Fay Stephens Howells

Fay Stephens Howells of Vernal Utah returned faithfully to her Heavenly Father on Thursday, 28 March 2024. She was surrounded by family members and passed away quietly at the age of 90. Fay was born in Tucson Arizona to George Owen Stephens and Hattie Hardy on 12 July 1933. Around age 6 her parents divorced and she was raised by Hattie and her step father Howard Martineau. Her father, George, lived around the corner and she loved visiting him. Her youth was spent with her many cousins and with her grandmother, Laura Phoebe Haws. Those relationships continued into her old age. Each year the Hardy family has held a reunion in Show Low, AZ for over 70 years with hundreds of cousins gathering to honor their ancestors. At age 12 the family moved to Mesa where they lived in a tent for a year while Howard built their home. Fay helped her mother with their laundry business doing many loads a day in the hot Arizona sun. Fay met Thomas F. Howells on a blind date in Salt Lake City while working as a telephone operator. She and Tom married in the Mesa Arizona LDS Temple on 5 December, 1952. They lived in Salt Lake City for two years where their first two children Thomas and LeAnn were born. They then moved to Vernal, Utah and added Stephen, Vivian, Eileen, Laura, and Devin to the family. She lived in Vernal for almost 70 years. Fay was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many positions. She was ward Relief Society President twice and also served in the Stake Relief Society Presidency. She worked many years in the primary, and in Young Women. She was the guide patrol teacher for years giving many young men a great start on their scouting journey. She and her husband Tom served two LDS missions to England where they worked on the British 1881 census. She and Tom also volunteered many years in the Vernal LDS temple. Fay loved to sing and was a member of a Sweet Adeline’s group for many years singing alto. She was also an active member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. Fay loved to travel to visit her 27 grandchildren and 63 great-grandchildren. Those visits took her all over the United States and to Europe. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Every grandchild received a card for their birthday with a special gift inside. It was a labor of love and devotion that each child still cherishes. Fay made beautiful quilts, played guitar and would amaze the grandchildren with her ability to twirl a rope which she learned to do in high school. She was very athletic as a young woman and, as a roper, she and her friends did rope tricks at high school half time shows and other occasions. She often was on volleyball and softball teams while raising her children in Vernal. Fay was a huge BYU football and basketball fan, traveling to home games in Provo, Utah for many years with her husband. She spent many hours supporting her children in all their school activities. Fay could often be found with a deck of cards playing Shanghai, Five Crowns, “Spit On Your Neighbor” and other card games with family and friends until late in her life. Her grandchildren always enjoyed her signature “Grandma Tacos”, fried up with hamburger inside. Fay is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Tom, her daughter Eileen, her Sister Anna Mae, her brother Melvin Martineau, two of her grandchildren, Aaron and Daniel, and great-grandchild, Olivia. She is survived by her son, Tom of Vernal Utah; daughter, LeAnn Halgren (John) of Arvada Colorado; son, Stephen (Amber) of Kanab Utah; daughter, Vivian Gardner (Scott) of St. George Utah; son-in-law, Gordon Daley, Brigham City Utah ; daughter, Laura Schirner of Clearfield Utah; and son, Devin (Jodi Gardburg) of Salt Lake City Utah. Thank you to Judy Howells (our sister-in-law) for taking care of Fay for 3 months this past summer. The family would also like to thank Beehive Tonaquint (and their amazing assistants) that loved and cared for Fay in such a gentle, kind way. We could not have managed without them. And thank you to Applegate Home care and hospice. They relieved our stress and took great care of Fay. Funeral services will be held in the Harvest Park chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 12173 South 4000 West Riverton, Utah on Saturday, 13 April 2024. A family gathering and prayer will be held in the relief Society Room at 12:30 pm. The memorial service will be held in the Chapel at 1:00 pm. Interment will follow immediately after at the Valley View Memorial Park Cemetery, 4335 West 4100 South, West Valley City, UT. Family and friends are invited to share tributes online at www.SerenityStG.com. Arrangements and memorial tree planting by Serenity Funeral Home of Southern Utah, 435-986-9100.

Fay Stephens Howells

July 12, 1933 - March 28, 2024