Grateful. Grateful. Grateful.
In another breath-takingly sweet and sacred moment, our Mother slipped away Thursday May 22, 2014 to join our recently departed Father. To adapt sacred scripture: "In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!"
Arlene was born July 14, 1925, the oldest of six children of Milton and Marie Jones Barlow in Salt Lake City. When she was 12 the family moved to Cedar City where they lived until the middle of her senior year in High School. When they returned to Salt Lake Arlene finished at East High. Her parents and brother Clifton preceded her in death. Her brother Earl passed away just this past Sunday. It pleases us to think of their reunion in paradise.
Music was a tremendous part of Mom's life. By the age of 12 she was the ward organist, a position she held, in addition to other jobs in the Church, continuously for over 60 years. She wrote the school song for her High School in Cedar City and often performed live on the radio there, as well as playing bass in the local dance band. During the summers of her teen years, she traveled from Cedar City to stay with her grandmother in Salt Lake to study with the great concert pianist, Frederic Dixon.
When Mom started dating Dad, she had been accepted to study at the Juilliard School of Music. She accepted Dad's proposal instead, and they were married June 17, 1946 in the Salt Lake City, LDS Temple.
Mom was a full-time Mother, and immersed herself in that role. She served actively in the PTA's of our schools. We always felt comfortable volunteering Mom to help out in any way with our school, music, sports, or other activities. It never occurred to us not to, or to ask her first. She made many of our clothes, sometimes sewing all night to meet a self-imposed deadline. Some evenings, one of her daughters would be sewn into an almost finished dress while her date waited patiently downstairs.
Mom was an accomplished pianist, and was often asked to accompany local performers. She accompanied us as we practiced, as well. No matter how basic our skills were, she devised an elaborate accompaniment that made the finished product sound concert-ready. She has continued improvising and enhancing accompaniments with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
At the end of each day, with five children safely in bed, Mom would sit at the piano and express the joys and frustrations of the day through her music. We children all went to sleep each night listening to her play. Even today when we hear certain Chopin etudes we are transported back to childhood.
For 10 years Mom sang in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Her assigned seat was very close to the organ, and Alexander Schreiner, Organist, would frequently ask her to turn the pages of his music.
A few years later Mom returned to the University of Utah and completed a Bachelors Degree in Psychology. She worked for several years for the Utah Health Department.
Mom served many years on the Board of Trustees of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation, including a term as its Chairman. She was appointed by the Governor to serve as the public member on the Utah State Optometrist Licensing Board. She served on several general music committees for the LDS church. She was selected as a ‘Distinguished Alumnus' by the University of Utah.
From 1978 to 1985 Mom was the First Counselor in the General Presidency of the Young Women of the LDS Church, serving with Elaine Cannon and Norma Smith. She loved that calling. She traveled all over the world, meeting and counseling with the young women of the church.
After her husband retired they served a mission for the Church to Frankfurt, Germany, where she worked in the Area office writing a history of the Church in Europe, and working with the German LDS hymns. Mom loved the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Later, dressed daily in pioneer clothing, Stan and Arlene opened the ZCMI store at "This Is the Place Park", and operated it for 10 years. She created a 200- page catalogue of their offerings, which was also filled with pioneer facts and stories.
Arlene is survived by her three sisters, Joyce Smith, Jeniel Kalm, and Carole (Ray) Madsen, many beloved siblings in-law and cousins, her five children, Stanford Jr (Anne Carroll), Jan Darger Denali, Ann (Randall) Hatch, Jane (Matthew) Thomas, and John (Constanza) Darger, 20 adored grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren. She loved her family so much, and constantly told us how proud she was of each of us and how grateful she felt for our presence in her life. She was preceded in death two weeks earlier by her husband, Stan. She was also preceded by her parents.
A funeral service for both Mom and Dad will be held at the Monument Park 17th Ward Chapel, at 2795 E. Crestview Drive in Salt Lake City, on Friday May 30, 2014 at 1:00 PM. There will be a viewing at Sunset Lawn Mortuary, (2350 E.1300 So.) on Thursday, May 29th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.,and on Friday from 12:00 to 12:45 PM at the church. Interment will follow the funeral at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 S. Highland Dr.
Instead of flowers, may we suggest a contribution to the LDS Perpetual Education Fund, to the Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, or, even better, emulate Mom and choose today to tell someone how wonderful they are, and how grateful you are to have him or her in your life
