Wilma Workman Gardner passed away on February 24, 2024, of causes incident to age just 2 days after her 100th birthday. She was born February 22, 1924, in Delta, Utah the third child of John Cornelius Workman and Florence Atella Cook Workman. Her father, John, was serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints assigned to the Southern States Mission at the time of her birth. When Wilma was 18 months old her father returned from his mission and the family moved to Provo, Utah and then to Salt Lake City where she lived her youth and graduated from East High School. After her family was raised, she attended Brigham Young University earning an Independent Studies degree in 1982.
On March 8, 1943, she was married to Kenneth Norman Gardner of Delta, Utah in the Salt Lake Temple. In their early married years, they lived in Salt Lake City, Idaho Falls, Idaho, Atascadero, California and Fresno, California. They moved back to Idaho Falls in 1956 for her husband’s employment in the electrical wholesale business. In 1961 she was instrumental in supporting him as he founded Electrical Wholesale Supply in Idaho Falls.
In 1969 she served as a companion to Kenneth as he was called to serve as President of the Hawaii Honolulu Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon their return in 1972 they settled in Salt Lake City where he founded Electrical Wholesale Supply of Utah. They lived in Salt Lake City until 1987 when they were called to serve in the Singapore Mission assigned to serve in Madras, India. Kenneth died in 1988 while they were serving in Madras, and she returned home to Salt Lake City.
In 1991 Wilma was called to serve for one year in the Washington DC South Mission. Shortly after her return she married Wilbur Franklin Wayman in 1992. They built a home and moved to St. George, Utah and then to Provo where they lived until he died in 1997. Wilma then married long-time acquaintance and friend Donald Angus Kirk in 2002. He preceded her in death in 2015.
In addition to her missionary service, she served in numerous callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including ward and stake Relief Society President, Young Women Presidencies, Gospel Doctrine Teacher and others. She also participated in the Indian Placement and Unwed Mother Programs sponsored by the Church.
Wilma is survived by her five children Diane (Don) Adamson of Salt Lake City, Utah, John (Karen) Gardner of Orem, Utah, Gary (Debbie) Gardner of Draper, Utah, Gil (Rhonda) Gardner of Washington, Utah, and Reed (Bobbi) Gardner of West Bountiful, Utah. She is also survived by 28 grandchildren, 101 great-grandchildren, and 21 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers and four sisters, husbands Kenneth Gardner, Wilbur Wayman, Donald Kirk, daughter-in-law Cindy Gardner, grandson Jay Adamson, granddaughter Auralee Scott and great-granddaughter Joy Weaver.
Special thanks are given to her several faithful long-term private caregivers and the professionals of Utah Home Health and Hospice and Aspen Senior Care and many friends and ward members of the Riverwood Ward of the Provo Utah Edgemont Stake.
A viewing will be held from 9:30 to 10:45 am Saturday March 2, 2024, at the Larkin Sunset Gardens located at 1950 E 10600 South in Sandy, Utah. The funeral will be held afterwards, beginning at 11:00 am. Interment will be held at Larkin Sunset Gardens.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Humanitarian Fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
My love and condolences to the Gardner family on the loss of their wonderful matriarch. Aunt Wilma was so kind and generous to me and my family. Uncle Ken was kind and generous as well. I miss them both! The Heavens have gained an angel!
We love you Beautiful People! Such a Beautiful life Wilma Workman Gardner Lived! We are sorry for your loss… surely wonderful reunions are going on in the Great Heavenly Home above!
May you all feel comforted and loved for all the care and time you shared with such a great Daughter of God and magnificent example of service in your Mother, Grandmother, and Friend!
Our love and condolences to the Gardner family. Wilma was a force for good with a dynamic progeny. We are grateful to have known her and felt her influence.
What an outstanding woman who founded an extraordinary family. I admire her so much. Sending my love and condolences to John and Karen and family.
My deepest condolences go out to the Gardener family on the passing of Wilma.
I am William (Bill) Davis, the middle child of Harold and Enid Davis. Most of you may be unfamiliar with me and my family. Over the past 45 years, we have resided in Provo, Texas and Ohio.
In 1975, a close-knit group of my friends, including Lane Monson and Scott Stokes, along with a few others, decided to embark on an adventurous senior high school trip from Idaho Falls down to the big city Salt Lake City.
In true teenage fashion, we hadn't made many plans, including accommodations. Luckily, we discovered that Ken and Wilma Gardener, friends of Harold and Enid Davis, were living in the foothills of SLC. I thought this could provide a fortunate solution to our lodging predicament.
I remember calling them and asking Wilma if we could "crash at their pad" (probably with a heads-up from Gary, one of our young men's leaders in the 29th Ward). To my surprise, she said yes and would love the visit.
I'll always remember the genuine excitement with which both Wilma and Ken welcomed us into their home. They smiled often, generously fed us, and provided a deluxe place for us to stay for several nights. During our time together, we laughed about the stories of our journeys in SLC, and they gave us pointers for things to see in the coming days. Your parents were extremely warm to us. They seemed to enjoy a bunch of teenagers, most they had never met until that night. My buddies and I expected to sleep on the floor or couches in a back room, but not in a palace. Our backup plan was a park somewhere in SLC.
Wilma is very much like my Mother—kind, elegant, and graceful. Her home reflected these qualities, and I always felt at home when visiting them. I could also tell that both Ken and Wilma knew that people were more important than things.
To me, it was always Ken and Wilma Gardner.
It was evident to me that friendship held great significance to your parents. I could tell they dearly loved my parents. I know my parents loved them very much. Enid and Harold never had a bad word to say about Wilma or Ken. Mom and Dad truly loved them.
I am sure the four of them are now off in a corner somewhere, laughing about stories and times they had together, and the struggles and journeys they both experienced.
We send our thoughts and prayers for comfort and peace for your family. It must have been a glorious reunion with your father! May God’s finest blessings be with you. We love your family.
Dearest Gardner Family,
We express our deepest sadness at the passing of Grandma Wilma Gardner. There is no one like her, the warmest, most loving, and kindest of all human beings. Her smile and graciousness lit the room with radiance and beauty. She was strong, and her words were full of wisdom. Her understanding and a deep sense of compassion for many in need, and unwavering love for so many people is a rare treasure. She was an angel of blessings, after missing Grandpa Ken for so many years, surely he and her family in heaven have received her with joy. Her family in this life enjoyed and loved her presence very much. She welcomed many, many people with open arms and a generous heart, even from different races and countries. Grandma Wilma, you have been and will always and forever be the embodiment of pure joy, true love and ultimate kindness. Praying for Heavenly Father's comfort and blessings for all the family.
All those who know her will "ARISE UP, AND CALL HER BLESSED," AS ONE WHO HAD FAITH, OBEYED THE LORD, AND EMULATED HIS INFINITE MERCIES AND KINDNESS.
We send our love to the Gardner family, and want you to know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. What a wonderful funeral service was given in honor of this beautiful, kind. loving aunt. Her goodness and faithfulness throughout her life is an example to us all. May you find peace in the happy memories of sweet Wilma.