Rosalee Hertell Ivers

RosaLee Hertell Ivers passed away at the age of 22 (actually 88) on June 4, 2024 after a valiant fight with dementia, with her loving family surrounding her. She has reunited with her eternal companion, Leland Bonner “Pink” Ivers, her loving husband Mel Ryan, whom she was blessed to find later in life, her older sister, and her parents.

RosaLee was born to Carl Julius Ernfrid and Elsie Lamb Hertell on February 29, 1936 – a leap year baby! She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, the youngest of three daughters. Both of RosaLee’s parents were deaf and she was a loving and kind daughter. She exemplified those characteristics throughout her life and with all of her relationships – a caring, sweet, and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend to all those she encountered.

RosaLee attended Wasatch High School in Heber City, Utah where she graduated with high honors grades 9-12. She was Student Body Vice President her senior year. RosaLee won the title of Miss Wasatch in 1954. After high school, RosaLee attended the University of Utah. During these years she met and married her husband, Leland, in Heber. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Provo, Utah Temple.

RosaLee had a strong and unwavering testimony of her Savior Jesus Christ that was a guiding light throughout her life. She embodied His example by spending her entire life in the service of others. As a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints she held several callings throughout her lifetime including leadership positions both in the stake and the ward. One of these was serving with her lifelong best friend, Inez Wilde, at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. She also served baking for and working in the Relief Society Baked Goods booth for years at the annual Swiss Days event in Midway, Utah. She interpreted for the deaf at court proceedings and often had lunch with members of the deaf community.

RosaLee always had a big smile on her face with an infectious laugh and loved to see anyone at any time. She made everyone feel welcomed and loved. Her relationships were truly important to her.

RosaLee was an avid learner, voraciously reading everything she could get her hands on, keeping journals over her lifetime and she loved music, singing in her ward choir and even learning to play the piano in her 80s. She spent much of her life farming, participating in all aspects of the family farm, hauling hay, feeding cows, and running the irrigation. By working with and teaching her children, she instilled the value of hard work. She would never stand by and watch, she would always jump in and help no matter how big or small the project was. She always kept a beautiful garden, bottling the literal “fruits of her labor.”

In her earlier years she worked as a secretary for an attorney in Salt Lake City, she also worked for Midway City Offices as well as served as Treasurer of the Midway Boosters Club. RosaLee spent 25 years at the Wasatch County School District as a secretary, where she worked with many wonderful people, retiring in 2004. During all of this, she also sold Avon. RosaLee was always busy!

RosaLee is survived by her sister, Elaine (Lynn) Herron, six children, Jeff (Lois) Ivers, Wes (Teena) Ivers, Deanna (Dean) Pitts, Glenn (Lisa) Ivers, Leslie Ivers and Russ (Alesia) Ivers, 22 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

RosaLee was preceded in death by her parents, both husbands, grandchildren Bradley Jeff Ivers and Nicole Ivers, her eldest sister Carol and brother-in-law Glenn McDonald and her half-sister Blanch Roberts.

The family wishes to give special thanks to Lynn Johnson and his family for the never-ending service that he has provided for our mother ever since our father passed away in 1996. So much service and much of it we are unaware of. Doug Allred and his family kept mom stocked in wood to burn in her stove for all those years following dad's death. Tirelessly coming year after year with a load of wood which she loved to burn and did not care how hot it got for everyone else in her later years because at least she was toasty and warm.

We would like to thank Eliza, Laurie, and Allison from Aspen Home Health for spending their days with mom and loving and caring for her. Thank you to Dr. Stanton McDonald for always taking great care of our mother and guiding our decisions. Jessica, Jewels, Karen and Jeremie from Applegate HomeCare and Hospice helped us in her last few days showing unconditional love to mom and our family.

Services will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Legacy Ward house, 250 East 200 South, Midway, Utah with a viewing on Friday, June 7th from 6PM-8PM and a viewing on Saturday, June 8th from 9:30AM-10:30AM followed by a funeral service at 11:00AM with the internment to follow at the Midway City Cemetery.

**To stream the services, please visit: https://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/101598/hash:9A7EDD3C218D5B78 **