Elia Catarina Mueller Obituary (1976 - 2014)

Élia Catarina Mueller, returned home to her Father in Heaven on Saturday April 5, 2014. She was a beloved wife, daughter, sister, aunt and good friend. She passed away at her home in West Jordan Utah, surrounded by her family and friends, after valiantly battling cancer. She was born on April 30, 1976 to Maria José and Ludgero Fonseca in Faro, Portugal. She received an Associate Degree from Ricks College in 1997 and A Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from BYU, in 2000. She met her future husband Roderick Mueller at Ricks College. Rod and Élia were married for Time and all Eternity, on May 3, 1997 in the Portland Oregon Temple. Élia was a teacher for 13 years at the Carmen B. Pingree School for Children with Autism. She had a strong and loving influence on many children that can now function normally in society. Élia really enjoyed the outdoors, camping, hiking and running. She loved to travel and enjoyed her trips to Lava Hot Springs. Her first true love was the beach. She loved Maui and snorkeling with sea turtles. She loved animals -- large breed dogs and exotic birds. Élia had a great sense of style and loved beautiful things. She was especially fond of precious stones and gems. She is survived by her husband Rod; her mother, Maria José; her brother, Sergio; her sister, Maria (São); her nephew, Diogo; and her niece, Catarina. She was preceded in death by her father; her brother, Gil; and her sister, Aura. Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 11, 2014 at 1:30 p.m. with a viewing starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary, 1007 West South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, Utah. Graveside services will follow at the West Jordan Cemetery, 7800 South 1300 West, West Jordan, Utah. Funeral Services for Elia Mueller will be broadcast live for friends and family to watch. Broadcasting will begin at 1:00 PM and can be watched by scrolling down to the "Video" section of this obituary.