Beverly June Smart Griffis

Beverly June Smart Griffis passed away on October 16, 2020, in Sandy, Utah. She was born September 18, 1927, in Union, Utah to Melvin Joseph Smart and Ada Jane Stam. She married Edwin Leroy Griffis on February 18, 1949, in Crescent, UT.

She enjoyed crafts, painting, and her grandchildren. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many positions over the years.

She is survived by her daughter Kathleen Rae Griffis Maxfield and her husband Roland C. Maxfield, 6 grandchildren: Jason (Jana) Maxfield, Eric (Lisa Salisar) Maxfield, Noel (Scott) Sainsbury, Brett Cordova, Michelle (William) Elmer, Amber (Danny) Gilbert, and 13 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her husband Edwin Leroy Griffis, daughter Janet Lee Griffis Cordova, great-granddaughter Charity Elmer and sister Dorothy Jean Smart Olsen.

Graveside services will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, October 24, 2020, at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South), Sandy, Utah. A viewing will be held one hour prior to the services. Please practice safe social distancing and bring a chair to the graveside.

BEVERLY'S HISTORY IN HER OWN WORDS

Beverly S. Griffis

I was born on September 18, 1927, in Union, Utah in a little white house that was two rooms. I grew up there until I was about 6 years old. Then we moved to another house at 8235 South 700 East. I have one sibling, a younger sister Dorothy Jean Smart (Olsen). My parents were Melvin Joseph Smart and Ada Jane Stam.

After mom and dad separated and divorced I went to live with my dad. We lived in California with Carl and Lavon Wozab, dad's sister and family for a while. Two years later my sister Dorothy came to live with us. She had been living with her mom up until then.
I went through Jr. high and high school in California. I didn't have a lot of clothes to wear to school, however, in the fall we got new clothes and they lasted the biggest part of the year.

My favorite class when I was going to Freemont High School was sewing. I really enjoyed that. My teacher's name was Mrs. Schroeder and she took a liking to me and we got along well. I got to sew all the uniforms for the Drill Team one year. After all the girls received their uniforms and performed at the first football performance they presented me with a picture of all of them in their uniforms I was really glad that I had done this for all of the girls.

I grew up and the war, World War 2 started in 1941. I lived in California. We didn't get bombed but it was very frightening. This is when I met Ed Griffis. I knew him during and after the war.

Dad, Dorothy, and I moved back to Salt Lake. I was engaged and broke off my engagement. However, I went back to California for a
2-week vacation. Ed took me to many places there. In October Ed came here for the deer hunt. We went to a dance one night and that's when he asked if I would be his wife. I accepted! He presented me with a ring which was wrapped in several different sized boxes. I married Edwin LeRoy Griffis on February 18, 1949, in Crescent Utah at the Avalon Ballroom.

My dad was not married at the time so we lived at home and I took care of the house. I worked for the Kress Company in Salt Lake City mending hosiery before I married and 8 months after. I enjoyed it very much. I worked right up until I was pregnant with Kathie.

We have 2 beautiful daughters. Our first daughter is Kathleen Rae Griffis (Kathie) born on May 18, 1950. Our second daughter is Janet Lea Griffis (Jan) born January 13, 1952. They were both born in the Salt Lake LDS Hospital.

When our children were little we lived on a 10-acre farm located on 7th East. They were close with their grandma and grandpa Smart. Growing up there they had may choice experiences with the horses, Shetland ponies, pigs, and sheep.

We always had a garden and we worked in the garden together as a family. We all took pride in working together.

We had many vacations to California where dad's parents, grandma Ica and grandpa Al Jennings lived. We went down there every summer to spend some time with them and Bob, Ed's brother, and his wife Eva and their daughter Barbara. We went many times to Disneyland. We have also been to the San Diego Zoo, the Japanese Village, and Knots Berry Farm while on vacation there.

We spent the holidays together Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, the 4th and 24th of July, and others. We had various BBQs on the patio and when the weather was bad we had dinner inside. Most holidays included grandma and grandpa Smart and my sister Dorothy and her family.

We weren't too religious when we first got married. I drifted away from the church a little bit and they ask me to teach primary and just a short time later to be on the Stake Primary Board and I served 2 years there and it very enjoyable. Ed decided he would like to come and go with us and we started to go as a family to church. It turned out to be a very inspirational experience. Ed joined the church and we became very active. Then we went to the Salt Lake Temple to be sealed to each other and to our beautiful girls on February 18, 1960, our eleventh wedding anniversary. We were both very proud we had worked together for this goal and we made it!

