Our mother, Donna Winward Judd, was born 10 February 1932, the only child of Albert Lee and Emma Lucy Gardiner. She was cherished as the center of their lives. Her parents called her "Donnie". Like everyone else of that time they struggled through Depression years. Our mother's heart broke when her daddy died in 1957 at 49 years old. Mother and dad always lived nearby and watched over her widowed mother until her death in 2005.
When our dad Frank. came home for his LDS Mission his Army Draft papers were waiting for him. He decided to enlist in the Air Force instead so after their marriage June 7, 1951 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple, their married life began in San Antonio, Texas. From Texas they moved home, to mom's hometown, Vernal and lived here until their deaths. They had 3 children, Patricia (Pattie) Lee born on Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Kenneth and Michelle were both born in Vernal. Michelle was born on Kenny's 5th birthday.
When Michelle was just a baby one of dad's friends from Kanab, Lee Mace, asked if mother might answer an extension of his work phone at our house since mother would be home all the time anyway. Thus began Judd Answering Service. Dad worked a LOT at the answering before and after other full times jobs he held but it was "Donna" who the working me said could find they anywhere to deliver a message.
After reluctantly selling the answering service in 1981 she spent much time being dad's assistant at the Bonanza and Jensen Post Offices.
Mother was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints and especially loved the years she was an ordinance worker in the Vernal Temple. Mom and dad literally did tens of thousands of names in the Extraction program. They were the Directors of the old Vernal Family Center and helped bring about the new stand alone Family History Center in Vernal.
Mother died in the early morning hours of March 5, 2020 after struggling several years with dementia which took much from her but it never took her smile and twinkling eyes.
Mother was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Henderson Judd, parents and sons-in-law Clay R Stewart and Charles Thomas Hayes and very recently her beloved Aunt Amy Pope Johnstun. She is survived by her children Pattie Lee Hayes, Kenneth Lynn both of Vernal and Donna Michelle (Wade) Rushton of St George. She has 12 grandchildren and 22 great grand children.
Our love, thanks and appreciation to Vernal Beehive home's Director Kaycee Asey and her amazing staff who were such kind and loving care givers to our mother. Thanks also to the Good Shepherd Hospice personnel who aided her and us in the very last stage of mother's life.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 7, 2020 at 11:00a.m. at the Phillips Ashley Valley Funeral Home. A visitation for family and friends will be held Saturday 9:45-10:45a.m. at the Phillips Ashley Valley Funeral Home. Interment will be in the Vernal Memorial Park.
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