Phyllis Ruth Parrish Bateman Obituary (1921

Phyllis Ruth Parrish Bateman, beloved daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and dear friend passed away peacefully on October 3, 2015 in South Jordan, Utah at age 94 of causes incident to age. She was being cared for in the home of her son Ron and his wife Bev. She was the second child of three daughters born September 3, 1921 in Lehi, Utah to Wade Hampton Parrish and Chloe Mabel Felt. She was the third generation owner of the family livestock operation homesteaded by her Felt grandparents. She was a lifetime resident of Ibapah, Utah, except for attending LDS Business College for two plus years and subsequently working in Salt Lake City as a secretary. Rao and Phyllis met in 1940 when Rao played with the Mesa Ward in the All-church basketball tournament. He was the star, scoring 22 points in winning the tournament with his picture in the paper which made for an exciting first date. Dad served in Wendover and Tinian Island with the secret 509th atomic bomb group. Phyllis worked at the Wendover Air base warehouse as a supervisor. They were young and in love, sharing the euphoria of victory at the end of World War II, when they came to help Grandpa Wade Parrish on the ranch in 1946. They arrived intending on staying for the summer months and never left. Phyllis was small in stature; at the same time being a giant in many attributes of her life. She had a deep love and concern for her family and friends, and desired to help everyone she could. She steadfastly loved the Lord, believing in his ultimate power. She had "an almost selfish love" for her husband Rao H. Bateman whom she married May 15, 1943 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She and Rao were eternally sealed together with their sons June 9, 1968 in the Salt Lake Temple. She felt blessed to have wonderful sons Ronald Rao (Beverly), Kyle Wade (Ranae), and Randy Leon (Tracie). She and Rao worked as a team in the cattle ranching business while raising her three sons. She was a meticulous record keeper and kept her home and yard neatly organized. She was an excellent cook, oftentimes preparing meals on a hot, wood-fired kitchen range for a large hay crew. Her nephew Chuck Bean worked on the ranch for several years, and spent most holidays in Ibapah with the family. Money was scarce, so food came from her large garden and meat from animals they raised. Shopping for groceries in Salt Lake was done only once or twice a year. They started married life without electricity and indoor plumbing. She was a dedicated member of the LDS Church and found great joy in serving in the small Ibapah Branch. She was a compassionate leader working in the Relief Society and she organized the branch library. She served alongside her husband Rao while he was branch president for seven years. They held many dinners, facilitated funerals, showed movies and visited numerous valley residents during that time and thereafter. She profoundly impacted many, many lives. She was assistant postmaster to Betty Calloway at the local store and Ibapah post office, and was an election judge and voter registration agent over the years. She also volunteered as a reading tutor at Ibapah Elementary where she and Rao were the custodians. She never sought the lime-light. She was positive with an infectious smile, quiet chuckle and expressed appreciation for the simple things of life. She enjoyed working in her rock gardens and going on picnicking excursions with cherished friends and family in the surrounding mountains and desert. She was hard to beat at the game of Scrabble, even in the past few months. She liked to shop for clothes. Rao kept an extra $100 bill hidden in the truck in case she wanted to stop at Grand Central or Kmart. She was a letter writer and kept her mind active by reading LDS romance novels even in her 90's. She was able to travel with family around the western United States and to Nauvoo, Illinois and Branson, Missouri. She has left us a legacy as a preserver of family records by taking and organizing photos, writing poems and compiling histories with family group sheets of her ancestors on both sides of her family, even as a teenager. She underwent numerous operations and illnesses over a lifetime and was surprised to outlive her two sisters. She was notorious for constantly being cold, not going anywhere without a coat even in the middle of a hot, summer day. She was able to live alone in Ibapah for several extra years due to the attentive care of her sons and wives Kyle & Ranae, Randy & Tracie Bateman with extended stays in town at Ron and Bev's home. She recently penciled out several suggested funeral speakers because they each passed away before her. She is survived by her sons and their wives, along with sixteen grandchildren, 33 great grandchildren (more on the way), one great-great grandchild and brother-in-law 97 year-old Jed Cook. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents and sisters Blanch Bean and Joyce Cook. Services will be held on at 12 noon at Jenkins Soffe Mortuary 1007 W. South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, Utah. A viewing will be held from 10 to noon. Interment at Salt Lake City Cemetery. Thanks is expressed to Care Source Hospice for their loving service over the past several weeks. Funeral Home: Jenkins-Soffe South Valley 1007 W. South Jordan Pkwy. South Jordan, UT 84095