We had a lot of fun during the girls growing up years. While the girls were growing, we played ball out in the yard. In the winter we played in the snow. We went to the canyons, both big and little Cottonwood during summer and winter. Ed enjoyed the mountains very much. Many times we were bored and all of the sudden we decided to take a drive and we would end up in the mountains somewhere. We enjoyed doing it. Many times we took off on roads not knowing where we would end up and we had a lovely time.

Jan married first and she married Conrad James Cordova on July 5, 1972. They were married in the chapel at Hill Air Force Base in Clearfield. Their reception was held in Salt Lake. They were later sealed in the Burn Switzerland Temple. Kathie married Roland Charles Maxfield on January 18, 1974. They were married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple and held their reception at the Crestwood Villa.

The biggest hardship so far in my life was when Ed passed away. We were so very close and did so many things together as a family and as our two girls got older and married, we did things together. The June before he passed away we went on a trip which we enjoyed very much visiting family and friends. It was our last trip together and it was a beautiful thing. I was glad we had this time together. I think we all got to know one another and got really close as a family at this time. I was glad we had this opportunity.

Ed was in the hospital for 16 days and I was only able to see him for a short time. He died on December 19, 1974. His funeral and burial was on the 23rd. This was such a trying experience. As I said we were always close. There wasn't anything we didn't do together. We would go to the grocery store or to the feed store to get food for the animals. We were always together. I miss him very much.

My occupation was a housewife and when Ed passed away I was fortunate enough to work for an orthodontist whose name was Rand Brown. I really didn't realize how close I could get too small and teenage boys and girls. I'm was so grateful for those kids. I didn't realize how much it really meant to me until I fell and broke my leg on March 21, 1979. I realized how much I meant to these kids also. I received many beautiful cards and letters from these kids and their parents telling me how much they appreciated me and the influence I had on their children.

Sometimes we wonder why we have these experiences but we grow from them and I'm sure it is from the Lord. He is putting us through them so that we can become strong and accept the things He puts before us.

I talked my dad, Melvin Smart, into selling our place and I got into another home in Alta View Mobile Home Estates on July 21, 1979. I have truly enjoyed it. I have been accepted in the neighborhood and in the ward. I was put in the Relief Society Presidency right away and truly enjoyed the sisters I have worked with and I love every minute of it over there. I then worked with the Stake Relief Society as their secretary and I loved every minute of it also. I love these beautiful sisters. I am grateful for the blessing the Lord has given me and my beautiful family and mom and dad. I truly love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for it and for what it has to offer. I know President Monson is truly a living Prophet today and that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet who organized this church and the Relief Society organization and all the other organizations placed before us.

I stayed busy sewing and keeping house. I loved to do all kinds of crafts. When I moved into my new residence, a double-wide mobile home, I took classes from one of the other residents to make porcelain dolls and I thoroughly enjoyed that also. I displayed them for many years in my home and I later gave many of the dolls to my children and grandchildren. I took an art class with several residents and enjoyed that also. I displayed the paintings in my home.

I want to mention this which has been an inspiration in my life and the lives of our whole family has been the beautiful grandchildren that have been brought into our lives. I am so grateful for Kathie, Roland, Jan, and Con. Their children have been brought into such beautiful homes with beautiful parents who I'm sure will guide these children into the right and pleasing way to our Father in Heaven.

Kathie and Roland have 2 boys Jason and Eric, and Jan and Con have 4 children, Noel, Brett, Michelle, and Amber. I hope these kids will find wonderful mates and be able to go to the House of the Lord and be sealed for time and all eternity and to have the wonderful relationships their parents have had.

I forgot to mention one of the beautiful trips that I took to Europe to spend some time with Jan and Con while they were there. They took me to so many places. I was frightened to go there alone, but did make the trip alone and thoroughly enjoyed it while I was there. I met so many wonderful people as we toured all around Germany and had such beautiful experiences in Switzerland, a beautiful place. Then we went to France, a beautiful place, with beautiful parks, beautiful artwork and artists back many centuries. I saw the “Mona Lisa”. I was disappointed because the painting was so small. I thought it would have been much larger. The tours I went on were wonderful, I thoroughly enjoyed them.

I spent many wonderful years in my trailer until I couldn't stay there alone. I then moved to Cedarwood in Sandy in February 2020. The Covid-19 virus came and I couldn't have any visitors. It was very hard on me being all alone in my apartment; but eventually, I did get to have some visitors, at a distance, and that helped.

Beverly passed away on October 16, 2020.