even if they tasted bad (which I don't recall happening too often), Grandma was would eat them and tell us how wonderful they were.
She was great at diffusing cousin fighting/disagreements. D'Lee and I would get into an argument and I remember both of us would sit on Grandma's lap and she would help us to calm down and make-up.
Who can forget the best slushy cups and the sugar cookies. I remember one of the first things I would do as I got to Grandma and Grandpa's house is to go into the kitchen and help myself to a cookie or two. I would also go to the freezer and grab a slushy cup and find juice, punch, sometimes soda and pour it into the slushy cup and wait for it to freeze. It took much scraping for it finish freezing.
As I got older, she continued to support me. She and Grandpa would come to my performances and graduations in Elementary, High School, and College. At the end of each performance she came to, she would greet me with open arms, give me a hug and tell me how proud she was of me.
She loved hearing me play the piano and often would request that I play the piano while visiting, which I loved doing. Music has been a big part of my life. I'm grateful for the chance I had to share my talents with her.
After Grandpa passed away, I had the opportunity to visit with Grandma once a week after my piano lessons for about a year. She often would ask how she was going to go on. Although I didn't have answers for her, I would cry with her and just be there to support her.
One of my favorite Christmas Eve's is the Christmas Eve of 2013. We had Christmas in Price that year, due to Mom's house in Altamont being remodeled. We invited Grandma, since it was the first Christmas without Grandpa, and my cousin Rachel to have Christmas with us. We had fondue for dinner and then we played our movie exchange game. Grandma got the movie Beaches with clues a bucket of sand and a toy microphone. She held up her microphone and gave us a quick, only a few seconds of a performance.
One of the last memories I have of Grandma is from November. Meg had gone down to help out/watch Grandma for about a week. I went down for a few of those days, to help support in any way I could. It was the last night and Meg and I were getting ready to put Grandma to bed. She was convinced that my cousins were still at the house. She kept yelling into the back room for them to come. She would ask why they weren't coming. Earlier my cousins had come, but they had all left and gone to their own homes. Finally Meg and I told Grandma they had already fallen asleep and we shouldn't wake them because they would be upset. Grandma said okay and she decided we need to say a prayer. I was nominated to say the prayer. I said a quick little prayer. After the prayer we stood Grandma up to go to the restroom before putting her into her bed. At once Grandma said, "Well I'm not kneeling!" Meg and I just looked at each other and Meg said, "Well I'm not either." In my mind I was thinking, "We wouldn't make you kneel to go to the bathroom Grandma..." Grandma was like, "Oh..." She then bowed her head and said, "Dear Heavenly Father..." Meg's and my response in our heads were, "Oh, we're praying." We folded our arms and listened to Grandma's prayer. It was a very heartfelt, Grandma kind of prayer. I'm going to miss hearing my grandam's prayers, even if at times they seemed long.
Grandma was a woman of faith. She taught me to trust in Christ and God, to say my prayers, both personal and family prayers, read my scriptures, and to find joy in the journey.
Thanks for all the lessons and memories Grandma! May you have a wonderful reunion in heaven with Grandpa, Uncle Darrell, Aunt Kathryn, your sisters and parents, and other family and friends!
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Top Photo: Grandma and Grandpa at my Junior Prom March 2010
Bottom Left: USU Eastern Graduation April 2012
Bottom Right: Christmas Eve 2013 |
