Melva Donaldson Ashby

Our loving mother, Melva Donaldson Ashby, passed away peacefully at home in the presence of loved ones.

She was born February 11, 1929 in Thatcher, Arizona, to Karl Maeser Donaldson and Florence Richardson Donaldson, and was raised on the family farm in Virden, New Mexico. She was one of a family of 14 children (seven boys and seven girls) and grew up in a good LDS home where music was constantly heard. She learned to love harmony in singing with family members, and took the opportunity to sing in any school or church choir available wherever she lived.

Mom was devoted to her faith and membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She enjoyed serving in various callings in Primary, Sunday School, Young Women's and Relief Society. She also spent many years as an ordinance worker in the Jordan River Temple.

She briefly attended BYU in Provo, Utah, and then attended Gila Junior College in Arizona before serving an LDS mission to the North Central States, which included Minnesota and South Dakota. After her mission, she attended Utah State University and then found employment in Salt Lake City at Beneficial Life Insurance Company. While working in Salt Lake, she met Clarence Leon Ashby, and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1957. They moved to Ogden, Utah and were soon blessed with a daughter, JoNelle. Transferred to Idaho Falls, Idaho for her husband's work, they welcomed another daughter, Valerie, and then a son, Kendall Douglas. The family lived for a time in Sacramento, California before life eventually brought them back to Utah. Mom began working for Salt Lake County in 1969, first with County Mental Health, and then for the Salt Lake County Purchasing Department, where she finally retired in 1994.

Family meant everything to Mom. She enjoyed nothing more than planning large family gatherings filled with good food, whether it was for Christmas Eve or Pioneer Day. She was in her element when surrounded by her brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren. She was deeply proud of her family history, pouring over stories and genealogy with her sister (and best friend) Francelle. Her belief in forever families and her strong testimony of the gospel was her foundation and the guiding light in how she lived her life. She was a wonderful example to all who knew and loved her.

Melva was preceded in death by her parents, daughter JoNelle, grandson Skyler; sisters Margene, LaRue, Ethella, Afton, Vernice, and Francelle; brothers Karl Jr., Kendall and Kloyd.

Melva is survived by her son Kendall, daughter Valerie; grandchildren Ryan (Becky), Ashlee (Jared), Brennan (Kristen), Peyton, Brianne, Erik, Jaden and Jiana; great-grandchildren Alexandra, Kaiden, Caylee, Roman, Cambree, Brecklyn, Ashton, Grayson, Julia, Cara and Melody; brothers Kenyon, Kerry, Klaron and Gareth.

Melva's Funeral Service:
Saturday, June 29, 2024
River Oaks Stake Center
8950 South 1300 West
West Jordan, Utah 84088

Viewing: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Service: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Interment at West Jordan City Cemetery
7925 South 1300 West
West Jordan, Utah 84088

Funeral services will be live streamed on this website.