Della Pearl Walker Smyth

November 4, 1912 ~ September 24, 2014

Della Pearl Walker Smyth was born November 4, 1912 in Peoa, Utah to Clarence Saville Walker and Jan Ann Marchant Walker. She died on September 24, 2014. She was the third child and the first girl in the family. She attended elementary school in Peoa and high school at South Summit in Kamas, Utah.

After graduation she attended Brigham Young University and majored in elementary education, receiving her normal school diploma 1932. She then taught school in Peoa and Oakley. During the summer of 1934 she was working with her brother Mont at his store in Woodland, Utah. A highway engineer who was working on a nearby road came into the store. She fueled his truck and that is how she met Laurence James Smyth, who was later to become her husband. They were married in 1935 in Preston, Idaho and had two daughters, Marilyn and Laurel.

During the early years of their marriage they lived in Ogden in the winters but spent the summers wherever Laurence's work took them. Some of those locations included Malad, Preston, Mack's Inn, and Arco, Idaho and Provo, Mt. Pleasant, Cedar City and St. George in Utah. After the start of the World War II Laurence was sent to Alaska to work on the ALCAN highway. Della stayed in Ogden and became the supervisor of a government nursery school. She took her first plane trip in 1943, flying up to Edmonton to meet Laurence while he was taking a break from the cold weather.

In 1946 Della and Laurence moved to Boise and Della returned to her teaching career. Her first position was at the same school where her daughters attended. She taught 2nd grade for the next 30 years. Her assignments were at schools which included many underprivileged children. Della spent many hours helping them. She was a great teacher and was offered the job of principal several times but she refused as it would have meant longer hours away from home and her children.

Della was proud of her family as they were equally proud of her. Della had two children, eight grandchildren, 8 step-grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 9 step- great-
grandchildren, and four great-great grandchildren. She returned to college in 1953 and between correspondence courses, classes at Boise State University, and two summers at BYU she received her B.S. in the same class as her daughter Marilyn. Among her children and grandchildren there are currently, two Ph.D.s, one Ed.S, two M.S.W.s, three B.S.s, and one R.N.

Laurence and Della traveled extensively in the 60's and 70's, visiting throughout the U.S. and Europe which included Britain, France, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Jordan and Egypt. After the death of her husband in 1976 Della became a world-class traveler. She went to 48 of the 50 states and visited over 35 foreign countries including China, Australia, Southeast Asia, Central America, Europe, and the South Sea Islands. She took many cruises including two through the Panama Canal and also cruises to Alaska, Mexico, and the coasts of the United States.

Della was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints and always performed her church callings. For years she traveled to widely scattered communities as a member of the Stake Sunday School Board. She worked in the Boise Temple for eighteen years.

Della was preceded in death by her husband, Laurence, by her five siblings, LaMont Walker (Luella), Glenn (Afton), Nora Elynn Moon (Rulon), Ellis (Beth), Fern Forsgren (Keith), and a son-in-law, Eric F. Ward (Marilyn). She is survived by two daughters, Marilyn Shaffer (James) and Laurel Sullivan (Timothy), eight grandchildren, Eric Craig Ward (Jo), Melanie Arntsen (Donald), Holly Haab (T.J.), Michelle Jensen (Joe), Jennifer
Reintjes (Travis), Marilyn Hart, Shannon Weaver (David), and Patrick Sullivan. She is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews.

Friends and family may join us on October 1, 2014 from 1-2 pm for visitation at Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary, 4760 South State Street, Murray, UT. Graveside services will be held at Elysian Burial Gardens in Murray, Utah at 2:30 pm. Online condolences may be shared
with the family at www.jenkins-soffe.com.

Funeral Home:
Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary- Murray
4760 South State Street
Murray, UT 84107